Sourcery

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

Morgan Housel, bestselling author and partner at The Collaborative Fund, discusses the role of luck in success, the complexities of visionaries like Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and others, the hype and reality of startup valuations, and challenges facing the VC industry.

In this podcast, Molly O'Shea interviews Chris Power, Founder & CEO of Hadrian, a vertically integrated deep tech manufacturing company. Hadrian recently raised a $117M Series B to support its mission of revitalizing American manufacturing. The company experienced strong customer demand, leading to an accelerated fundraise to meet the needs of large customers and expand its factory and operations to multiple states to support its growth. The company's vertical integration, focus on software and robotics, and emphasis on talent and workforce development, create an industry-leading moat. The conversation covers the importance of manufacturing for global competitiveness, America's position in global politics, building a "Tesla-hard" business, the strong vibe shift in the industry, recruiting and investor momentum, the early days of Hadrian, reflecting and resetting as a scaling Founder, drilling holes in servers, and building for the future. Hadrian is actively hiring software engineers and other roles to continue scaling its operations. Email: jobs@hadrian.co or visit https://www.hadrian.co/careers Follow us on Twitter @MollySOShea @2112Power Resources Check out Hadrian: https://www.hadrian.co/ Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ Companies Mentioned Software/ Tech: Tesla https://www.tesla.com/ Anduril https://www.anduril.com/ Palantir https://www.palantir.com/ Rippling https://www.rippling.com/ SpaceX https://www.spacex.com/ Ramp https://ramp.com/ Netflix https://www.netflix.com/ AWS https://aws.amazon.com/ VC: Construct Capital https://constructcap.com/ Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/ Founders Fund https://foundersfund.com/ Lux Capital https://www.luxcapital.com/ RTX Ventures https://www.rtx.com/ Timestamps (00:00) Preview (02:02) Hadrian's Massive Series B Raise and Mission to Revitalize American Industry (05:24) The Strategic Decision Behind Hadrian's Emergency Fundraise (07:32) Chris' Backstory and the Challenges/Opportunities in Manufacturing Software (12:55) Scaling Operations and the Future of Hadrian's Factories (14:51) On Hadrian's Vertical Integration and Moat (18:39) Recruiting and Training: The Backbone of Hadrian's Success (22:15) Pitching to Software Engineers and the Engineering Challenges at Hadrian (25:33) Expanding the Team and the Future Goals for Hadrian (26:52) Chris Power's Bullish Stance on American Manufacturing (30:42) Vibe Shift in the Venture Capital Ecosystem (36:10) Foundational Challenges of Deep Tech Startups (40:28) Reorienting and Resetting While Scaling a Company (48:26) Future Outlook for Hadrian and Deep Tech Innovation (51:09) Wrap

In this episode, Molly O'Shea is joined by Nick Abouzeid, co-founder of Rivet, a newly launched corporate and personal tax preparation firm. Prior to starting Rivet, Nick was a growth leader at Ramp, Main Street and Product Hunt. Molly and Nick deep dive on how to really drive growth, the misconceptions around growth marketing, and the supposed 'secret sauces’ strategies. They also discuss why venture-backed fintech startups need to focus on revenue generation in 2024 and why Nick took on venture capital to scale Rivet in a traditionally fragmented tax prep industry. Follow us on Twitter @MollySOShea @Nickabouzeid Resources Check out Rivet: https://www.rivet.tax/ Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/  Companies Mentioned VCs: XYZ Ventures https://www.xyz.vc/ Shrug Capital https://www.shrug.vc/ Fintech/ Insurance/ Software: Ramp https://ramp.com/ Deel https://www.deel.com/ Newfront https://www.newfront.com/ AngelList https://www.angellist.com/ Product Hunt https://www.producthunt.com/ MutinyHQ https://www.mutinyhq.com/ Timestamps (00:00) Preview (01:02) Intro - Nick Abouzeid (02:35) Nick's Journey: Product Hunt, AngelList, Mainstreet, Ramp (05:51) Growth Marketing: No Shortcuts, Just Hard Work (13:11) Test Your Buttons - A Story About Ramp (18:32) From Ramp to Rivet (22:48) Building a Scalable, Venture-Backed Tax Firm (26:07) Choosing the Name 'Rivet' and Its Significance (27:41) Long-Term Goals and Aspiring to Be Like Ernst & Young (29:30) Gaining Customer Trust in a Sensitive Industry (31:00) Catering to the Wide Range of Tax Needs (33:39) Partnerships and Future Plans for Rivet (36:24) Navigating the Fintech Cold Spell and Building a Real Business (39:51) Advice for Aspiring Founders On When to Make the Leap (42:18) Wrap

