Rory O’Driscoll

Join Brian Halligan, co-founder of HubSpot, Rory O’Driscoll from Scale Venture Partners, and SaaStr's Jason Lemkin as they unpack the eyebrow-raising IPO mispricing of Figma. They discuss why founders crave a stock pop despite the risks and the complexities of CEO compensation. The trio also breaks down Meta's strong quarter, the mammoth $15B valuation of Cognition, and the implications of Ramp’s $22B funding round. Dive into the evolving tech landscape and the future of venture capital in a candid, insightful conversation.

Jason Lemkin, a seasoned SaaS investor, and Rory O'Driscoll, an experienced venture capitalist, dive into the multi-billion dollar investment Anthropic secured from Microsoft and NVIDIA. They discuss the implications of Sam Altman's 'War Mode' memo at OpenAI, questioning whether it's effective or just hollow rhetoric. The conversation also explores NVIDIA's customer concentration risks, and whether hyperscalers should build their own chips. They analyze the rapid growth of Sierra and Lovable, discussing their valuations and market strategies amidst the evolving AI landscape.

Join Jason Lemkin, a SaaS investor known for his impressive portfolio including Algolia and Talkdesk, and Rory O'Driscoll, a General Partner at Scale, as they dissect the evolving landscape of venture capital. They discuss why seed investing may be misguided and the increasing risks of venture capital today. The duo explores insights on a16z's hefty $20BN fund, the strategy genius of Josh Kushner, and the ethical challenges in B2B practices, all while navigating the delicate balance between opportunity and caution in a shifting market.

Join Rory O’Driscoll, a seasoned VC partner with insights into SaaS and market dynamics, and Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr and expert on startup fundraising. They dive into OpenAI's groundbreaking partnership with AMD and its implications for the tech landscape. The duo discusses venture capital's forgiving nature regarding valuations, analyses mega funding rounds, and debates the efficacy of kingmaking in venture. With SPACs making a comeback, they explore whether Chamath’s latest initiative signals a new era for IPOs.

Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr and a SaaS expert, joins Rory O’Driscoll, a partner at Scale Venture Partners, to dissect the latest in tech finance. They explore whether GPT-5 was the biggest AI letdown and dissect OpenAI's strategies toward Anthropic. The duo analyzes the remarkable performance of Palantir and Shopify in the B2B arena, alongside the unpredictable stock reactions to Datadog's stellar earnings. They also tackle the potential implications of Perplexity's rumored acquisition of Chrome and the evolving job market influenced by automation.

In this engaging discussion, Jason Lemkin, SaaS entrepreneur and founder of SaaStr, and Rory O'Driscoll, a seasoned venture capitalist, delve into their predictions for 2026. They highlight Dario Amodei as a standout founder and discuss the impact of companies like Salesforce and Databricks. The duo explores the biggest surprises of 2025, including talent wars, and share insights on top tech stocks to watch. They also debate the potential impacts of AI on employment and speculate on upcoming IPOs, making for a thought-provoking and entertaining conversation.

Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, and Rory O'Driscoll, a partner at Scale Venture Partners, dive into the dynamics of venture capital. They analyze the implications of the $3 billion Windsurf acquisition and discuss the competitive edge of stage-specific firms like a16z compared to others. The conversation covers the risk of AI-induced unemployment and its impact on the workforce, while also shedding light on what Harvard's for-profit status loss means for venture capital. They explore why mega funds might dominate the future landscape of investments.

Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr and a SaaS investment guru, joins Rory O'Driscoll, a seasoned venture capitalist, to dive deep into the evolving landscape of tech investments. They explore the implications of Thrive's partnership with OpenAI and dissect Databricks' hefty $5BN raise at $134BN valuation. The duo also tackles the TAM trap in SaaS, reflecting on market saturation and the future of pricing models amid rising AI pressures. With insights into mergers and the strategic shifts in the market, their discussion reveals a critical view on growth vs. efficiency.

Rory O'Driscoll, a venture capitalist known for his expertise in tech valuations, and Jason Lemkin, a savvy SaaS investor, dive into the high-stakes world of venture capital. They dissect SpaceX's staggering $800 billion valuation and explore the implications for upcoming IPOs in 2026, including predictions on firms like Anthropic and Databricks. The duo also debates Netflix’s audacious acquisition of Warner Brothers and whether legal AI startup Harvey can sustain its growth amidst fierce competition. Tune in for insights on the evolving app landscape and the impact of AI on industries!

In this insightful discussion, venture capitalists Jason Lemkin, Rory O'Driscoll, and Fabrice Grinder share their expertise. They highlight that fund returners are no longer sufficient in today’s market, and discuss the impressive yet precarious strategy Sequoia employed during tough times. They also explore the essentials of succeeding at Series A and B rounds amidst rising risks. The conversation delves into the AI landscape, debating whether US funds should invest in Chinese AI amidst geopolitical tensions, and how the investment culture differs between the US and Europe.