Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Elaine Zelby, Principal & Director of Growth @ SignalFire to discuss Product Led Growth Strategies for Startups.Before joining SignalFire, Elaine spent the early part of her career at Capriza, an enterprise software startup backed by a16z, and Charles River Ventures as one of the first employees building out many of the go-to-market strategies where she learned how to incentivize internal teams as well as external partners.Elaine later joined slack to lead the enterprise product marketing team but quickly realized she had a passion for blockchain technology and eventually moved over to Consensys, a blockchain-focused venture studio. While there, she built the Product Marketing and Growth teams working across the 50+ incubation companies and learnt the art of storytelling as a startup.Today you will get to hear Elaine's tips and tricks on how and when startups should think about product-led growth strategies and her own passion for podcasting and conversational AI.Elaine’s Book RecommendationsAwareness - Anthony De MelloNever Split the DifferenceHow to Win Friends & Influence PeopleElaine’s words of inspiration - “Happiness is an underrated commodity”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks on Twitter here! Or check us out on LinkedIn & Instagram! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Ade Ajao, Managing Partner @ Base10 Partners to discuss Investing in Automation & AI tools for the real economy.Before starting Base10, Ade is best known for being the Co-Founder and CEO of the startup Tuenti, also known as the ‘Spanish Facebook” which he stared back in 2005 in college with some friends. The company eventually went on to be acquired by Telefonica for $100mm 5 years later.In his next act, Ade moved on to Co-Found Identified, a data and analytics company which started his obsession with machine learning and AI solutions. After 3 years of building Identified, the company was acquired by Workday. Ade joined Workday and helped launch workday ventures, the first Applied AI-focused fund. That is where Ade met his current Base10 partner TJ and after two years at Workday, TJ and Ade left to launch Base 10 Partners with over $400mm in assets across two funds.Today you will get to hear how Ade thinks about investing in Automation and AI Startups for the Real Economy and how his investments in Docsend, DollarShave Club, and Instacart among countless others as an angel investor started his passion for investing.Ade’s Book Recommendations:What is Life? - SchrodingerThe Ethics - Baruch SpinozaThe Power Broker - Robert A. CaroAde’s words of inspiration - “Anything is possible but not everything is possible. That is the definition of focus.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Ryan Freeman, Head of Enterprise Partnerships @ DoorDash to discuss Managing Enterprise Partnerships as a Startup.On today's Talk, we ask Ryan about his operator journey starting out in Consulting at Accenture where he worked his way into a global group focused on international expansion. Ryan explains how his experience at Accenture helped shape his views on how startups can deal with ambiguity and strong competencies around specific markets and technologies when working with enterprises.We get Ryan to dig into his transition to the startup world as a VP of Partnerships at Turnstyle where he had to learn the hard way on how to get a seat at the table when he had no brand name behind him. After spending time at Yelp in San Francisco, Ryan explains why he took on the role at DoorDash to head up their Canadian offices last year. We learn what startups should do to avoid being taken advantage of during partnership conversations and key items to look out for when starting partnerships negotiations.Ryan’s Book RecommendationsHow the Mind Works - Steven PinkerGuns, Germs and Steel - Jared DiamondExpecting Better - Emily OsterRyans’ words of inspiration - “Don't think about the next step in your career journey as a linear set of steps that try to fit a mould. Try to solve for the most interesting next set of experiences to set you up for future success.”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Wes Tang-Wymer, Co-Founder & General Partner @ Rucker Park Capital.On today's Talk, we ask Wes about his investor journey starting out in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and his unconventional path towards Wall St. Next, we ask Wes about his transition to the hedge fund world where he landed a role as a long/short equities analyst at Steve Cohen's family office, Point 72 Asset Mgmt, focusing on technology investments. We dig into the extremely fast- paced and high-pressure environment of working at such a notable firm like Point72. Wes explains the lessons he learned about risk management and portfolio construction.Moving on, we dig into Wes’ transition to venture capital as a founding member of the global investment team at Softbank in 2015 where he invested in some of the biggest unicorns of the last decade including Uber, Lemonade, Kabbage, SoFi, DiDi and countless others. We ask Wes about some of the mistakes he’s seen later-stage companies make after raising massive funding rounds that existing early-stage founders should try to avoid.Next get into Wes’ current role as co-founder of Rucker Park Capital w/ his former Softbank colleague Marrisa Campise and the firm's focus on early-stage investments. We ask Wes what he takes from his experience at SoftBank leading mega deals and the characteristics he looks for in founders