The NFX Podcast

The podcast discusses the Generative Tech revolution and its impact on various industries. It explores the three waves of successful generative tech startups and identifies emerging winners in this space.

This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, James Currier. The AI revolution just ratcheted up the speed bar for startups. You think you’re moving fast enough. You’re not. Speed is the number one advantage of a startup. But now that generative AI here, your definition of speed has to increase 10x. Read the full essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/speed-and-ai (0:00) Introduction to AI and its future implications (1:16) NFX's perspective on generative AI (2:16) The need for founders to move faster into the AI market (3:39) The importance of resetting speed benchmarks (4:37) The new speed bar for product launches with generative AI (4:59) Advice for founders to adopt a faster mindset (7:56) Conclusion: The importance of a fast mindset in the age of AI (8:11) Feedback request and how to subscribe to the NFX podcast

There’s a concept in network theory called Preferential Attachment. When one node gets ahead, it attracts more resources, and more attention. It's a snowball effect. PR for your company works the same way. Once you become the biggest node, more resources flow to you. Today, NFX General Partner James Currier sits down with Vijay Chattha, founder of PR agency VSC to reveal how to build that attention flywheel. VSC has worked with NFX unicorn companies like Mammoth Biosciences, Poshmark, and Outdoorsy, to build attention and momentum from the ground up. (0:00) Introduction and Background of Vijay Chattha (5:06) Vijay Chattha's Approach to PR and Criteria for Representing Companies (10:41) The Importance of a Company's Storytelling Runway and Marketability (19:26) Authenticity, Audience Understanding, and the Role of Journalists in Today's Media Landscape (25:28) Setting Goals and Audience Targeting for Seed Stage Startups (30:40) Case Study: Successful PR Strategy with Mammoth Biosciences and the Concept of Preferred Attachment in PR (37:44) The Role of Funding in Storytelling and Strategies for Early-Stage Startups (43:19) Risks and Rewards of Founders Using Social Media and Choosing the Right Medium for Communication (47:10) Common Mistakes Founders Make in Communication and the Shifting Landscape of Media Coverage (51:15) When to Hire a PR Firm and the Role of Investors in PR and Storytelling

The transition from Founder to CEO is a watershed moment in your company, and in your life. A great Founder creates something from nothing. A great CEO takes the next step, and builds mechanisms of success. They turn that vision into a well-functioning machine. Becoming a great CEO is a matter of tactics and personal growth. Today, NFX General Partner Gigi Levy-Weiss reveals how to get there, with special guest Avishai Abrahami, the founder of Wix. Avishai built Wix into a company of about 5,000 people, with 1.4 billion in revenue. They’ll cover how Founders can become great CEOs, measurements that most startups miss, the difference between good failure and bad failure, and more. (edited) (0:00) Introduction: Gigi Levy-Weiss and Avishai Abrahami (1:29) The Success Journey of Wix (5:14) Mechanisms for Success and Role of a Manager in a Startup (10:02) Talent Acquisition and HR Processes in Startups (16:17) The Evolution of Talent Requirements as the Company Grows (19:05) The Importance of Measuring Business KPIs (22:34) The Role of Failure and Experimentation in Startups (25:28) Efficient Meeting Management in Growing Companies (30:56) The Significance of Clear Communication and Transparency in a Company (40:27) Efficiency of Remote Work vs. Office Work in Startups (44:55) Closing thoughts: Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line

Guests Omri Amirav-Dory, Yael Gruenbaum-Cohen, and Peter Nell discuss the importance of strategic partnerships, trust-building, common mistakes in deal-making, commercializing technology as a service, and balancing pipeline advancement in bioplatform business development.

In this conversation, Yogev Debbi, the Founder and CEO of Mana Bio, shares his journey from tech to biotech, emphasizing the untapped potential for tech entrepreneurs in the bio sector. He discusses the transformative impact of CRISPR, the challenges in drug delivery systems, and the importance of automation in biotech. Yogev also highlights building a transparent team culture and bridging the cultural gap between tech and bio to drive innovation. His insights inspire tech founders to embrace the world of biology for creating impactful solutions.

Omri Drory, a general partner focused on network effects in TechBio, lays out a compelling vision for the future. He emphasizes the transformative power of biology as a technology, capable of solving global challenges like disease and climate change. Drory highlights the crucial role of intellectual property and machine learning innovations in this shift from traditional biotech to a dynamic TechBio landscape. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to explore this thriving sector and contribute to a brighter tomorrow.

We are in the first wave of web3 games, and some believe that games don't have network effects built into their development or long-term strategy. In this episode, listen to NFX partner Gigi Levy-Weiss as he dives into the world of defensibility within the gaming industry, sharing the 4 layers of network effects, the future of virtual goods, and a case study on Steam - the leading platform for video game development. This is an audio version of episode 10 from The Network Effects Masterclass, curated for audio and listening on the go. For the full video experience, transcripts, and recommended reading, join the free Network Effects Masterclass at - NFX.com/masterclass. (0:00) Introduction to the episode and foundation of NFX (2:38) Understanding network effects in games and misconceptions (3:29) Game liquidity, player matching, and personal networks (5:15) Layers of network effects in games: Game network and personal utility (6:29) The marketplace layer of network effects and the bandwagon effect (8:16) Defensibility and longevity of top games due to network effects (9:39) Introduction to Steam and its marketplace network effect (12:34) User-generated content and virtual goods in Steam's marketplace (14:40) Network effects in Steam, the bandwagon effect, and its 30% rake on transactions (16:50) The challenge for competitors to replicate Steam's network effects (17:13) Concluding remarks and a preview of the next episode

In Web3, network effects are fundamental and critical to survival. If you’re building in Web3 properly, then it should automatically include network effects. Listen in as General Partner Morgan Beller acts like the river guide of network effects for Web3 as she shares her experience and insights on how to be defensible in this new world. Eventually, we will see Web3 swallow Web2 - look how much we’ve learned since that white paper for BTC arrived in 2009. Founders on the frontlines of the Web3 world are educating us on how to remain defensible and retain growth amongst competitors. This is an audio version of episode 9 from The Network Effects Masterclass, curated for audio and listening on the go. For the full video experience, transcripts, and recommended reading, join the free Network Effects Masterclass at - NFX.com/masterclass. (0:00) Introduction to the episode and Morgan Beller (1:26) Overview of Web 3 and its product building path (5:23) Importance of product standard and platform risk in Web 3 (9:10) Applying Web 2 lessons to Web 3 development (11:32) Integrating network effects into your Web 3 business (14:29) The role of tokens in network bonding and social network effects (18:05) Navigating towards the center of the circle for a more defensible position (20:43) Application of Web 3 ethos in the creation of Libra (22:18) The importance of network effects in Web 3's early stage (23:34) Closing remarks and subscription invitation

We're highlighting a breakthrough moment - this summer, Dr. Jacob Hanna, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science published a paper demonstrating that synthetic mouse embryos could be grown outside the womb, without an egg or sperm. This is a major advance that was covered by Nature, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and others. Today, the head of NFXBio Omri Amirav-Drory is sitting down with Dr. Hanna to discuss how we reached this milestone, what it means for science, and how entrepreneurship can help bring this technology out of the lab. (0:00) Introduction to synthetic embryos and Dr. Jacob Hanna (4:25) Discussion on growing mouse embryos outside the uterus (7:48) Self-organizing stem cells and their role in synthetic embryos (14:15) Future possibilities and limitations of synthetic embryo development (17:04) Potential treatment of diseases with synthetic embryo technology (20:47) Scientist founder's journey and commercialization of synthetic embryo technology (25:01) Closing remarks and thanks