Clock Speed with Shamus Madan

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Vitaliy Katsenelson about his journey into investing, the concept of value investing, and the role of managerial ability in assessing a company's worth. They debunk stock chart misconceptions, discuss the importance of people in a company's success, and how value investing adapts to market conditions. Vitaliy also shares his networking strategies in the investment industry and offers advice to young investors. So today, Vitaliy Katsenelson sits down with Shamus Madan. Vitaliy immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. After joining Denver-based value investment firm IMA in 1997, he became Chief Investment Officer in 2007, and CEO in 2012. Vitaliy has written two books on investing and is an award-winning writer. Known for his uncommon common sense, Forbes Magazine called him “The New Benjamin Graham.” He’s written for publications including Financial Times, Barron’s, Institutional Investor and Foreign Policy. His articles are also published on his website, ContrarianEdge, and in audio format on his Intellectual Investor Podcast. Now before we begin the podcast is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks holdings or securities, it is not a research report, and it meant for informational purposes only. (0:00) Introduction to guest Vitaliy Katsenelson (1:15) Vitaliy's journey into investing and comparison between value investing and trading (4:20) Deep dive into the concept of value investing (7:44) Importance of managerial ability in evaluating a company's worth (9:44) Misconceptions about stock charts and what to focus on instead (12:02) The role of people in a company's success and how value investing varies in different market conditions (13:43) The significance of networking in venture capital and value investing (14:26) Strategies to build a robust network in the investment industry (15:39) Where to learn more about Vitaliy Katsenelson and his work (16:39) Vitaliy's advice to young investors and conclusion of the interview (17:18) Call to subscribe to the MBIT podcast

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Touraj Parang, discussing Parang's startup journey, navigating recession, and venture capitalism. They delve into the significance of an early exit strategy, building strategic relationships, and the crucial role of trust. The episode concludes with valuable takeaways for startup founders. Touraj is currently the President & COO of Serve Robotics, shaping the future of sustainable, self-driving delivery. Serve designs, develops, and operates zero-emission robots that serve people in public spaces, starting with food delivery. Prior to Serve Robotics, Touraj founded Jaxtr; a startup founded back in 2005 which brought free calling and texting over the internet to mobile phones. And after a few years, it was doing quite well with over 10 million registered users and successfully raised over $20 million from top silicon valley firms. But then the 2008-2009 recession hit, and in a very short period, Jaxtr went from a valuation of tens of millions to receiving an acquisition offer for under 1 million. So today, Touraj Parang joins the show to discuss his newly released book Exit Path - How to Win The Startup End Game, published by McGraw-Hill, and how to exit as a startup successfully. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @touraj (0:00) Introduction and background of the host, Shamus Madan (1:28) Interview with Touraj Parang on his career in startups (2:20) Navigating the recession with startups and lessons learned (7:45) Touraj's experience as a venture capitalist and advice for recession times (11:17) The importance of an exit strategy from the startup's beginning (14:22) Building strategic relationships and networking in startups (17:02) Role of trust and networking in business success (20:07) Building your exit deal team and balance between leverage and relationship (21:07) Key takeaways for startup founders (22:13) Closing remarks and end of episode

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Bill George about his book "True North," the "Great Resignation," and his time at Medtronic. They delve into the importance of a strong founding team, the significance of aiding others to reach their potential, and building a company culture at scale. They also discuss Facebook's pivot to Meta. Bill George is a Professor at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he has taught leadership since 2004. He is the author of: Emerging Leader Edition of True North, Discover Your True North and The Discover Your True North Fieldbook, Authentic Leadership, True North, Finding Your True North, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis, and True North Groups. He was chair and CEO of Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company. Under his leadership, Medtronic’s market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35 percent a year. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as president and COO, was CEO from 1991 to 2001, and was chair of the board from 1996 to 2002. Earlier in his career, he was an executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense. He has served as a director of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target, the Mayo Clinic, and World Economic Forum USA. He received the 2014 Bower Award for Business Leadership and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012. He has been named one of the Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years by PBS, Executive of the Year by the Academy of Management, and Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors. Pre-Order Here: https://www.billgeorge.org/book/true-north-emerging-leader-edition Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast (Shamus Madan) (0:00) Introduction and background of Shamus Madan and the podcast (1:32) Guest Introduction: Bill George and his book "True North" (2:51) Discussion on the "Great Resignation" and career choices (6:33) Insight into Bill George's leadership experience at Medtronic (9:26) Importance of a strong founding team and hiring practices (13:01) Bill George's leadership journey: The 3 phases (17:26) The importance of helping others reach their potential (24:20) Building a company culture at scale: The Medtronic experience (38:00) Team building and decentralized approach in business (41:56) Downfalls of Facebook's pivot to Meta and trust in business (44:41) Episode wrap-up and where to find Bill George's book