he backs today.This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the role luck, randomness and persistence plays in people's lives and how investing in yourself is the first step into taking you to where you eventually want to be in life.Wes’ Book Recommendations:Churchill: Walking with Destiny (Andrew Roberts)Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City (Matthew Desmond)The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. (Evan Ratliff)Wes’ words of inspiration - “Embrace the role of luck and randomness while maintaining openness towards opportunities”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Sandeep Bhadra, Partner @ Vertex Ventures.On today's Talk, we ask Sandeep about his operator journey starting out in engineering and product management roles at Texas Instruments. Sandeep explains the lessons he learned around building next-gen technologies and trying to sell his visions internally while navigating around the politics at such a large company.Next we ask Sandeep about his transition to corporate development at Cisco Systems where he made over 5 acquisitions and invested over $400mm into strategic investments during his two years there.Moving on, we dig into Sandeeps transition to venture capital as a Principal at Menlo Ventures and the struggles he faced trying to stay focused while figuring out how to convince Partners at the firm to see things his way. We ask Sandeep why he decided to lead the series B investment into Signifyd and the lessons he learned after passing on the company at the series A.Next, we get into Sandeeps current role at Vertex Ventures and the firms focus on early-stage investments into enterprise SaaS companies. We ask Sandeep what he’s most excited about when it comes to Microservices and his views on cloud infrastructure companies and where he is looking to invest next.Finally, we ask Sandeep what he looks for when investing in cloud and cyber focused startups who have limited traction but massive market opportunities.This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the vision and excitement investors like Sandeep bring to startups at the early-stage. You will also hear how Sandeep thinks about the future of cloud infrastructure and who he believes will win in the end.Book Recommendations:2666 - Roberto BolañoOn Beauty - Zaide SmithThe Three-Body ProblemLove in the time of CholeraSandeep’s words of inspiration - “Great teams build great companies, so treat your people well and you will be rewarded on the other side” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Reid Christian, General Partner @ CRV (Charles River Ventures).On today's Talk, we ask Reid about his journey starting out on the investment banking and private equity side at RBC Capital Markets and Symmetric Capital in Boston. Next, we dig into his transition to venture capital with his role at Battery Ventures and the challenges he faced moving from the corporate banking side over to traditional venture capital. We dig into his lead investment into OpsGenie’s $10M Series A raise and his role in the quick acquisition that followed by Atlassian two years later for almost $300M.Up next, we ask Ried about his decision to join CRV as a Partner at the 50-year-old Venture fund and how the firm is investing in SaaS for the next 50 years. We discuss his predictions for SaaS over the next decade and what areas he’s most excited about that he has yet to invest in. Finally, we ask Reid about his firm's thoughts on holding investments post-IPO and the recent push towards Direct Listing and SPACs in the tech space.This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the long-term vision firms like CRV have towards investing and their ability to stay focused on early-stage ventures while seeing half of their portfolio companies go on to be public or get acquired.Books Mentioned In The Show:-The Four - The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google- Startupland - How Three Guys Risked Everything to Turn an Idea into a Global Business- Good to Great - Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don'tReid’s words of inspiration - “There’s almost no better time to be an entrepreneur”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Lo Toney, Founding Managing Partner @ Plexo Capital.On today's Talk, we ask Lo about his operator journey starting out in product & marketing leadership roles at firms like Nike, eBay & Zynga and the lessons he learned around empathy and compassion. Next, we ask Lo about his transition to venture capital with his first job at Comcast ventures where he worked on the catalyst fund as part of their minority-oriented venture program.Moving on, we dig into Lo’s time as a Partner at Google Ventures where he focused on marketplaces, media, gaming & enterprise investments and the lessons he learned about portfolio construction. We ask Lo about how he came up with the idea for Plexo Capital while still at GV and how his mission evolved until the time he spun it out. Next we ask Lo for his thoughts on how emerging fund managers can balance long-term success vs short term gains in venture capital.We get Lo to share his thoughts on seed funds who lead rounds vs angel funds who follow-on and how funds can demonstrate their internal processes and value-add skill sets beyond just quantifiable metrics when pitching institutional LPs.Finally, we ask Lo how emerging managers can stand out from the pack when they are still in the early days of building a fund and what firms like Plexo Capital look for beyond