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Smart Venture Podcast

Latest episodes

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Jan 13, 2023 • 46min

#123 General Catalyst's Managing Director, Investor of Discord, Snap, Audius, Niko Bonatsos

Niko Bonatsos is a Managing Director at General Catalyst where he invests in early-stage companies. Niko focuses his investment strategy on finding first-time technology founders with strong product instincts, a robust appetite for learning, and a desire to create innovations with the potential to benefit millions. Some of his portfolio companies include Discord, Snap (NYSE: SNAP), Wag! (NASDAQ: PET), Audius, ClassDojo, Dubsmash (Acquired by Reddit), Remote, and more.   You can learn more about:  1. What to look for when investing in Gen Z founders  2. VC career journey from joining a fund to becoming the Managing Director  3. How to invest in unicorns like Discord and Snap  ===================== YouTube: @GraceGongCEO Newsletter: @SmartVenture LinkedIn: @GraceGong TikTok: @GraceGongCEO IG: @GraceGongCEO Twitter: @GraceGongGG Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Dec 9, 2022 • 1h 17min

#122 MasterClass's Investor Board Member Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners Alex Gurevich

Alex Gurevich is a Managing Director at Javelin Venture Partners, an early-stage VC fund with portfolio companies like MasterClass, Thumbtack, Carbon Health, Niantic Labs, and many more. Alex serves on multiple boards of startups such as MasterClass, Thumbtack, Pair Eyewear, Mythical Games, and HitRecord (founded by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt) amongst others. Prior to joining Javelin, Alex worked at DFJ and was the first employee at ooma (NYSE: OOMA). You can learn more about: 1. How to identify and invest in successful startups like MasterClass and Thumbtack2. How to build and curate great deal flow as a VC 3. How to raise funding as a startup    Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Nov 9, 2022 • 49min

#121 Substack(valued $600M+)’s Co-founder, Hamish McKenzie

Hamish McKenzie is a Co-founder of Substack, a platform that makes it simple to start a paid newsletter. Substack is currently valued at $650 million, and has raised over $80 million dollars from a16z, YC among other top funds. Prior to founding Substack, Hamish is a journalist and former lead writer for Tesla, and a one-time reporter for tech blog PandoDaily. He is also the author of Insane Mode: How Elon Musk's Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil.  You can learn more about:  How to build a successful media tech company  How to start a highly earned newsletter on Substack  How to succeed as a non technical co-founder  Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Nov 7, 2022 • 50min

#120 M13's General Partner and Investor, Latif Peracha and Mark Grace

Latif Peracha is a General Partner at M13, a venture capital firm with over $900 AUM focused on early-stage consumer technology companies. Latif leads the Web3 strategy for the firm which has invested in Lightning Labs, Stepn, and Nori among many other companies and networks. The broader M13 portfolio includes Lyft, Daily Harvest and Ring. Latif previously worked as the Managing Director of Virgin Group in the Americas and his portfolio included Slack, Ring, Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit. Mark Grace is an investor at M13. An early member of the firm, Mark has invested across the early stage consumer technology landscape, and he now focuses primarily on helping co-manage the firm's Web3 investment strategy. You can learn more about: 1. The overall landscape of Web3 investing 2. Trends and sectors to look at in Web3 3. Exciting companies and business models to watch Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com  
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Oct 25, 2022 • 58min

#119 Austin Evans, 5.34M+ subscribers and 1.26B+ views on Youtube (Creator Special)

Austin Evans is a successful American YouTuber and social media influencer who creates videos of technology, from console reviews to comparisons between old and new tech and everything in between. Since starting his channel in 2009, Austin's main channel has gained 1,265,270,681 video views and has involved the collaboration of big names in the industry, such as Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) and Bitwit. Until today, he has reviewed hundreds of gadgets, including several iPhone editions, Playstation consoles, and VR devices. You can learn more about: How to build and grow a successful YouTube channel How to create high quality content frequently How build team and system around your channel Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Oct 20, 2022 • 49min

#118 Kong Pham, 2.4M + on Youtube, Jumpcut (YC backed) & Blu Yam’s CEO & founder (Creator Special)

Kong Pham is a YouTuber and video creator with more than 2.4 million subscribers and more than 125 million video views. In his channel, he creates innovative, clever, and fun videos such as social experiments, entrepreneurship advice, and pranks. He is the founder of Jumpcut, a startup that creates online courses for entrepreneurs, encouraging them to develop their business skills while learning the latest trends and technology. On top of this, he is the founder of Blu Yam, a creative agency dedicated to creating entertaining and informative viral ads for startups, which generated well over $50 million in sales. You can learn more about: How to create viral content for your brand How to build a strong personal brand through content creation How to improve your soft skills Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Oct 10, 2022 • 59min

#117 Polo Ralph Lauren's ex-VP, Melissa Cohen

Melissa Cohen is a former Vice President at Polo Ralph Lauren, where she was in charge of production for their iconic Childresnwear line. She later moved to managing production for Chaps Mens and RTW. Prior to that she led production teams at Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ann Taylor, among other iconic fashion retail brands. She is also the founder and owner of MBC Consulting Solutions where she works with emerging and growth stage fashion brands. You can learn more about:  1. How to build an iconic brand in fashion  2. Career development in fashion  3. How to manage to create physical products and lead a great team    Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Sep 25, 2022 • 56min

#116 SignalFire Partner, ex-Google, McKinsey, KPCB, Wayne Hu

Wayne Hu is a Partner at SignalFire, a multi-billion dollar fund that operates as a technology company comprised of data scientists, engineers, and investors trained at Google, Meta, Slack, General Catalyst, KPCB, and A16z (Andreessen Horowitz). Their portfolio includes Uber, Alchemy, Frame.io, and more. Before working at SignalFire, Wayne worked at Google, McKinsey, and KPCB. Wayne is also a YouTube content creator who creates VC master classes and discusses trending topics among technology, venture capital, and more. You can learn more about: 1. How to build a personal brand as a VC   2. How to identify exceptional founders  3. How to help companies scale after investing in them Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Sep 14, 2022 • 42min

#115 Sino Global Capital's Founder and CEO Matthew Graham

Matthew Graham is the founder and CEO of Sino Global Capital, a $200 Million fund with backing from FTX. His prior investments include FTX, FTX.US, Solana, and Polygon, to name a few. Before founding Sino Global Capital, Matthew served as a Managing Director for international business at technology-focused investment bank China Bridge Capital. You can learn more about: 1. How to start a crypto fund 2. How to pick and get access to the top crypto companies 3. Investment trends in crypto companies  Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com
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Sep 9, 2022 • 56min

#114 Index Ventures's Partner Rex Woodbury

Rex Woodbury is a Partner at Index Ventures, where he focuses on early-stage and growth investments in consumer technology businesses. He mainly focuses on online communication, Gen Z, commerce, marketplaces, and the future of work. Before Index, Rex was an investor at TPG Growth and The Rise Fund, TPG’s global growth equity and social impact funds, where he oversaw the launch of TPG’s impact measurement tool at the World Economic Forum. Rex is also the author of Digital Native, a popular newsletter that covers topics among consumer internet, Gen Z, creators, commerce, gaming, the metaverse, and marketplaces.  You can learn more about  How to create engaging content as a VC  Startup and investing trends in Web3 and creators  Career development in venture  Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ===================== Brought to you by: https://momentonft.com

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