In this podcast episode Molly O'Shea interviews Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and Co-Founder and President of Varda Space Industries, who dives into his experience building and investing in biotech, aerospace, and manufacturing. Asparouhov also discusses the evolution of his investment strategies, the difference between Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund, the evolution of El Segundo, & creating more inclusive cultures. Resources Subscribe to Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/  Companies Mentioned Varda Space Industries https://www.varda.com/  Starlink https://www.starlink.com/  Elektrofi https://www.elektrofi.com/ Halozyme https://halozyme.com/  TSMC https://www.tsmc.com/ Rocketlab https://www.rocketlabusa.com/ Founders Fund https://foundersfund.com/  Khosla Ventures https://www.khoslaventures.com/  Timestamps (00:00) Preview (03:03) The Idea Maze That Led to Varda Space Industries (06:00) The Potential of Low-Earth Orbit Spacecraft (09:03) Exploring the Economic Viability of Space Manufacturing (11:15) Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Space Manufacturing (14:56) On Pharma and Varda's Strategic Business Direction (20:40) Gravity Research for Space Manufacturing (25:48) Taking the Plunge into DeepTech: Biotech, Space Tech, & Manufacturing (28:23) Transitioning from Operator to Investor (33:31) The Difference Between Khosla Ventures & Founders Fund (36:58) Miami vs. SF (40:00) The Future of El Segundo & Creating Inclusive Cultures (47:06) The Fulfillment of Fatherhood (52:26) Wrap

In this episode, Molly O'Shea talks with David Weisburd, Co-founder and Co-Head of Venture Capital at 10X Capital. They discuss the strategies for achieving alpha in VC, the significance of LP-GP dynamics, VC’s track record on predicting trends versus fads, and delve into David’s AI thesis. Follow us on Twitter⁠ @MollySOShea ⁠⁠@DWeisburd Resources David's Podcast: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2MHgyKMmJgznPI66MLxZfC⁠ David & J-Cal's Podcast: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2T64PheDtaMDmFH9pS3GgK⁠ OpenLP Powered by Sapphire: ⁠https://openlp.sapphireventures.com/⁠ Subscribe to Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://www.sourcery.vc/ ⁠Companies Mentioned 10X Capital https://www.10xcapital.com/ Rabbit https://www.rabbit.tech/ Perplexity AI https://www.perplexity.ai/ Worldcoin https://worldcoin.org/ Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:55) David's Journey in Venture Capital (02:01) Transition from Venture Capital to Podcasting (05:25) Podcaster Secrets (08:42) High-Level Learnings in Venture Capital and Investment Strategy (10:57) Don't Try to be a Macro Investor (14:51) The Future of AI (19:21) Extreme Alpha in VC (21:45) Unpacking the Systematic Bias in the LP World (31:55) Advice for Founders and GPs in the Current Market (35:26) Wrap

Alex Kolicich, founding partner at 8VC, discusses the importance of AI understanding, impacts on verticalization, and insights on moats. The conversation explores VC trends, AI predictions, and advice for founders in the early stages of growth.

Venture capitalist Xander Oltmann discusses the decline of SaaS, rise of vertically integrated monopolies, and challenges with software development costs. He shares insights on AI's role, competition with multi-stage firms, and dislocation in valuations. Xander highlights portfolio companies like Hadrian and Armada, and predicts 2024 trends.