Venture Capital

Jon, Peter and Scott decode how Chat GPT will impact the future. If people need to be scared? Or better prepared. Jon- talks about how Builder.ai and Bubble.io are enablers for people to get their MVPs off the ground and not direct competition. And while Chat GPT might feel threatening at this point for the businesses like his, we have to remind ourselves that not everything turns out how its supp...

We gave both Scott and Peter an opportunity to vent, to talk about instances, examples that are otherwise hard to share in social circles due to interpersonal conflict. They say, there is no learning better than learning from other people's mistakes. And sometimes its your own mistakes that makes you a better VC. Scott and Peter reflect back on many such instances that can be highly educational. W...

Scott Paul describes the Utah angel investing ecosystem, and his role as a Founder of Convoi Ventures, an $8M rolling VC fund here in Utah. He's helped turn Utah into a thriving startup culture and he is a supportive leader and angel investor. Utah has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, with a growing number of startups and small businesses emerging in recent years. Angel investors are a critical co...

As an AI language model, ChatGPT doesn't have any direct impact on venture capital. However, ChatGPT and other AI technologies may indirectly affect venture capital in several ways: Improved investment decision-making: AI technologies like natural language processing, machine learning, and predictive analytics can help venture capitalists analyze large amounts of data and make more informed invest...

What is the effect of ChatGPT on startups? Though ChatGPT can have a positive impact, it will also shake up many industries.  Here is a quick summary of the areas we think ChatGPT will affect/change the soonest.  Customer Support: Startups can use ChatGPT to provide 24/7 customer support to their users. ChatGPT can handle a large volume of customer queries and provide quick and accurate responses,...

The "Who is a Founder?" podcast explores the various aspects of what it means to be a founder in the modern startup world.  Jon and Peter debate who deserves the title and who doesn't. They discuss what it means to be a founder and how the role of a founder has evolved over time. They also explore the various characteristics that make a successful founder and share their insights on what it takes...

Is Venture Capital a Good job? Peter Harris is an industry veteran with almost 20 years of experience. If you're a student and want to get into VC, interning with Peter could give you a massive leg up.  Here's a quick summary: Peter shares his personal experience about the benefits and downsides of the job Pros and Cons of being a partner Succession planning and your long-term viability in the ind...

Here are the potential pros and cons of venture capital for small businesses: Pros: Access to significant funding that can help fuel growth and scale operations Exposure to experienced investors and their networks, which can provide valuable guidance, mentorship, and business connections Potential for significant returns on investment for both the company and the investors Can help attract other i...

What is Real Estate Tech 3.0?  First, let's talk about the different waves of real-estate tech as discussed in NFX's post called "Real Estate 3.0 -- The Ownership Revolution: Information Revolution Transaction Revolution Ownership Revolution (Web 3.0 Could be used to democratize ownership) Real estate has always been the largest asset class in the world, so it's interesting when Real Estate Tech a...

Are Founders better investors than VCs? Making founders angel investors the way to go? Or due diligence, and chasing deals best to be left with the VCs? Some Points  Covered in This Episode Include: What is in for a founder to do this better than a VC? Peter digs deep and finds the "why"  The WIN100 is a community-nominated and peer-selected process of the top 100 venture entrepreneurs in Utah Jon...

Do you want to know how to start your own fund? In this episode, Peter and Jon talk about their own experiences as first-time fund managers. Join us on this podcast to see what we think! Follow Peter Harris Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharris1 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpet e Youtube: https://youtu.be/Hy9DsuFzTH4 Follow University...

What is generative tech? Well, it's the next thing happening in VC! Some of the most significant changes in venture capital occurred over the last 6 months. AI has allowed us to create high-quality, cheap, and Fast AI models to create images, video, code, music, and other types of models. This is what is called Generative AI. Join us on this podcast to see what we think! Follow Peter Harris Twitte...

Learn what FTX's crash means for VC. We are sure there are a lot of memes that also show this. Join us on this podcast to see what we think! Follow Peter Harris Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharris1 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpet e Youtube: https://youtu.be/Hy9DsuFzTH4 Follow University Growth Fund Website: https://www.ugrowthfund....

Jake Zeller and Jonathan Swanson launched a new fund, somewhat unique, https://powerset.co/ . Their thesis is that founders are better investors than VCs. From their site they say, "Based on our experience working with hundreds of top founders and VCs, we have reason to believe that a certain cohort of founders can be some of the best investors on the planet, both in terms of helpfulness to startu...

We got a question from one of our listeners about how important it is for VCs to build their online presence. Like they say- if you didn't post about it online, did it really happen?  Does it apply to VCs too? Are VCs now the "new" influencers? Is it the fund that needs a brand or the individual partners need to create visibility/ credibility for themselves? Follow Peter Harris Twitter: https://tw...

In this episode, we discuss if Venture Capitalists are evil. We discuss why entrepreneurs feel like VCs are evil. And please forgive us for the audio quality. Jon forgot to turn the recording device on for the microphones.  Peter Harris University Growth Fund: https://www.ugrowthfund.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpete?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudent YouT...

Much has changed in the last few years, and in 2022 we want do know if profitability still matters to VCs. Over the past few years, VCs have pounded on the drum of growth at almost any cost. Startups have been flooded with billions of dollars to fuel growth. Now in light of the current recession and financial situation join us as we discuss if and how this approach has changed. Venture Capital Pod...

Should you take money from a corporate venture arm?  Here are some quick Pros and Cons of doing so: Pros: They can be very strategic in making industry connections (especially with other companies they have invested in They can often become a customer themselves Bring technical expertise and resources unavailable to early-stage venture companies Cons: Often have conflicting mandates, invest for re...

Peter and Jon share if they feel- "Utah is better at sales driven SaaS business but not so great when it comes to product led growth SaaS businesses" While Jon personally takes offence, Peter has his reasons to believe in the statement. Startups like Scan which didn't find any investors in Utah were the biggest buzz news once Snapchat showed interest.  Have Utah product businesses found better tak...

In this episode, we discuss a LinkedIn post from Travis Ashby. He talks about one of his friends, a startup CMO, that was fired by their VCs just "weeks" before his vesting cliff happened. Here's the link to the post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/travisashby_letsdobetter-peoplefirst-culturematters-activity-6970740998289195008-_Co- Peter and Jon share their thoughts on why this happened, how it c...

Have you ever invested in a friend's business? What happened? On this episode, we discuss the pro's and con's of supporting your friends. Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only. Always consult proper legal and financial advisors. Venture Capital Podcast Website: www. VentureCapital.fm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789 Spotify: https://ope...

How do you network with venture capitalists in 2022? In this episode, we talk about unique networking ideas to connect with your ideal VC. Peter and Jon discuss the extent to which people go to meet and work with VC's, such as booking a private jet. How do you network with VC's besides waiting for them to come to you. Venture Capital Podcast Website: www. VentureCapital.fm Apple Podcasts: https://...

We were recently asked by a friend what a startup CTO's salary should be for a company with little to no revenue. Peter and Jon decided to ask their network what "fair" compensation would be. Please remember that most individuals were making a recommendation only on partial information. We presented the following to each individual. What are the current terms for a Startup CTO? - He makes $200,000...

In this episode, we talk about how you get the most out of your latest financing round. Many startups are raising at much lower valuations than they did 6, 12, or 18+ months ago. Peter talks about the current market trends and how companies in a tight spot can get a better valuation. Venture Capital Podcast Website: www. VentureCapital.fm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ventu...

Peter Harris provides a quick update on recent investments by the University Growth Fund. Join us as Peter shares his analysis, thoughts, and strategies.