The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch cover image

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Latest episodes

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10 snips
Jan 22, 2025 • 1h 6min

20VC: Why All AI Companies Are Under-Valued | The Future of Foundation Models: Scaling Laws, Generalised vs Specialised, Commoditised? | From Unable to Afford Rent to Raising $130M From Index and Peter Thiel with George Sivulka @ Hebbia

George Sivulka, founder and CEO of Hebbia, discusses his remarkable journey from financial struggles to raising $130M in funding. He shares insights on essential traits for successful founders and recounts a pivotal moment when cold calling NASA changed his path. George delves into the future of AI in business, clarifying misconceptions about job displacement and the importance of model specialization. He also explores the undervaluation of both AI and non-AI companies, shedding light on the geopolitical influence and commoditization of AI models.
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83 snips
Jan 20, 2025 • 1h 18min

20VC: Why Large Seed Rounds Increase the Chances of Success | When to Sell in Venture | Why Multi-Stage Firms Do Not Do The Work | Is Europe Totally F****** and Why AI Means London Can Compete with the US with Hussein Kanji

Hussein Kanji, Founder and Managing Partner of Hoxton Ventures, shares insights from his experience in venture capital. He discusses how large seed rounds can boost startup success rates and critiques the UK’s small funding challenges. Hussein reveals lessons learned from missing out on significant gains with Darktrace and how Deliveroo shaped his investment strategies. He examines the broken incentive structures in VC, the importance of hiring diversity, and speculates on the competitive landscape between Europe and the U.S. in tech funding.
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164 snips
Jan 17, 2025 • 55min

20VC: Monday.com: Scaling from $6M to $120M in ARR in 3 Years | How Monday Have Built the Best Performance Marketing Engine in SaaS | Going Upmarket, International and Multi-Product; The Biggest Lessons and Mistakes with Eran Zinman

Eran Zinman, Co-founder and CEO of Monday.com, shares his remarkable journey of scaling the company from $6M to $120M in ARR in just three years. He discusses the pivotal role of video games in his success and valuable lessons learned from failures. Zinman elaborates on strategic marketing, including effective YouTube ads, and the challenges of transitioning to a multi-product strategy. He reflects on the emotional rollercoaster of the IPO experience and the dynamics of their unique co-CEO structure, emphasizing collaboration and personal wellness.
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312 snips
Jan 15, 2025 • 1h 12min

20VC: Why Scaling Laws Will Not Continue | OpenAI vs Anthropic vs X.ai: Who Wins and Why | How Far Will Model Providers Go Into the Application Layer | The End State for Models: Many Specialised or Few Generalised with Victor Riparbelli @ Synthesia

Victor Riparbelli, CEO and co-founder of Synthesia, delves into the evolving landscape of AI and content creation. He discusses scaling laws and the rivalry between AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, speculating on whether we'll see a few general models or many specialized ones. Riparbelli also envisions the future of video as a primary communication tool, with TikTok leading the way. Moreover, he challenges startup myths, arguing that speed and first-mover advantage are overrated in favor of strategic execution and innovation, especially in London's vibrant tech ecosystem.
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313 snips
Jan 13, 2025 • 1h 13min

20VC: Shervin Pishevar on The Epic Uber War and What Really Happened in the Firing of Travis Kalanick | Raising $15BN to Win China | Why The Traditional Venture Capital Model is Dead | The Future of Quantum and How We Will Cure All Diseases in 10 Years

Shervin Pishevar, a serial entrepreneur and early investor in Uber and Warby Parker, shares captivating insights about the tumultuous journey of Uber. He discusses his pivotal role in securing billion-dollar deals and the fierce rivalry with Lyft. Pishevar delves into the $15 billion raise that fueled Uber's expansion in China and the internal chaos leading to leadership changes. He also speculates on the future of quantum computing and its potential to revolutionize healthcare and eradicate diseases, painting an optimistic vision for humanity.
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311 snips
Jan 10, 2025 • 58min

20VC: The Future of Foundation Models | The Future of AI Consumer Apps and Why OpenAI Did a Disservice to Them | The Future of Music: Spotify vs YouTube & Spotify vs TikTok: What Happens with Mikey Shulman @ Suno

Mikey Shulman, Co-founder and CEO of Suno, a pioneering music AI company, discusses the future of AI consumer applications and music's evolution. He critiques OpenAI's influence on the industry and emphasizes the importance of good taste in music creation. Shulman also shares insights on emerging music discovery platforms and the ongoing legal battles with major labels. He explores the competition between Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok, envisioning a more inclusive music landscape driven by innovation and collaboration.
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165 snips
Jan 8, 2025 • 1h 3min

20VC: Carvana: The Most Wild Story in Public Markets: From $60BN to $400M and Back to $40BN | The Biggest Opportunities, Mistakes and Challenges Ahead for One of the Public Market's Only 100x Investments

Dan Gill, Carvana’s CPO, shares the captivating journey of the company from a staggering $60BN valuation to a crash at $400M and back to $41BN. He discusses pivotal decisions and missed opportunities during this rollercoaster ride. Gill emphasizes the importance of maintaining team morale during tough times and hints at future growth opportunities in selling new and peer-to-peer cars. He explores the potential of integrating different product lines and the significance of economies of scale in transforming margins.
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242 snips
Jan 6, 2025 • 1h 10min

20VC: How To Do a 10x Seed Fund in 2025 | Three Frameworks to Evaluate Startups an Founders | Lessons from Losing Billions Missing Airbnb and Pinterest & Investing Lessons from Charlie Munger with Mike Maples @ Floodgate

In a captivating discussion, Mike Maples, co-founding partner at Floodgate and veteran seed investor, shares his insights from two decades in venture capital. He tackles the effectiveness of seed funding as an asset class and lays out strategies for achieving a 10x return. Mike reflects on valuable lessons learned from missing out on Airbnb and Pinterest, while revealing three frameworks for evaluating startups. He also addresses challenges posed by overfunding and the critical importance of product-market fit in today’s investment landscape.
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249 snips
Dec 20, 2024 • 1h 10min

20Sales: Rippling's CRO on Why Founders Should Not Create Sales Playbooks | Why Discounting is BS and How to Create Urgency in Deals | The Biggest Lessons on Pricing and How to Win the Pricing Game with Matt Plank

Matt Plank, Rippling's Chief Revenue Officer with a rich background from Zenefits, shares his expert insights on sales strategies. He argues that founders should not create sales playbooks, emphasizing adaptability over rigidity. Plank challenges the practice of discounting, calling it detrimental to perceived value. He also discusses effective pricing strategies and how to create urgency in deals. Navigating the emotional terrain of sales, he highlights the importance of building relationships and maintaining morale during challenging times.
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215 snips
Dec 18, 2024 • 58min

20VC: UiPath's Daniel Dines on Why Agents Do Not Mean RPA is F***** | Why We Have Reached the Upper End of Scaling Laws | The Future of Work in an Agent World and What Everyone Misunderstands About Enterprise AI

Daniel Dines, Founder and CEO of UiPath, dives into the transformative world of AI and automation. He discusses the limits of scaling laws in LLMs, predicting a future of specialized models over generalists. Dines unpacks the distinctions between RPA and agents, emphasizing the need for a neutral meta layer for effective integration. He foresees a gradual rollout of agents in enterprises, exploring the evolving role of humans and addressing major enterprise concerns about AI adoption. A fascinating glimpse into the future of work awaits!

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