Chris Farmer, Founder and CEO of SignalFire, discusses building a next-gen tech-enabled VC firm. Topics include: disrupting traditional VC models, treating VC like a tech company, navigating overvaluation in the market, trends in venture capital, and the future of the industry.

This week, Natasha Mascarenhas interviewed Sam Chaudhary, the founder of ClassDojo, and Chris Farmer, the founder and CEO of SignalFire, a venture firm that recently announced a $900 million fund to back tech startups. This interview is structured a bit differently as it was actually recorded as a TechCrunch Live session, our weekly show that focuses on helping people start better venture backed businesses.We'll hear from the trio about: What an outsider advantage looks like in startups, per a top investor Why ClassDojo doesn’t see itself as an edtech company How Sam landed early traction with a difficult-to-capture consumer How both Sam and Chris are thinking through the AI question brewing in every office If you want to check out the full video of today's conversation, including a round of Pitch Practice hosted by Matt Burns, head to our YouTube channel and stay tuned for more TechCrunch Live!As always, the full Equity crew will be back on Friday, but you can keep up with us in the meantime @EquityPod.For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website. Equity drops at 7:00 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together and more! Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

Chris Farmer, Co-founder of Signal Fire Ventures, discusses their data engine, Beacon, and its unique approach to investing in startups. They address founder pain points, how Beacon drives value, and their research-driven approach to investing in emerging sectors using deep maps and machine learning.