Beyond The Core
Highline Beta
Beyond The Core is a podcast series by Marcus Daniels and Ben Yoskovitz, founders of Highline Beta, exploring how companies are breaking free from traditional innovation models to build significant new ventures. Drawing from their experience helping organizations like RBC and AB InBev transform into venture builders, they interview leaders who've successfully launched billion-dollar spinouts, built venture studios, and created new markets. Weekly episodes feature practical insights on venture studio design, growth innovation playbooks, and strategic choices in corporate venture building.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 4, 2025 • 51min
Winning Corporate Ventures: Building Tinder with IAC’s Hatch Labs and Exiting Autonomic to Ford X with Amar Varma, Co-Founder of Mantle
In this conversation with Amar Varma, we explored the nuances of corporate venturing through the lens of someone who's mastered it from multiple angles – as the co-founder of Hatch Labs (where Tinder was born), the architect behind Ford X, and now the founder of Mantle.
Feb 26, 2025 • 47min
How You Can Build a Corporate Venture Engine: Lessons from ZX Ventures with Pedro Earp, Chief Disruptive Growth Officer
Join us on Beyond the Core as Pedro Earp, founder of ZX Ventures, shares how he built AB InBev's disruptive growth arm.(1:58) Board-driven initiative created to accelerate innovation beyond AB InBev's traditional M&A strategy (6:53) Despite initial reluctance, Pedro embraced the role with full autonomy from CEO Brito (12:33) How AB InBev's strong partnership culture enabled innovation despite conflicts with core business (17:19) Managing tension between operational efficiency and entrepreneurial speed (24:27) Finding balance between corporate processes and startup agility (29:54) ZX achieved both direct growth and "vaccine effect" that accelerated core business innovation (34:37) Different metrics and timelines for measuring success of early ventures like Z Delivery (39:11) Key lessons learned about hybrid business models and emotional intelligence (42:16) Pedro's new startup applying the "dream, people, culture" triangle to solving happiness at scale
20 snips
Feb 18, 2025 • 51min
How To Build A Successful Corporate Venture Studio, with Kal Amin of 1848 Ventures
Kal Amin, Managing Director of 1848 Ventures, shares his expertise in corporate venture studios. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and rapid experimentation. The discussion covers innovative strategies for launching AI-powered solutions while preserving core business objectives. Kal reveals insights on market viability, the role of corporate culture in venture ecosystems, and the need for flexibility in decision-making. He also advocates for embracing failure as a learning tool, which fosters growth and robust venture development.
