The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

Nick Moran
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Oct 30, 2025 • 8min

Investor Stories 437. Why Founders Must Hold Their Ground, Why Investors Must Break Their Rules, and How Both Survive the Chaos (Binatti, Schroepfer, Ruscio)

Join Daniela Binatti, founder-stage leader at Pismo, as she shares crucial advice for early founders on balancing market feedback with unwavering conviction. Mike Schroepfer from GigaScale dives into the art of early-stage investing, highlighting the need for numerous meetings to sharpen judgment. He warns against sticking to rigid rules, urging investors to remain open-minded to unique opportunities. Together, they offer insights on navigating chaos in the startup landscape, making this a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors alike.
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Oct 27, 2025 • 6min

Investor Stories 436. Visionary Founders, From Steve Jobs to Brian Armstrong, and the Leaders Blending Life Sciences and Technology (Schuler, Saxena, Bussgang)

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Barry Schuler of DFJ Growth Ventures Shashank Saxena of Sierra Ventures Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 23, 2025 • 5min

Investor Stories 435. Why Complacency Kills Momentum, The Cost of Over-Diligence, and Accepting the Limits of Control (Walsh, Wang, Hudson)

In this engaging discussion, Shamin Walsh shares how complacency can stifle progress, highlighting the need for constant evolution in venture capital. Casber Wang warns against the dangers of over-diligence, emphasizing the importance of founder chemistry over past metrics. Charles Hudson reflects on the limited influence VCs truly have, acknowledging that their role often leans towards negative power rather than directive advice. Each investor's lesson offers valuable insights for those navigating the world of startups.
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Oct 20, 2025 • 31min

494. The Techstars Refresh, Why Bigger Isn't Better, Investing in the Seed-Strapping Era, and Why Quantum May Dwarf Every Tech Shift (David Cohen)

David Cohen of Techstars joins Nick to discuss The Techstars Refresh, Why Bigger Isn't Better, Investing in the Seed-Strapping Era, and Why Quantum May Dwarf Every Tech Shift. In this episode we cover: Refocusing TechStars Programs and Deal Structure Selection Process and Follow-On Investments Successful Programs and Founder Network Geographic Distribution and AI-First Companies Seed Strapping and Capital Efficiency Vertical Networks and Emerging Technologies Future of Venture and Trends Guest Links: David's LinkedIn David's X Techstars' LinkedIn Techstars' Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 16, 2025 • 5min

Investor Stories 434. How LPs Judge Performance, Managing Founder Conflict, and The Blind Spots Investors Must Confront  (Schuler, Niehenke, Agarwal)

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Barry Schuler of DFJ Growth Ventures Alexander Niehenke of Scale Venture Partners Medha Agarwal of Defy We asked guests to share the best question they've ever been asked by an allocator. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 13, 2025 • 7min

Investor Stories 433. The Art of Sensing Greatness, From Analytical to Intuitive Investing, and the Case for Industry Outsiders  (Hsieh, Hilaly, Maples)

n this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Vince Hsieh of Cypress Growth Capital Aaref Hilaly of Bain Capital Ventures Mike Maples of Floodgate We asked guests to describe the biggest change to their investment philosophy over the course of their career The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 9, 2025 • 6min

Investor Stories 432. The Pain of Passing: Missed Bets on Uber, DoorDash, and Great Founders Who Proved Them Wrong  (Shapiro, York, Dash)

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Craig Shapiro of Collaborative Fund Kyle York of York IE Somesh Dash of IVP Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 6, 2025 • 39min

493. From Data Science to Drug Design: How AI Shifts Discovery, Target Validation, and Portfolio Construction (Jim Tananbaum)

Jim Tananbaum of Foresite Capital joins Nick to discuss From Data Science to Drug Design: How AI Shifts Discovery, Target Validation, and Portfolio Construction. In this episode we cover: Data Science and Investment Approach Investment Practices and Market Conditions China's Role in Biotech and Regulatory Considerations Impact of AI on Biotech and Healthcare Healthcare Adoption of AI and Preventive Measures Payers and Insurance Companies' Role Lessons from Successful Investments Generating Liquidity in a Sluggish Market Future of GLP-1 Agonists Guest Links: Jim's LinkedIn Jim's X Foresite's LinkedIn Foresite's Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Oct 2, 2025 • 3min

Investor Stories 431. Level Heads Build Enduring Companies, The Power of Persistence, and Why Conviction is Everything (Saxena, Delk, Rizik)

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Shashank Saxena of Sierra Ventures Ryan Delk of Primer Chris Rizik of Renaissance Venture Capital We asked guests for the most important piece of advice that they'd share with folks early in their venture career. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Sep 29, 2025 • 9min

Investor Stories 430. Focus and Execution at Nubank, How Storytelling Wins Customers, and How Creative Partnerships Unlock Growth (Binatti, Madera, Okike)

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Daniela Binatti of Pismo Paul Madera of Meritech Capital Nnamdi Okike of 645 Ventures We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

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