This Week in Startups Is investing REALLY the hardest job in tech? A TWIST VC Roundtable (ft. Deedy Das and Jay Eum) | E2204
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Today’s show:
*On TWiST, Jason welcomes an all-star VC panel — Deedy Das of Menlo Partners and Jay Eum of GFT Ventures — for a deep dive into the shocking scale of early-stage AI raises, a transitional moment for investors, the growing importance of the “prosumer” market, ChatGPT’s insane smile curves, and much much more.
IN THIS EPISODE
- What the panelists make of Roelof Botha’s exit from Sequoia… and is he really going anywhere…
- Why Jason says VC is no longer the best way to get rich…
- Why so many private companies are growing SO HUGE before going public…
And much more!
Timestamps:
(00:03:37) Jason is fresh from surviving Riyadh traffic but he’s here and introducing our all star panel
(00:04:03) Why Jason compares Riyadh to Silicon Valley in the 1960s
(00:05:21) Friend of the Pod Roelof Botha is stepping down at Sequoia… our insiders try to guess what might have happened…
(10:00) Crusoe - Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/startup to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.
(00:13:11) Deedy moved up at Menlo without being a venture native… he shares the secrets behind his rise.
(00:19:09) Was Roelof wrong about “return-free risk”? Does more capital always = more great companies?
(20:00) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!
(00:26:54) With so many private companies growing SO HUGE… when is the right time to go public? Considering the case of Glean and Stripe…
(30:00) AWS Marketplace - If you’re ready to really accelerate your sales cycle, AWS Marketplace is your next stop. Head to https://aws.com/startups to learn more.
(00:30:07) Why Jason says venture capital is no longer the best way to get rich
(00:32:34) Why AI apps are so appealing to enterprises after years of paying for SaaS
(00:36:32) The growing importance of “prosumers”
(00:37:31) Why Deedy says a smile curve is the most beautiful depiction of “Product Market Fit”
(00:44:36) Why it’s still tough to raise pre-seed money, even during an AI “boom”!
(00:46:08) Why Jason says the hardest job in the tech ecosystem is being an investor
(00:55:52) “Time is one of the primary drivers of venture capital return.” - Jay Eun
(00:57:42) Deedy on the shocking amounts being raised by early-stage AI companies
(01:00:21) Just how much DO VCs work compared to founders? The panel compares notes.
(01:02:53) Are some investors not doing diligence? Deedy on the speed of some AI deals.
(01:16:51) The panel picks their fav portfolio company of the moment (or one of their faves)
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Crusoe - Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/startup to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.
Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit
AWS Marketplace - If you’re ready to really accelerate your sales cycle, AWS Marketplace is your next stop. Head to https://aws.com/startups to learn more.
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