Investing in Startups

Eric Golden is the Founder of Canopy Capital and host of the Making Markets podcast. Eric was a portfolio manager and intrapreneur at Fidelity prior to setting up Canopy so he has great perspective on both markets and life as a venture-backed founder. We talked about those experiences, his current views on the Fed, markets, and crypto, and how Eric's view of venture capital has evolved over time.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.   Investing in Startups: https://www.investinginstartups.com/ Joe Magyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemagyer/ Seaplane Ventures: https://www.seaplaneventures.com/  

Mike Cardamone is the founder and managing partner of Forum Ventures. Forum is a New York-based firm with a structure that layers together an accelerator, studio, and pre-seed fund. We talked about why Forum likes B2B SaaS, how Forum helps startups run faster, how Mike sizes up AI opportunities, and why new investors into startups might be making a mistake by following Big Brand VCs into early stage deals. We also talked about the state of play in startup accelerators and Mike's views on the direction of the space and business model. Please enjoy.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Niki Scevak is the Co-Founder of Blackbird Ventures and a multi-time startup founder. Blackbird is the largest venture capital firm in Australia and has backed massive winners such as Canva, Zoom, and Culture Amp, among others. We talked about the power of investing early, how AI companies solve problems for customers and why they're interesting to investors, and how world-beating companies can come from anywhere. Please enjoy.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Mac Conwell is the Founder of RareBreed Ventures, a Baltimore-based firm that invests in pre-seed and seed startups with dope founders. We had a great conversation about the types of investments that excite Mac, how the regulatory environment affects startups, and Mac’s experience of taking 4,000 meetings to get his firm off the ground.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Jerry Neumann is a wildly successful early stage investor and one of the best writers and thinkers about the craft. The founder of Neu Venture Capital talks about how he thinks about whether AI is a consensus trade in venture, the theory and reality of portfolio construction, and the origin story of an investment that returned 5000X. We also talked about the reception to a book that Jerry coauthored with Elizabeth Zalman, Founder vs. Investor.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Rick Timmins delivers a primer on angel investing. Rick is a veteran angel investor and financier with a fascinating career. He served in senior roles with Motorola and Cisco at the height of their powers, was a semi-pro poker player, and today sits on 5 boards including the Angel Capital Association. We talked about the craft of angel investing, the potential rewards and pitfalls, and some of the lessons Rick learned from his decades of experience as a tech executive.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Adi Levanon is the Founder of Selah Ventures. Selah is a Tel-Aviv-based firm that is a first-check investor into fintech startups that are building in the US. We talked about fintech, why Israel has more unicorns per capita than the US, the state of the Israeli venture scene today, and the advantages of being a solo GP.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Rajiv Bala is the Co-Founder of Clutch VC. Clutch is an Austin-based firm that makes Seed investments in B2B software. We talked about the importance of staying true to your investment thesis, the strategy that enabled Clutch to raise a strong first fund despite a terrible environment, and whether it’s true that you have to be in a billion dollar deal to produce a great venture fund. Please enjoy.   Investing in Startups is hosted by Joe Magyer and produced by Seaplane Ventures.

Nick Moran is the Founder and General Partner of New Stack Ventures. Nick is also the host of The Full Ratchet, the first VC podcast that started back in May 2014. We discussed how New Stack adds value, why Nick is focused on deals outside the Bay area, and why access is overrated. Please enjoy. Investing in Startups is produced by Seaplane Ventures. You can follow host Joe Magyer on LinkedIn or on X at @Magyer.

Avlok Kohli is the CEO of AngelList. Avlok is a serial entrepreneur who came on to lead AngelList in 2019. The platform has grown massively since then and now has $124 billion in assets. We explore AngelList's strategy, the state of play in venture, why GPs shouldn't get their hopes up for a liquid secondary market, and Avlok's approach to angel investing. Investing in Startups is produced by Seaplane Ventures. You can follow host Joe Magyer on LinkedIn or on at @Magyer.