mark-ups.This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the passion and commitment Lo has applied to his life's work at Plexo Capital in helping under-represented entrepreneurs and fund managers navigate the complicated and often unfair world of venture capital.Books Mentioned In The Show:Why should white guys have all the fun?Lo’s words of inspiration - “persistence overcomes resistance”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Susan Su, Head of Portfolio Growth & Marketing @ Sound Ventures.On today's Talk, we ask Susan about her operator journey starting out in leadership roles in product and marketing at companies like Google and AppSumo in San Francisco. We dig into Susan's role as a venture partner and marketer-in-residence at 500 Startups where she launched and operated a 10-week program for startups and ask her about her proudest accomplishments during her time there. Moving on, we dig into Susan's time at Reforge where she built and led the growth marketing team and worked with companies like Facebook, AirBnB, Slack and Uber and the mistakes she made along the way.Next, we ask Susan why she decided to join Ashton Kutcher & Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures and what excited her most about moving to the venture side. We discuss the common mistakes startups make with growth experimentation and what tools and resources are in her growth tech stack. Finally, we ask Susan what to look for when hiring for growth and the best interview questions for growth hires.This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the challenges and mistakes startups face when trying to apply growth tactics and the experimentation that goes into building long term customer relationships along with enduring brands that live on forever.Books Mentioned In The Show:Thinking in SystemsAdvertising Secrets of the Written WordOgilvy on AdvertisingSusan’s words of inspiration - “It's crucial to lean into your creativity and have fun at it with growth”Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today's Talk, we ask Anil about his journey starting out as a research scientist at global institutions like Draper Labs & Johnson & Johnson in Boston. We dig into Anil's role as head of the “brain on a chip” project funded by DARPA and MIT to study brain diseases. Next we dig into his time as head of external innovation at L’Oreal and the challenges he faced while looking at over 200 startups without making one venture investment.Next, we ask Anil about his journey to TDK Ventures and his role as investment director at the 85 year-old Japanese multinational electronics company. We discuss his focus on investing globally in frontier technology startups in areas ranging from Health & Diagnostics, to next Gen Transportation like flying cars and even Robotics, IoT devices and Material Sciences.We ask Anil how TDK Ventures balances investing in frontier tech that may one day replace TDK Corporate products as competitors vs. supporting TDK’s ability to adapt and grow. Finally, we ask Anil how he overcomes founders' concerns of partnering with a corporate investor whose goals may be misaligned. This Tank Talk really makes you appreciate the challenges corporate venture funds face internally while competing against traditional investors while at the same time taking big bets on investing in frontier technologies that may not pan out for decades while still supporting the short term goals of its parent company.Books Mentioned In The Show:-Great Feuds in Mathematics- Big Bang : The Origin of the Universe by Simon Singh- Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkings- Science of everything: How things work in our worldAnil’s words of inspiration - “If people are not laughing at your goals, your goals are too small” by Azim Premji, Wipro ChairmanFollow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome our guest Villi Iltchev, Partner @ Two Sigma Ventures.On today's Talk, we ask Villi about his journey into technology investing after starting his career at HP on the corporate development side and then moving over to Salesforce during the last crisis. We ask Villis' about his time as Vice President of Corp Dev at Salesforce Ventures and about some of the amazing startups he invested in like BOX, Hubspot, Zapier and countless others.We dig into Villi’s experience moving from corporate venture into traditional venture roles as a Partner at August Capital where he made his investment into unicorn startup Gitlab as the Series B lead and his reasons behind that investment even after 100 Venture firms already passed on them. Next, we ask Villi to explain why Two Sigma Ventures was the best fit for him for his next journey in venture and how their quantitative approach to investing on the public side has shaped their investment strategy on the venture side. Finally, we ask Villi what he looks for when investing in emerging areas and how he manages timing risk and avoids being too early into an emerging market. This tank talk really helps you think about the ways in which venture investors are forced to think outside the box and into the future sometimes decades ahead in order to place bets on startups at the early stage today and how founders should approach these kinds of investors.Now please welcome today's guest to the Tank, Villi Iltchev.Books Mentioned In The Show:-The Brothers Karamazov- The Death of Ivan IlychVilli’s words of inspiration - “Have a truthful life, do things that are meaningful and do things that matter.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com