You Don't Need This Podcast

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Brad Feld

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Jul 23, 2025

Guest

Brad Feld

In this engaging conversation, Brad Feld, a renowned venture capitalist and co-founder of Techstars, shares his entrepreneurial journey and insights on startup communities. He delves into how Techstars evolved from incubators to accelerators and discusses the importance of accessibility and listening in networks. Brad also unpacks the unique aspects of startup ecosystems and emphasizes metrics that truly matter in venture capital. He further explores philosophical insights that resonate with founders and concludes with thoughts on the future of startups and mentoring.

02:29:22

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ADVICE

Use 15-Minute Focused Meetings

Do use constrained, focused meetings to maximize value and accessibility.
Brad Feld used 15-minute "random day" meetings to learn one thing and help one person each time.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Techstars Began On A Random Day

Brad Feld described how David Cohen booked three months to get on his random day calendar, which led to Techstars.
That single sequence of short meetings seeded Techstars and many other relationships.

insights

INSIGHT

Accessibility Through Constrained Rituals

Accessibility scales differently: small, repeatable interactions preserve learning and relationships.
Random Day let Brad remain accessible while still doing deep synthesis and prioritizing reading to learn.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Brad Feld's origin story and early companies

03:19 • 4min

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How Do More Faster and writing started Techstars' narrative

07:02 • 3min

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How did accelerators evolve from incubators?

09:39 • 5min

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What was 'random day' and how did it create Techstars?

14:38 • 6min

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Why accessibility and listening matter in networks

20:39 • 9min

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How do startup communities differ from ecosystems?

29:15 • 10min

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How to spark activity when there are too many feeders?

39:30 • 13min

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How do startup communities escape the J-curve?

52:35 • 6min

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Which VC metrics matter and what's the measurement trap?

58:19 • 5min

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How do you find root causes with the Five Whys?

01:02:54 • 3min

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Who were the founders of Techstars and how did they relate?

01:05:45 • 17min

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Why 'better is better' for Techstars' next phase

01:22:32 • 4min

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How can Techstars support startup communities long-term?

01:26:45 • 7min

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When does launching accelerators make sense?

01:33:46 • 3min

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Why 'better' beats 'bigger' in building programs

01:36:38 • 3min

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How does Foundry's capital and Brad's investing feel to him?

01:39:40 • 5min

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What is digitized consciousness and current AI reality?

01:45:01 • 3min

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What did you build with Dinostroids and why?

01:47:45 • 4min

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Why build a personal health data integrator?

01:52:07 • 3min

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Would you get bioimplants or embrace biohacking?

01:55:11 • 3min

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How do AI note-takers change meetings?

01:58:24 • 3min

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Why philosophy resonates with founders

02:01:53 • 6min

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Obsession versus passion for founders

02:08:09 • 4min

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When should VCs fight or fold on a company?

02:12:30 • 5min

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How to explain a complex adaptive system to a child?

02:17:11 • 1min

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When is it time to raise capital?

02:18:22 • 1min

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What does Brad look for before investing?

02:19:43 • 28sec

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Favorite running epiphany and solitude

02:20:11 • 2min

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Which live experiences and hobbies resonate most?

02:22:35 • 3min

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How do you engage with art and meditation?

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Do More Faster provides actionable advice and stories from Techstars founders and mentors, covering key themes such as idea and vision, people, product, fundraising, legal structure, and work-life balance. The book aims to help entrepreneurs avoid common mistakes and achieve success by leveraging the collective wisdom of the Techstars community.

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Give First, The Power of Mentorship

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Brad Feld

This Season 2 Finale features an extended conversation (2+ hours) between Brad Feld and Ben McDougal, recorded in the wild, LIVE from the mountains of Boulder, Colorado!

We begin with a rewind on Brad's own journey, then shift into entrepreneurship, leadership within startup communities, and venture capital in the first hour. Ben teleports to narrate a break with two writings inspired by Brad, then we dive back in for so much more. The origins of Techstars, technology, mentorship, and philosophy is how we land this milestone moment.

EP100 brews timeless insight for founders and the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Enjoy the full experience, but to make key takeaways easier to share, chapters for this extended experience are highlighted below. Cheers to another remarkable season of You Don’t Need This Podcast and let’s keep building… together.

Full Episode on YouTube

0:00 - Ben in Boulder

1:30 - Hello Brad Feld

2:30 - Early Experiences

5:15 - Writing First Book

7:00 - Incubator to Accelerator

12:40 - Random Days

29:30 - Startup Communities

36:15 - Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

37:30 - Too Many Referees, Not Enough Boxers

38:15 - Rural Startup Communities

43:30 - Astronomy