

The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified
Nick Moran
The podcast dedicated to demystifying Venture Capital. Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti interview VC's & Startup Founders and on how they build great technology startups.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 25, 2024 • 6min
Investor Stories 332: Best LP Question (Stack, Tully, Green)
On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Risa Stack Tim Tully Mitchell Green We asked guests to share the best question they've ever been asked by an allocator. The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 22, 2024 • 36min
417. Is Cerebral Valley the True Mecca for AI or Just Hype, How the FTX Meltdown Could Benefit Crypto in the Long Run, and The Pros and Cons of Taking on Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos (Morgan Beller)
Morgan Beller of NFX joins Nick to discuss Is Cerebral Valley the True Mecca for AI or Just Hype, How the FTX Meltdown Could Benefit Crypto in the Long Run, and The Pros and Cons of Taking on Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. In this episode we cover: Stable Coins and Their Potential Use Cases Crypto Regulation, FTX Debacle, and Market Correction Space Technology, Satellite Repair and Competition AI Companies in San Francisco's Hayes Valley Startup Valuations, Founder Skills, and Competitive Advantages Guest Links: Twitter LinkedIn NFX The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 18, 2024 • 10min
Investor Stories 331: Visionary Founders (Lyman, Jones, Keidan)
On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Lily Lyman Michael Jones Jon Keidan We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special. The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 15, 2024 • 38min
416. 2024 Predictions P2: Bullish/Bearish on Acquisitions, First-Time Founders, Neobanks, PLG, Gaming, Cleantech, Venture GPT, Cyber, and A&D (Ramy Adeeb)
Ramy Adeeb of 1984 Ventures joins Nick to discuss 2024 Predictions P2: Bullish/Bearish on Acquisitions, First-Time Founders, Neobanks, PLG, Gaming, Cleantech, Venture GPT, Cyber, and A&D. In this episode we cover: US Politics and Election Predictions in 2024 Economic Indicators, Credit Crisis, and Government Spending Down Rounds in the Startup Industry Venture Capital, Product-Led Growth, and Industry Evolution Gaming, Clean Tech, and VC Investments AI's Potential Impact, Cybersecurity, and Defense Tech in the Venture Capital Industry Guest Links: Twitter LinkedIn 1984 Ventures The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 11, 2024 • 6min
Investor Stories 330: Key Advice (Ding, Wagner, Kaiser)
Investors Shensi Ding, Peter Wagner, and Joe Kaiser share their key advice for new founders and investors. They emphasize the importance of recruiting talent and choosing a focused area of expertise. Joe Kaiser also highlights the significance of authenticity and personal relationships in the investment business.

Jan 8, 2024 • 54min
415. 2024 Predictions P1: A Perfect Storm for Crisis, Feast & Famine in VC, Big Tech AI vs. Startup AI, and How LLMs Become the Ultimate Accelerant & Tax on Venture (Ramy Adeeb)
Ramy Adeeb of 1984 Ventures joins Nick to discuss 2024 Predictions P1: A Perfect Storm for Crisis, Feast & Famine in VC, Big Tech AI vs. Startup AI, and How LLMs Become the Ultimate Accelerant & Tax on Venture. In this episode we cover: Venture Capital Industry Challenges and Potential "Great Resignation" of VCs The Current State of VC Investments, Startup Challenges and Revenue Metrics Investing in Startups, Crypto, and AI AI Adoption and Its Challenges for Startups and Incumbents AI's Potential Impact on Various Industries and Applications Interest Rates, and Startup Valuations AI and Tech Industry Trends Guest Links: Twitter LinkedIn 1984 Ventures The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 6, 2024 • 47min
Replay - Raising a Fund via General Solicitation & Twitter, The Challenges (and benefits) of Rolling Funds, and Facing the Reality of Diversity in VC (McKeever "Mac" Conwell II)
In this special replay episode McKeever "Mac" Conwell II of RareBreed Ventures joins Nick to discuss Raising a Fund via General Solicitation & Twitter, How Rolling Funds Can Disadvantage LPs, and Facing the Reality of Diversity in VC. In this episode, we cover: Walk us through your background and path to VC What's the thesis at RareBreed Ventures? Why did you start RareBreed Ventures? Tell me about the fundraise… when did you first kickoff and then start getting momentum? Have you gotten better at raising over time? What have you improved most? What resonates w/ LPs, what do you get pushback on? What's been the biggest surprise in the process so far? Optimistic, pessimistic or neutral on diversity in VC over the next decade? Twitter — blowing up, what's working so well? Rolling fund vs. not… why? Thoughts on thesis and portfolio construction… What's the ideal fund size for your stage and strategy? Founders… biggest mistake you see early stage founders make Gives us a snapshot of Rarebreed in 3 years… how about 7 years? Guest Links: RareBreed Ventures Mac's Twitter The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 4, 2024 • 5min