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with venture capitalists Hunter Walk and Kate Shillo Beardsley. They delve into their venture capital journeys, discuss the rise of new consumer products and fintech, and explore contrarian strategies. They also examine the evolution of the self-driving car market and government contractors, the significance of customer focus, and the transition from operations to venture capital. The conversation concludes with reflections on recognizing VC patterns, improving investment outcomes, and advice for founders on investor relationships. So today, Shamus Madan sits down with two very special guests, Hunter Walk, the founding partner at Homebrew, and Kate Beardsley, the Founding Partner of Hannah Grey, an early-stage VC Fund revolving around investing in customer-centric founders. Prior to Homebrew, Hunter led consumer product management at YouTube, starting when it was acquired by Google back in 2003. Hunter's first job in Silicon Valley was in Product Management for SecondLife or LindenLabs, an early version of the metaverse, which still exists today. Prior to Hannah Grey Kate, lead Special Projects with Martha Stewart. After that position, Hannah became Chief of Staff at Huffington Post and a founding member of Lerer Hippeau. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guests: @hunterwalk & @kshillo (0:00) Introduction and background of Shamus Madan, Hunter Walk, and Kate Beardsley (1:16) Journey into Venture Capital: Hunter Walk and Kate Beardsley share their experiences (8:21) Discussion on the emergence of new consumer products and fintech (10:15) Contrarian strategy in venture capital and its impact on different industries (14:21) The rise of Shield, the self-driving car market, and the next generation of government contractors (18:42) The importance of customer feedback and staying focused on the customer (21:02) Reflections on transitioning from operations to venture capital (24:58) Understanding venture capital and the implications of choosing the right investors (33:57) Recognizing patterns in the VC space, resilience, grit, and the potential of markets with large problems (37:51) Improving investment outcomes and memorable pitches (43:43) Advice to founders on investor relationships and concluding remarks

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Matt Mahar, CEO of Cana. They discuss Mahar's shift from athleisure to smart home tech, the problems in the beverage industry, and Cana's innovative solution: Cana 1, the first molecular beverage printer. They explore the potential market expansion, customizable drink options, and Cana's environmental impact. The conversation ends with future predictions about the beverage printing industry. Matt Mahar the CEO of Cana joins the podcast to discuss how Cana One is revolutionizing the beverage industry while making a positive impact on the environment at the same time. Before Cana, Matt was the Director of Digital Support over at Nike and VP of Product Management at the home security company Vivint. Now Matt is working with renowned investor David Friedberg to build a single device that can print any drink of your choice. Listen to the full episode to hear the full story. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @Raham_Inc & @getcana Learn More on Cana Here: https://www.cana.com/ (0:00) Introduction to MBIT podcast and guest Matt Mahar, CEO of Cana (3:12) Matt Mahar's transition from athleisure to smart home technology (5:19) The current problem with the beverage industry and Cana's solution (8:43) Introduction to Cana 1, the world's first molecular beverage printer (12:08) Expansion of the beverage market with Cana's infinite shelf space and Dorn Butch's law (14:35) Customizable drink options and Cana's potential impact on climate change (16:13) Cana's approach to reducing carbon footprint and making drinks cost-effective (17:42) Future insights on the beverage printing industry (19:14) Closing remarks and appreciation for the discussion

