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The Consolidation of Power in the Tech Industry
This chapter explores how power and success in the tech industry tend to consolidate among the largest players. The speaker reflects on the growth of tech giants during the PC revolution and the birth of the internet, contrasting it with the struggles of newer companies. They discuss the potential future of unicorns and the role of AI in creating big companies.
This week Erik is joined by Sam Lessin, General Partner at the early-stage VC firm Slow Ventures, essayist, and former VP of Product at Facebook. If you’re looking to make fund administration easy and intuitive, check out: http://carta.com/turpentine
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SPONSORS:
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Join our free newsletter to get Erik's top 3 insights from each episode every week: https://turpentinevc.substack.com/
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RELATED SHOWS:
If you like Turpentine VC, check out our show The Limited Partner with David Weisburd, where David talks to the investors behind the investors: https://link.chtbl.com/thelimitedpartner
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X / TWITTER:
@lessin (Sam)
@eriktorenberg (Erik)
@slow (Slow Ventures)
@TurpentineVC
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00:00) Episode Preview
(00:01:22) On Screenshot Essays, writing, and being OK with being wrong
(00:04:04) Sam's thesis on the factory system of venture capital
(00:07:18) What does venture look like when the factory line is over?
(00:10:14) Sam's bearishness on YC and a16z
(00:12:36) What are the best firms going to look like in the future?
(00:15:36) Sponsor: Carta
(00:16:17) The future state of company building and venture
(00:21:46) The biggest factors of luck in life and company building
(00:23:15) Sam's thesis on constellation software
(00:28:38) Team Shares and why that's Sam's most bullish investment
(00:31:49) Sponsors: Synaptic | Pesto Tech
(00:33:15) Why Sam is bullish on crypto
(00:38:32) The different models of finance and investing in creators
(00:42:08) Sam's advice for future investors in 2040
(00:45:21) Is the LP landscape going to change significantly?
(00:52:17) Lower variance founders
(00:56:08) Kardashians and the future of media / celebrity
(00:57:42) Sam on Balaji's protech and anti-journalist class
(1:01:00) How can we represent social capital on the internet?
(1:02:41) On the end of capitalism
(1:05:38) Slow Ventures today and where they expect to go in the future
(1:07:26) Sponsor: Carta
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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
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Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode