Sourcery

John Coogan, an entrepreneur in residence at Founders Fund and co-founder of Soylent and Lucy, shares his fascinating journey through the startup world. He discusses the evolution of Soylent and the lessons learned from early failures to viral success. Diving deep into the complexities of nicotine products, he highlights misconceptions and regulatory challenges. Coogan emphasizes the importance of storytelling in marketing and authentic consumer engagement, while offering a fresh perspective on navigating the VC landscape.

In this episode, Molly O'Shea is joined by Eric Newcomer, founder of "Newcomer”. Eric shares insights from the New York Cerebral Valley Summit, where VCs and founders explored the move beyond foundation models to applications, the rise of AI in established businesses, and the future of creativity in a generative AI world. Eric Newcomer, founder of the newsletter “Newcomer” on the startup and venture capital industry, discusses the evolution of the AI market and his experiences hosting the Cerebral Valley Summit in this interview. He notes a shift in focus from building foundational AI models to developing applications leveraging existing models. He highlights the emergence of AI-powered applications in various fields, including music creation, coding assistance, synthetic data generation, and customer support. He also shares his observations on the VC downturn and the challenges facing emerging managers, as well as his thoughts on the importance of innovation and the need for companies to demonstrate viable exit strategies. Newcomer expresses his enthusiasm for continuing to report on the evolving AI landscape and shares his plans for future events and expansions of his company. -- Follow on Twitter https://x.com/MollySOSheahttps://x.com/EricNewcomer -- Check out: Newcomer: https://www.newcomer.co/ – Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ – Companies mentioned: AI Companies: OpenAI: https://openai.com/ Inflection: https://inflection.ai/ Adept: https://www.adept.ai/ Suno: https://suno.com/ XAI: https://x.ai/ Runway: https://runwayml.com/ Writer AI https://writerai.netlify.app/ Poolside AI: https://poolside.ai/ Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/company Harvey: https://www.harvey.ai/ Lambda: https://lambdalabs.com/ Modal: https://modal.com/docs/guide/gpu Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/ Other Companies: MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com/ Data Dog: https://www.datadoghq.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ Intercom: https://app.intercom.com/ Goldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.com/ Snowflake: https://signup.snowflake.com/ Thompson Reuters: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en.html Madrona Venture Group: https://www.madrona.com/ Sequoia Capital: https://www.sequoiacap.com/ Lux Capital: https://www.luxcapital.com/ Hewlett Foundation: https://hewlett.org/ Yale: https://www.yale.edu/ – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction and Evolution of the Cerebral Valley Summit (00:44) Takeaways from the New York Summit: Shifting Towards Building Applications (02:28) LLMs Find PMF? (04:10) OpenAI's Transition from Enterprise to Consumer Product (05:21) Other Themes: Creativity, Open Source, and Established Businesses (07:44) Debate on Open Source and the Pragmatic Cycle of AI (11:23) Themes from Breakout Groups: AI Agents and Open Source (13:44) State of the Tech Markets and Predictions for the Future (13:40) Sponsor: Archer (17:07) Expectations for Q2 and Disillusionment with Foundation Models (

In this episode, Molly O'Shea sits down with Jake Harper and Amol Kapoor of Soot, a spatial, self-organizing file system that revolutionizes how they interact with their data. Joining the group is Soot investor Kobie Fuller, GP at Upfront Ventures. Jake talks about Soot as a consumer-grade vector database with a user-friendly GUI, simplifying data navigation and making AI tooling accessible. He emphasizes the importance of beauty and user experience, aiming to empower and inspire users. Amol also highlights how the company prioritizes seamless user experience with advanced AI capabilities hidden behind the scenes. They aim to empower users with a spatial, self-organizing view of their data, enabling intuitive exploration and collaboration. From an investor’s perspective, Kobie believes Soot is a game-changer in how we interact with digital assets, emphasizing its spatial organization and intuitive design, and its ability to streamline content discovery, along with its potential to revolutionize file management. Soot's founders discuss how their platform is revolutionizing design workflows and empowering creatives to share their work in new ways. – Follow on Twitter https://x.com/MollySOShea https://x.com/kobiefuller https://x.com/freakthefilter https://x.com/theahura_ -- Check out: Upfront Ventures: https://upfront.com/ Soot: https://www.soot.com/ . – Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ – Companies mentioned: Soot: https://www.soot.com/ Upfront Ventures: https://upfront.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/ Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ap/ Zoox: https://zoox.com/ Google: https://www.google.com/ Figma: https://www.figma.com/ Goat: https://www.goat.com/ Telfar: https://telfar.net/ Meta: https://about.meta.com/ Gucci: https://www.gucci.com/us/en/ Jordan: https://www.nike.com/jordan Miles and Milan: https://milesandmilan.com/ Revolve: https://www.revolve.com/ Dazed: https://www.dazeddigital.com/ – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction & Context (02:00) Kobe's Perspective on Soot (03:33) Jake's Explanation of Soot: (07:09) Emphasis on Beauty & Emotional Response (09:50) Team Background & Founding Story (12:30) Team Composition & Hiring (16:37) Soot Demo & Functionality (22:37) Kobe's User Testing Experience (25:24) Technical Aspects & Underlying AI (29:40) Graphics Performance & Design Decisions (33:20) Target Customer Profiles & Future Features (37:05) Soot as a Vector Database & User Feedback (38:23) The Rainforest Analogy & Search Efficiency (43:22) Design in Service of Technology (44:20) Closing Thoughts

In this episode, Molly O'Shea interviews Mark Suster, Managing Partner of Upfront Ventures, about venture capital investing strategies and market insights.  Mark discusses the value of disciplined investments at lower valuations, diverse buyer outcomes, the exit landscape, and Upfront Ventures' focused investment in seed stage, early growth, and secondary funds. He emphasizes the importance of founder-market fit, market timing, and the influence of macroeconomic trends on investment decisions.  Mark explores the challenges of traditional IPOs and highlights alternative exit paths for startups in today's market, while also reflecting on the lessons from his time as a CEO, and offers perspectives on promising sectors such as healthcare, national defense, and space. The interview concludes with book recommendations, showcasing Suster's interest in historical context and its relevance to understanding current trends. He emphasizes the importance of informed perspectives on issues like geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and the history of Israel. – Follow on Twitter  https://x.com/MollySOShea https://x.com/msuster -- Check out:  Upfront Ventures: https://upfront.com/ – Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/  – Companies mentioned: Upfront Ventures: https://upfront.com/ Invoca: https://www.invoca.com/ Density: https://www.density.io/ Nanit: https://www.nanit.com/ Maker Studios: https://t.co/oIlCqwIhjg Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ap/?ir=1 Rula (formerly Path): https://www.rula.com/blog/brand-announcement/ Pragma: https://www.pragma.co/en/  Bionaut: https://bionautlabs.com/ Apex (satellite bus company): https://www.apexspace.com/ Anduril: https://www.anduril.com/ Oura Ring: https://ouraring.com/ Whoop: https://www.whoop.com/us/en/ Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/ Peloton: https://www.onepeloton.com/  Apple: https://www.apple.com/ Riot Games: https://www.riotgames.com/en Google: https://www.google.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ Ring: https://ring.com/ NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/ Yahoo: https://www.yahoo.com/ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/ SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/ – Book Recommendations: Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II - Arthur Herman: https://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Forge-American-Business-Produced/dp/0812982045 Chip War: The Quest to Dominate the World's Most Critical Technology Audible Logo Audible Audiobook – Unabridged Chris Miller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TX24J5Y The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+End+of+the+World Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth: https://www.amazon.com/Israel-Simple-Guide-Misunderstood-Country/dp/B08R7VV25R/ref=sr_1_1 TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (03:00) Upfront Ventures' Fund Structure and Investment Approach (12:30) Conviction Factors: Founder, Market, and Upfront Fit (18:58) The Barbell Strategy and Upfront's Integrity (23:43) Lessons Learned as a Founder and the Importance of Directness (27:29) Emerging Categories and Macro Trends (33:36) Challenging the Misconceptions About Capital-Intensive Categories (36:06) Hardware and the Evolving Software Landscape (40:13) Exit Opportunities and Market Dynamics (42:12) The Future of Exits: Private Equity and M&A (47:20) Book Recommendations and Closing Thoughts

Hunter Walk, a partner at Homebrew and founder of Screendoor, dives into his unique venture capital journey. He shares insights on why Homebrew chose to be self-funded, emphasizing the importance of aligning incentives with founders. Walk highlights successful investments in companies like Chime and Plaid, demonstrating their hands-on approach to supporting entrepreneurs. He introduces Screendoor, aimed at empowering emerging managers, and offers sage advice on self-awareness and confidence for those new to the venture space.

