The NFX Podcast

null Garrett Smallwood (CEO of Wag!) joins NFX partner James Currier to share his thoughts on profitable and efficient management of companies, thoughtfully operating before and after COVID-19, and shifting your mental models to adapt to your current situation. Garrett has earned all the badges — having sold his company to Wag!, operating as VP of Product, Partnerships, and Corp Dev, before building the roadmap to CEO. Garrett's current roadmap at Wag! is centered around operational excellence, strategic advantages through services and density, how to navigate through uncertainties, and the importance of thinking deeply about the way you build your company.

null Twitter and Slack are two of technology’s most talked-about companies. They are both category-defining products marked by hypergrowth, each amassing a large base of deeply loyal users and a valuation of more than $20B. But Founders rarely get access to the product decisions being made behind the scenes, or the strategy and frameworks that guided them. April Underwood was instrumental at both companies, first as Director of Product at Twitter and then as Chief Product Officer at Slack. She is a powerhouse product leader with an unusual depth of experience in growing both B2C and B2B products from 0 to 1 to ubiquity, and building world-class product teams along the way. April joins the NFX podcast to offer inside stories and lessons learned from leading product at Twitter and Slack. Founders and product leaders everywhere will benefit from the 3-part framework she developed at Slack for hiring great PMs, her insights about leveraging early adopters, and how product CEOs can stay close to their product teams without slowing them down. Read the full essay - www.nfx.com/post/product-thinking-slack-twitter-april-underwood/

null In this episode of the NFX Podcast, Keith Rabois and James Currier examine the rule deviation behind some of technology's greatest startup feats — PayPal, Square, Yelp, and even Apple, Tesla, and SpaceX. They discuss:- The 5 People You Spend the Most Time With: It's easy to be a contrarian. It's hard to be right. What are the environmental and psychological factors needed to really think for yourself?- The Extreme 1% of the Bell Curve: A framework for rule deviation that leads to invention, not replication.- Being a Founder is Like Chewing Glass: The 3 biggest factors Keith cites that made the early PayPal team so strong, going on to create YouTube, Tesla, SpaceX, LinkedIn, Yammer, & more.- Counterintuitive KPIs that Transformed Yelp, PayPal, & Square: The non-obvious (even ridiculous-at-first) KPIs that changed their trajectory.- & much more Read the essay - www.nfx.com/essays

null Rahul is the founder and CEO of Superhuman where he and his team are building the fastest email experience in the world. Before Superhuman, Rahul founded Rapportive, which was acquired by LinkedIn in 2014. We’re bringing you an NFX Keynote podcast that gives you a deep dive into Rahul Vohra’s mind. His strategic thinking on product-market fit is verging on legendary, and in this episode, Rahul shares his biggest learnings about customer onboarding, why products should be designed like games, and the frameworks he wants every founder to know about pricing and positioning. www.superhuman.com

null Biology is the new frontier. At NFX, we’ve been investing in this space. And in this episode of the NFX podcast, we talk to Trevor Martin, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mammoth Biosciences, an NFX company, that is now the largest repository of CRISPR IP in the world. They are developing the Google of biology where they will help anyone find what they are looking for in the genome. They are also working on a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR. Today we will talk about the cutting edge of what’s happening and why the future will be defined by biology. Read more at - www.nfx.com/essays

null This is the insider story of Houseparty. In the last two months, the video app has grown 1600% to become the #1 social app in 82 countries, including the U.S., with hundreds of millions of users. Its success, however, has been many years and trials in the making. In this episode, early investor & advisor James Currier joins Ben Rubin, the Founder of Houseparty to share the insider story of how the product went from zero-to-one to ubiquity. It’s the real story that most founders never get to hear. This episode is about the ups and downs of building Meerkat & Houseparty, and about his new work communications network, /Talk (Slash Talk). This is a masterclass in product, pivots and perseverance that every Founder will benefit from. (0:00) Introduction and overview of the episode (5:13) Deep dive into the iterative process of product development (8:36) Exploring the influence of team personality on products (14:07) The importance of data in maintaining growth amidst challenges (18:32) The fundraising journey and lessons learned about managing cap table and investor expectations (24:49) Transition to House Party and reflections on the startup journey (31:29) The role of money and status in startups (34:05) Analyzing the anomaly of House Party's steady growth (40:43) Navigating the next step in a saturated market (44:35) Reflection on the decision to sell and finding a perfect match with Epic Games (48:25) Introduction to slash talk: A product for fast decentralized conversations (53:31) Closing remarks by James Currier

In this episode, Kristin O'Brien, James Currier, and Josh Elman delve into the evolution of social media, its current state, and future opportunities. They share valuable advice for early-stage founders in social media startups, discuss the transition from Meerkat to House Party, and the growth of Discord. The conversation emphasizes the importance of humanity in technology, psychology in startup innovation, and constant product evolution. Today Josh Elman & James Currier discuss the history of social media, where it is today, and the next wave of social companies that may be a result of the current lockdown situation. Due to the massive behavioral changes over the last few months, Founders may have room to build and the 'Golden Age' of social media might see a resurfacing. Josh Elman has run product for top-tier companies like Robinhood, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and was a partner at Greylock. In this episode, we discuss:- A brief history of social media- The behavioral changes from COVID-19- The 'New Wave' of social media platforms- The opportunity for founders to build companies- How social products reshape the human connection Be on the lookout for new episodes on The NFX Podcast and read more NFX content at - www.nfx.com/essays (0:00) Introduction and the Evolution of Social Media (10:48) The Current State of Social Media Platforms and User Behavior (13:38) Advice for Early-stage Founders in Social Media Startups (19:30) Predictions for Future Opportunities in Social Media (23:16) The Shift Towards Experience-based Social Media and Bringing Humanity into Digital Interactions (33:37) The Importance of Humanity in Technology and Psychology in Startup Innovation (35:43) Transition from Meerkat to House Party: Challenges and Lessons Learned (41:56) The Power of a 10x Better Product: Identifying and Capitalizing on It (47:53) The Importance of Constant Product Evolution and User Engagement in Social Media (55:13) The Growth and Evolution of Discord (55:29) Conclusion and Appreciation of the Conversation

