Semyon Dukach

What does it take to count cards? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore blackjack, quantitative thinking, and the journey from MIT blackjack player to angel investor with Semyon Dukach, Managing Partner at One Way Ventures. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Photo Credit: ElooKoN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Semyon Dukach, a former leader of the MIT Blackjack team and current founding partner at One Way Ventures, shares his fascinating journey from Soviet refugee to venture capitalist. He discusses his unique insights on backing immigrant founders, emphasizing their resilience and pattern recognition. Semyon also relates lessons from blackjack to entrepreneurship, highlights the importance of customer focus, and openly addresses imposter syndrome. With practical advice for founders, he makes a compelling case for the extraordinary potential of immigrant entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs and investors Aoun, Dukach, and Rueckert share the best questions asked by allocators. Topics include founders overcoming VCs' doubts, insightful questions from Limited Partners, and the impact on investment strategies.