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The Startup CEO Show

The CEO as Chief Marketer: Personal Branding in Tech

Mar 17, 2025
59:32

In this insightful episode of the Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Matt Turck, General Partner at FirstMark Capital, for a wide-ranging discussion on venture capital, AI, and the startup ecosystem.

As the first VC guest on the show, Turck offers a unique perspective on board dynamics, content creation, and the evolution of the tech industry. He shares his experiences as an early AI investor and discusses the current state of enterprise AI adoption, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the space.


Turck emphasizes the importance of founder quality and market timing in startup success, drawing on his years of experience backing unicorn companies. The conversation also touches on the global nature of tech innovation, with Turck expressing bullish sentiments on European entrepreneurship and the spread of Silicon Valley's model worldwide.


Tune in to hear Turck's thoughts on the future of SaaS, the AI revolution, and what it takes to build a successful startup in today's rapidly changing landscape.

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Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.

I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/

Connect on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/markmacleod_

Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/

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