Investor Stories 329: Lessons Learned (Stack, Tully, Green)
On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Risa Stack Tim Tully Mitchell Green We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career. The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Jan 1, 2024 • 38min
Replay - GTM Playbook; Building a Career in VC; Societal Challenges and Opportunities Post-COVID; and a Comprehensive Analysis of Successful GPs and Venture Investments (Grace Isford)
In this special replay episode Grace Isford of Canvas Ventures joins Nick on a special Crisis Coverage installment to discuss the GTM Playbook; Building a Career in VC; Societal Challenges and Opportunities Post-COVID; and a Comprehensive Analysis of Successful GPs and Venture Investments. In this episode, we cover: You're an extroverted, people-person… how you holding up w/ the quarantine? Quick overview of your background and path to VC? Your focus (and thesis) at Canvas? You developed a 30 page GTM Playbook based on interviews w/ 10+ CROs/VPs of Sales across major B2B companies. First of all, is this publicly available and also what were some takeaways that really stood out? There's a segment of VCs that believe that one must be an operator to be a good VC… what's your stance? Examples of successful non-operators? You completed a comprehensive analysis of the portfolios of over 200 venture firms, looked at 100 successful GPs, and winning, U.S.-based investments w/ a valuation greater than $500M… what were your key takeaways? A bit about signaling… Many in the industry and those observing determine the value of a startup based on whether a brand name venture firm is in the deal… "If Sequoia is in the deal, startup must be great"… what are your thoughts on this common perception? What does your weekly routine look like and how have you prioritized the various demands of the job? What have you found to be most challenging in your career as a VC? What advice do you have for young folks trying to make an impact as an investor or board observer? You wrote a great piece that analyzed three areas where VCs could invest to address the societal challenges of COVID-19. Can you walk us through each of these and why the opportunity here is greater? What do you think the future holds for venture & entrepreneurship in a post-COVID world? The old playbook for winning deals is gone… Any idea on how one might win a deal virtually? Guest Links: Grace's Twitter Grace's LinkedIn Canvas Ventures The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Dec 30, 2023 • 49min
Replay - 1st Institutional VC Fund Raised– Key Learnings (Semil Shah)
In this special replay episode Semil Shah of Haystack joins Nick to discuss 1st Institutional VC Fund Raised– Key Learnings. We address questions including: Maybe we can start off with how your investment focus has evolved since the last time you joined us. What are your thoughts on how seed has split into pre-seed, seed, seed extension, and post seed? Are you investing once with a company or reserving for these various stages within seed? You just closed fund 3… tell us about the first two funds that set the stage. Would you do things differently if you could go back? Which raise was the hardest? How did the expectations of LPs change from the early funds to the institutional fund? What surprised you most about the raise? Did you connect w/ prospectives through referrals, cold calls, a combination? Walk us through the metrics… how many targets, meetings, avg commitment amt, etc. Did you ever think you might not complete the raise? What's the best advice you got on the raise and who'd you get it from? In our first interview, you talked about how you couldn't get a full-time job at a venture firm. I'm sure you've had plenty of offers as you've built a track record. Did you ever consider making the jump? When I sent my fund deck to you, you said "Awesome and looks good. As I always say, the deck matters much less than having capital partners who believe in you" For anyone listening that aspires to raise… talk about what you meant by this comment. Guest Links: Semil's Blog Semil on Twitter How To Transform A VC Fund Capital Base From Individuals To Institutional LPs The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!