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Lara Hodgson about her journey from Harvard to NOW, highlighting her early ventures and the role of NOW during an economic recession. They discuss the 'great resignation's impact on entrepreneurship, the power of storytelling in business, and insights for small businesses during economic tension. The episode concludes with a discussion on the 'tailwind effect' and companies that thrived during recessions. Lara is the CEO and co-founder of Now®️, the fintech startup enabling small businesses to grow through its invoice payment solution that redefines how and when companies get paid. Lara started a small biz with Stacey Abrams but had to shut it down after they got a massive order because once they fulfilled it, the big company didn't pay back the invoice on time, so Lara and Stacey ran out of cash and had to close. They co-founded Now®️ to help small business owners avoid that problem and keep the lights on, especially when economic times get tough. 47% of U.S. small businesses say getting paid back by large companies is taking longer than ever; the average wait time has gone from 48 days to 70 days. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @NOWaccountLara (0:00) Introduction and background of Shamus Madan and the MBIT podcast (1:23) Lara Hodgson's journey: From Harvard to NOW (5:34) Lara's first entrepreneurial ventures: Insomnia and Nourish (9:43) NOW: Benefits and managing risk during an economic recession (13:20) Impact of the 'great resignation' on entrepreneurship and NOW's role (15:18) The power of storytelling in business: A case study (17:22) Entrepreneurial insights for small businesses during economic tension (18:51) The 'tailwind effect' in business: An aerospace engineering analogy (19:22) Companies that thrived during recessions: Learnings and Wrap-up

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Tim Draper about his journey into venture capitalism. They discuss Draper's successful investments, his advice for building networks for early VCs, and his approach to global economies. They also delve into sustaining reputation, problem-solving strategies, and their shared experiences investing in Tesla. Draper concludes with advice for budding VCs and entrepreneurs. Tim Draper founded Draper Associates, DFJ, and the Draper Venture Network, a global network of venture capital funds. He funded Baidu, Tesla, Skype, SpaceX, Twitch, Hotmail, Focus Media, Robinhood, Athenahealth, Box, Cruise Automation, Carta, Planet, PTC, and 15 other unicorns at the seed stage. He is a supporter and global thought leader for entrepreneurs everywhere and is a leading spokesperson for Bitcoin, Blockchain, ICOs and cryptocurrencies, having won the Bitcoin US Marshall’s auction in 2014, invested in over 50 crypto companies, and led investments in Coinbase, Ledger, Tezos, and Bancor, among others. He created viral marketing, a marketing method for exponentially spreading an electronic service from customer to customer, instrumental to the successes of Hotmail and Skype and other applications, particularly effective for mail and communications applications. Arguably, social media, crowdsourcing and growth hacking are all outgrowths of viral marketing. He is regularly featured on all major networks as a proponent for entrepreneurship, innovative governance, free markets, and Bitcoin, and has received various awards and honors including the World Entrepreneurship Forum’s “Entrepreneur of the World,” and is listed as one of the top 100 most powerful people in finance by Worth Magazine, the top 20 most influential people in Crypto by CryptoWeekly, #1 most networked VC by AlwaysOn, #7 on the Forbes Midas List, and #48 most influential Harvard Alum. Global Guru listed Tim as one of the top 30 Startup Gurus in the world. Listen to the full story on the MBIT Podcast. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @TimDraper Get "The Startup Hero" here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Startup-Hero-Textbook-Entrepreneurs/dp/1973585340 (0:00) Introduction and Shamus Madan's journey into podcasting and venture capital (1:14) Background of Tim Draper and his venture into the business world (5:27) Tim Draper's investment successes and venture capitalist mentality (12:11) Building a network for early VCs: Tim Draper's advice (15:26) Tim Draper's journey of becoming an international venture capitalist and his views on global economies (20:49) Building and sustaining a reputation with Shamus Madan and Tim Draper (23:02) Tim Draper's advice on problem-solving, business modeling and customer engagement (27:51) Shamus Madan and Tim Draper's investment experiences with Tesla (33:08) Tim Draper's advice for beginner VCs and aspiring entrepreneurs (35:47) Episode wrap-up and conclusion by Shamus Madan