Sourcery’s Molly O’Shea sits down with Doug Bernauer, Founder and CEO of Radiant, a company pioneering portable nuclear reactors designed to replace traditional diesel generators. Doug shares insights from his experience working with Elon Musk at SpaceX and delves into Radiant’s mission and key innovations. He discusses their ambitious goal of fuel testing by 2026 and provides a technical deep dive into the technology, history, and safety measures of nuclear power. Discover how Radiant aims to meet clean energy needs in remote locations with their one-megawatt transportable nuclear reactors. Quick Stats on Radiant: 1 MW electric 1.9 MW heat, recoverable up to 80 degrees Celsius Unit lifetime of 20 years with 4 cores, cores are replaced at the factory Transportable by land, air, sea Passive safety features TRISO fuel is meltdown-proof and handles temperatures up to 1600 C Helium coolant does not become radioactive, eliminating the impact of a release Passive cooling air jacket keeps fuel and vessel temperatures controlled even if power is lost Planning to test Kaleidos at the Idaho National Lab DOME in 2026, first commercial units in 2028 - Follow on Twitter  https://x.com/MollySOShea https://x.com/DougBernauer Check out:  https://radiantnuclear.com/ Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/  -  Companies mentioned: SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/ Radiant Nuclear: https://radiantnuclear.com/ Idaho National Lab: https://inl.gov/ Oak Ridge National Lab: https://www.ornl.gov/ Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/ A16z: https://a16z.com/ – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:42) Meet Doug Bernauer: Founder and CEO of Radiant (02:30) Doug's Journey at SpaceX (04:38) The Radiant Team and Their Backgrounds (07:27) Founding Radiant Nuclear (10:45) Innovative Nuclear Technology (14:05) History of Nuclear Energy (18:56) Public Sentiment and Nuclear Energy (23:01) Challenges in Nuclear Industry (24:42) Radiant's Commitment to Innovation (25:25) Vertical Integration and Product Development (27:28) Microreactors: A New Frontier (28:40) Building the Nuclear Playbook (32:09) Funding and Financial Strategy (33:09) Remote Communities and Nuclear Power (37:41) Technical Insights and Safety (41:25) Team Building and Future Goals (44:55) Wrap

Minn Kim, Founder of Lighthouse, discusses revolutionizing skilled immigration for tech pioneers, highlighting flaws in US visa system, Lighthouse's software-driven solutions, O-1 visa benefits, and plans to transform legal immigration services. The podcast explores the allure of Silicon Valley, San Francisco's tech community, and Lighthouse's growth strategies in the tech industry.

This episode of Sourcery features an in-depth conversation with Jared Hecht, Venture Partner at USV and 2x exited founder of Fundera and GroupMe.  Fundera, Grew to a profitable $100M+ annual revenue business with 1M+ monthly visitors to the marketplace. It was acquired by Nerdwallet in 2020.  GroupMe, with over 100M+ people have used GroupMe, including 25M MAU and virtually every college student in the country. It was acquired by Skype/MSFT in 2011 Jared shares his journey from starting his career at Tumblr to founding successful companies Fundera and GroupMe and eventually transitioning into venture capital at USV, emphasizing the importance of honesty and support from VCs.  This episode surfaces Jared’s uniquely personal insights into the tech industry, behind the scenes at USV, his characterization of the personality types in VC, and the personal growth that comes from traversing the world of startups as a founder and an investor. Fun fact: Jared was a national chess champion at a young age - Follow on Twitter  https://twitter.com/mollysoshea https://twitter.com/jaredhecht -  Companies mentioned: Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ USV: https://www.usv.com/ Fundera (by Nerdwallet): https://www.fundera.com/ GroupMe: https://groupme.com/ Skype/Microsoft: https://www.skype.com/en/ - TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview and Intro (02:59) Jared's Career Journey: From Tumblr to Founding Two Companies (10:16) Taking a Break and Joining USV (25:24) Investment Focus and Areas of Interest (28:47) Interacting with Founders (33:11) The Romanticized View of Entrepreneurship (34:21) The Unique Approach of USV (41:34) What Some Investors Get Wrong (45:04) The Evolution of New York's Tech Scene (48:28) From Chess Champion to Venture Partner (50:31) Wrap