In this episode, James Currier discusses the unseen hand of networks and their influence on our decisions and social order. He dives into the intensity of personal networks, Dunbar's Law, the impact of educational and professional networks, and the role of location on networking. The episode concludes with a discussion on network crossroads and reassessments. Working with network effects in our 100+ portfolio companies makes it impossible not to notice how the same mechanisms and math that create near-destiny for companies also create near-destiny for us as individuals. It’s mind-blowing once you see it. We will get to how the network force should guide your decision making in the 7 crossroads of your life, including: What Family You’re Born Into, your High School Network, your College Network, your First Job, Marriage/Choosing a Life Partner, Where You Live, and Reassessments. We all think we make these choices ourselves. It certainly feels like we’re in full control. But it turns out that our choices — both in our startups and in our lives — are more constrained than we think. Our networks are our most valuable resource. They are the way our lives express themselves. Those networks are made up of all the people you care about, the people you, inspire, move, and help to live their best lives. (0:00) Introduction and Understanding the Unseen Hand of Networks (6:27) Influence of Our Decisions on the Larger Social Order (14:16) The Intensity of Personal Networks and Dunbar's Law (19:17) The Impact of Your High School and College Networks (33:31) The Role of Professional Networks and Choosing Your First Job (36:24) The Significance of Choosing a Life Partner (41:19) The Impact of Your Location on Your Network (47:24) Crossroads and Reassessments in Your Network (49:13) Closing Remarks by James Currier

In this episode, James Currier, Reid Hoffman, and Kristin O'Brien discuss decision-making strategies during layoffs, unlearning and adapting in crises, and post-crisis financing strategies. They also explore changes in human behavior due to the pandemic, startup opportunities in a changing landscape, and the future of work. The role of cultural entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley's pandemic response are also discussed. Today Reid Hoffman & James Currier discuss the path ahead for Founders in a post-COVID world. What you need to learn and unlearn to get your company through a crisis, frameworks for the tough decisions Founders are facing today and the way they see the world changing forever - opening new opportunities for savvy founders. Reid is the co-Founder and was the executive chairman of LinkedIn, and is now a partner at Greylock. In this episode, we discuss:- How to be human first- The VC landscape post-COVID- How to make decisions around risk- The mental patterns Founders should unlearn- Founders & frugality- Silicon Valley's involvement in COVID-19- Zero-sum thinking Be on the lookout for new episodes on The NFX Podcast and read more NFX content at - www.nfx.com/essays (0:00) Introduction with Kristin O'Brien, James Currier, and Reid Hoffman (3:47) Decision-making and transition strategies during layoffs (6:43) Unlearning, learning, and adapting in a crisis (9:16) Financing strategies during and post-crisis (14:00) Changes in human behavior and work due to the pandemic (17:04) Opportunities for startup founders in a changing landscape (20:25) Potential impact areas for startups in the coming years (23:09) The role of cultural entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley in pandemic response (29:38) The future of work, job adaptability, and VC term sheet renegotiations (32:23) Reid Hoffman's current investment focus and closing remarks

In this episode, Kristin O'Brien, Pete Flint, and David Sacks discuss leading through challenging times, navigating disruption, and the importance of adaptability. They delve into crisis management, the economic impact on startups and VC investments, and the role of paranoia in survival. Insights on wartime CEOs and the response of Silicon Valley to COVID-19 are also shared. The episode concludes with potential long-term pandemic impacts, highlighting the rise of edtech and healthtech. Today we’re talking with David Sacks & Pete Flint about how to lead a company through an unforeseen downturn, and what it takes to adapt and survive in an unpredictable economy. David is a general partner at Craft Ventures and previously a Co-Founder of PayPal & Yammer. Both David and Pete founded iconic companies and led them through unstable markets to emerge with high growth and success. In this episode, we discuss:- The Founder mindset during a downturn- The Investor mindset during a downturn- Tactics/frameworks for founders- Happy Talk vs Hard Talk- Silicon Valley during COVID-19 Be on the lookout for new episodes on The NFX Podcast and read more NFX content at - www.nfx.com/essays (0:00) Introduction and guest backgrounds (1:43) Leading through hard times: Tactics and mindset (3:07) Navigating disruption: Cash position and new market conditions (7:44) Adaptability: The danger of legacy thinking and focusing on your best idea (13:02) Crisis management: Dealing with employee anxiety and delaying tough decisions (18:12) Profitability: Impact of the current economic situation on startups and VC investments (23:51) Optimism and clarity: The role of paranoia in surviving tough times (29:31) Wartime CEOs: The influence of Churchill's leadership during crisis (34:05) The response of Silicon Valley to COVID-19: Remote work and the role of tech Twitter (38:33) Long-term impacts of the pandemic on society: Recovery scenarios and the rise of edtech and healthtech