In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews Ariel Camus, discussing his entrepreneurial journey and the creation of Torastai and Microverse. They delve into Microverse's unique business model and its impact on graduates' salaries. They also discuss the challenges of expanding Microverse's reach, the future job market, and the importance of passion in entrepreneurship. Ariel Camus is the Founder and CEO of Microverse, an online school that helps anyone become a high-paid software developer. The best part? The startup takes advantage of Income Sharing Agreements (ISOs), so there is a $0 upfront cost. Microverse has raised over $20M+ and was part of the Y Combinator 2019 Batch. Thousands of people from over 100 countries apply to join Microverse every month, and hundreds of remotely-employed alumni from Colombia to Nigeria are making 3-10x their previous salary working for companies like Microsoft, VMware, Huawei, and Globant. Before starting Microverse, Ariel was the Co-Founder and CEO of TouristEye, a mobile app for planning trips and discovering new things to do while traveling. He grew the app to 1M users in 180+ countries before selling it to Lonely Planet in 2013. After the sale, Ariel worked as a Senior Product Manager of Lonely Planet's website, with over 150 million unique visitors annually. Now at Microverse, Ariel is making it easier for people in developing countries to obtain jobs in software development. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @arielcamus Learn More About Microverse Here: https://www.microverse.org/ (0:00) Introduction and Background of Shamus Madan and Ariel Camus (2:05) Ariel Camus's journey into entrepreneurship and software engineering (7:02) Ariel's experience building Torastai and the transition to Microverse (14:34) Microverse's unique business model and payment structure (20:42) The impact of Microverse's training on graduates' salaries (24:15) Challenges and strategies for expanding access to Microverse (27:33) Reflection on the future job market and the impact of digital transformation (30:21) Comparison of Microverse and Lambda's business models (35:12) Explanation of Microverse's peer-to-peer learning model (40:10) Ariel Camus's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and the importance of passion (43:27) Shamus Madan's reflections on running MBIT and the wrap-up of the interview

In this episode, Shamus Madan speaks with Mark Cuban about his venture into the pharmaceutical industry with Cost Plus Drugs. They discuss startup strategies, challenges in building a manufacturing plant, and ways to increase consumer knowledge. The conversation also covers the role of personal branding, the potential of Gen Z, and the importance of lifelong learning in business. Today a very special guest, the one and only, Mark Cuban, who doesn’t need an intro but he is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, renowned investor, and entrepreneur, you may know him from Shark Tank, but also the Co-Founder of CostPlus which is a drug company revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry and changing lives. The way the pharmaceutical industry currently works is very complex resulting in higher prices for the patient. However, Mark Cuban and Dr. Alex Oshmyansky are playing outside the bounds of the current industry and building a system of its own making prescriptions affordable to all. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @mcuban Check Out CostPlus Drugs Here: https://costplusdrugs.com/ (0:00) Introduction to the MBIT Podcast and special guest Mark Cuban (2:22) Mark Cuban's venture into the pharmaceutical industry with cost plus drugs (4:57) Finding the right business partners and hiring strategies for startups (10:28) Building a manufacturing plant for generic drugs and challenges faced (13:34) Increasing consumer knowledge about cost plus drugs through partnerships and marketing (17:38) Addressing pharmaceutical industry issues through transparency and simplicity (20:32) Self-financing the business and tips for building sustainable companies (23:11) The role of family, friends, and personal branding in business success (26:21) The potential of Gen Z in the business world and the impact of social media on brand-building (27:19) The significance of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability in entrepreneurship (29:29) Conclusion and gratitude to Mark Cuban

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Molly Wood about her transition into tech and business journalism. They discuss the role of storytelling in journalism and entrepreneurship, and delve into the rise and future of the climate tech industry. They also explore financial tools for climate change solutions, measuring their impact, and the trade-offs involved. Welcome everyone to another episode of the MBIT Podcast. I am your host Shamus Madan, and today Molly Wood joins to discuss her journey in the journalism industry to investing in climate solutions over at LAUNCH. Molly has been in journalism with companies like CNET, CBS, New York Times, Marketplace, WIRED, and more recently, the co-host of This Week in Startups w/ Jason Calacanis. Listen to the full story on how Molly is working to invest in the next climate unicorns and make a measurable impact on the environment. Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest: @mollywood Learn More About LAUNCH Here: https://launch.co/ (0:00) Introduction: Shamus Madan and the MBIT podcast (1:21) Guest Introduction: Molly Wood and her career journey (2:48) Transition into Tech and Business Journalism (6:46) Pattern Recognition in Journalism and Venture Capital (10:16) The Role of Storytelling in Journalism, Venture Capital, and Entrepreneurship (13:12) Rise and Future Prospects of the Climate Tech Industry (14:55) Financial Tools for Climate Change Solutions (16:31) Measuring the Impact of Investments in Climate Tech (20:13) Trade-offs in Climate Solutions (22:50) Concluding Remarks and Podcast Closing