In this episode, Molly O'Shea talks with Willem Sundblad, co-founder and CEO of Oden Technologies which has just announced a $28.5M Series B led by Nordstjernan Growth, a 130-year old Swedish investment institution. Their conversation covers the massive opportunity in optimizing factory operations and product quality on the ground level, the labor challenge plaguing the industry, why more talent should consider manufacturing operator careers, how Oden found PMF with Process AI, how to sell into manufacturing, and where Oden fits into the paradigm of American Dynamism and US reshoring. Willem, who grew up on the factory floor, offers a deep dive for those looking to understand granularly what it’s like to work in a manufacturing setting, the tangible problems to solve, and the potential outsized impact one can make working in the field. - Follow on Twitter  https://twitter.com/mollysoshea https://twitter.com/WillemSundblad  - Resources: *Check out Oden's demo of Process AI: https://oden.io/ * Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ - TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview and Intro (02:09) Oden Technologies' Series B Round Composition (04:25) Willem's Childhood Journey to Manufacturing (06:42) How to Sell to the Manufacturing Industry: Oden's Approach and Impact (09:05) The Huge Challenge of Operator Turnover In Manufacturing (10:38) What an Actual Day Looks Like for an Operator Inside a Manufacturing Facility (14:07) The Quality Prediction Problem that Led to Process AI  (18:19) Selling to Legacy Industries (24:37) AI-driven Solutions for Manufacturers (30:37) Labor Challenges (38:55) Growth Plans for Oden (44:14) The Larger Impact of Joining the New Wave of Tech-Enabled Manufacturing Companies (46:44) Wrap

In this episode, Molly O'Shea interviews Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary and writer of the popular Investing 101 substack, discusses his career in venture capital and the focus of Contrary. Contrary is a VC fund that backs companies from seed to scale with an emphasis on talent and research. They aim to identify the smartest people early on and support them throughout their careers. Contrary has a very impressive research arm that produces reports, memos, and conversations to provide insights into private tech companies. Kyle shares his approach to writing and the importance of putting his thoughts into words. The conversation explores the themes of hard work, ambition, and the divide between different work philosophies. It also touches on the power of storytelling and the influence of narratives on shaping reality. The discussion highlights the importance of nuance and individual beliefs, as well as the cycles of hype and deflation in the tech industry. Overall, the conversation provides insights into the dynamics of the startup ecosystem and the evolving perspectives on work and success. Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/MollySOShea https://twitter.com/kwharrison13 Resources https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-harrison-9274b278/ Investing 101: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/ Popular Investing 101 Pieces The Blackstone of Innovation: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/p/the-blackstone-of-innovation Institutionalized Belief in The Greater Fool: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/p/institutionalized-belief-in-the-greater Puritans of Venture Capital: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/p/the-puritans-of-venture-capital Historical Futurism: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/p/historical-futurism Renaissance of Rise & Grind: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/p/the-renaissance-of-rise-and-grind Check out Contrary: https://www.contrary.com Contrary Research: https://research.contrary.com Trending Reports: SpaceX: https://research.contrary.com/company/spacex Notion: https://research.contrary.com/reports/notion SHEIN: https://research.contrary.com/company/shein Midjourney: https://research.contrary.com/company/midjourney Ramp: https://research.contrary.com/company/ramp Anduril: https://research.contrary.com/company/anduril Deep Dive: The Openness of AI: https://research.contrary.com/reports/the-openness-of-AI The Great Bank Unbundling: https://research.contrary.com/reports/great-bank-unbundling Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ Companies Mentioned Lyft: https://www.lyft.com/ TVC: https://www.tcv.com/ TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview and Intro (00:56) Kyle Harrison: A Journey from Filmmaker to Venture Capitalist (06:16) The Evolution and Strategy of Contrary VC (09:35) Open Source Research in Venture Capital (15:37) Finding And Helping The Greatest People On The Planet (17:47) Investing 101: The Art of Writing and Reflection (21:00) Reflecting on Personal Writing: Hits and Misses (23:17) Exploring the Impact of Social Media and Work Culture (23:57) The Philosophical Divide in Work Ethic and Ambition (27:30) Techno Optimism and the Power of Positive Narratives (28:52) Reflections on Storytelling and Reality (34:20) The Influence of Location on Perspective and Innovation (39:07) Looking Forward: The Age of Acquisition and Hype Cycles (45:56) Wrap