In this episode, Gigi Levy-Weiss converses with Eynat Guez about the effects of remote work on global hiring and company culture, the influence of a founder's personality on recruitment strategies, and the challenges in automating processes. They discuss the importance of early planning in startups, the potential impact of crypto on payroll, and the transition from founder to CEO. They also touch on balancing personal life with startup demands and the role of female leadership in tech. The Covid pandemic removed barriers to global hiring and remote team building. It exposed startups, by necessity, to all-new solutions for growing and bonding their teams. Most companies advanced through the pandemic by stages: first survival mode, then waiting it out -- and now they are ready to fundamentally shift their hiring strategies to reflect our new reality. It’s clear now that there are lasting shifts in the market, and that Founders and CEOs need to update their mental models for hiring. Our guest today, Eynat Guez, sees this recent change in strategy more clearly than most. She’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Papaya Global, a global people & payroll platform, now valued at $3.7 Billion. Eynat is also the first-ever female CEO of a unicorn company in Israel. Her insights on hiring are twofold. First, she builds from her own experience rapidly scaling her global team to unicorn status during the pandemic. Second, from working directly with Papaya’s clients to grow their teams. Today she shares with us her set of mental models for building a world-class team -- wherever it may be. (0:00) Introduction to the podcast and guest, Eynat Guez (4:36) The impact of remote work on global hiring and company culture (15:02) The role of founder's personality in shaping company's DNA and recruitment strategies (27:18) Overcoming challenges in automating processes and the importance of customer experience (38:51) The significance of planning ahead in early-stage startups and the potential impact of crypto on payroll (47:06) Transition from early founder to unicorn CEO and managing growth in startups (54:06) Balancing personal life with the demands of a startup and the importance of female leadership in the tech ecosystem (57:26) Closing remarks and future prospects for Eynat Guez's next startup

In today's episode, NFX Partner Morgan Beller talks with Cuy Sheffield (head of crypto at Visa) and Micah Johnson (Bored Apes, CryptoPunks, and Aku and former professional baseball player) as they explore tactics for building community, no matter what industry you’re in. Listen to their conversation as they uncover why Founders can’t skip the community-building part anymore, as it’s essential to company building in today's ecosystem. The next evolution of companies will be created in public with early customers, partners, and supporters. They’ll be community-owned and operated, building upon the playbooks created by early NFT and play-to-earn projects. Because many of the web 3.0 advantages are hard to adopt as a large web 2.0 company, as a Founder you have to focus on the big ideas: ownership, collaboration, and community. (0:00) Introduction to the NFX Podcast and guests Kai Sheffield and Micah Johnson (1:22) Journey into the crypto space and transition from professional careers to NFTs (3:54) Discussion on NFTs, the black crypto art movement, and comparison to traditional art (10:38) Discussion on NFTs in the context of art and the power of collaboration in NFTs (15:23) Managing a community as a creator: challenges and opportunities (19:10) Shift from traditional business models to community-led product development in the crypto space (23:30) Shift from fleeting internet interactions to committed engagements through NFTs and tokens (26:56) Shift from eyeball metrics to commerce metrics in Web 3 and the digitization of supply chain (33:11) Emphasizing core values in Web 3 and the rise of crypto creators (36:39) Importance of community engagement and the challenges of scalability in community management (41:56) Setting good principles as a founder and thoughts on accessibility in the crypto space (44:57) Using IP to make crypto more accessible and sharing upcoming Aku milestones (46:50) End of episode and closing remarks

In this episode, Azeem Azhar and James Currier discuss exponential growth in technology, the Internet's role in accelerating advancements, and the societal implications. They also delve into the concept of regulatory innovation, the impact of fast-paced tech development, health data sharing, and the integration of crypto in various industries. Visionary Founders, instead of solving market failures or fixing problems that are clear, push market evolution. They commit to pushing society to the upward bend of the exponential technology curve. Today, our friend Azeem Azhar, former VC-backed Founder, creator of The Exponential View blog, and author of the new book The Exponential Age, gives Founders specific hooks and non-obvious ways of explaining how quickly something’s going to change — right before it does. For Founders, market needs are often a lagging indicator of technological progress. In many cases, like the iPhone, we didn’t even know that we needed a thing, until the thing made us want it. Read the full NFX Essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/exponential-age/ (0:00) Introduction and Background of Guest Azeem Azhar (3:31) Discussion on Exponential Growth and Technologies (10:23) Insight into Azeem's Investing Strategy and Understanding of Moore's and Wright's Laws (17:23) Role of the Internet in Accelerating Tech Advancements and its Influence on Various Sectors (24:09) Societal Implications of Technology Development and the Clash between Government and Entrepreneurs (31:16) Concept of Regulatory Innovation and Sandboxes for Startups (34:03) Impact of Fast-Paced Technology Development on Society and Participation in Technology Discussions (36:22) Potential of Health Data Sharing and Roles of Government and Industry in Data Sharing Initiatives (40:23) Integration of Crypto in Various Industries and its Implications (44:15) Book Recommendations and Advice for Entrepreneurs

null Today, Mammoth Biosciences announced their series C and D at more than a $1B valuation. Mammoth is a startup story that Founders should be following because there is so much to learn from their path from the lab to unicorn status. At no other time in modern history has the need for science to lead our society toward a better future been more apparent and immense. We can meet this need by investing in the next generation of tech-bio companies like Mammoth. NFX led Mammoth’s Pre-Seed and Seed rounds, co-led the Series A, and has invested in every round including today’s Series D. We even helped them name the company. Mammoth is the poster child for the NFX strategy of using network effects to build bio platforms — this approach to building tech-bio businesses should allow them to get 10x the size of a normal bio company. It’s also a great example of how NFX Bio supports Scientist-Founders as they become great Founders and CEOs after they leave the lab. Listen in with Omri Drory, head of NFX Bio, and Partner James Currier as they take an inside look with Mammoth’s Co-Founder & CEO Trevor Martin at his journey from idea to unicorn — for the benefit of up-and-coming Scientist-Founders worldwide. (0:00) Introduction and overview of Mammoth Biosciences (1:46) Understanding the scale and size of Mammoth Biosciences (3:27) The evolution and expansion of CRISPR protein families (6:02) Announcement of Mammoth's series D financing and journey of the company (9:11) The potential impact and challenges of Mammoth Biosciences (11:10) Mammoth's partnerships and commitment to building products (14:13) Recollection of the beginnings of Mammoth Biosciences (17:37) Advice for aspiring scientist founders (22:15) The role of the team in startup success and the future of Mammoth Biosciences (24:02) Introduction of new team member and reflection on Mammoth's journey (26:19) Celebrating series D success and closing remarks

Andy Lapsa, Co-founder and CEO of Stoke Space Technologies and former award-winning engineer at Blue Origin, shares insights on revolutionizing space travel. He discusses the transition to reusability in rocketry, aiming to make space access more frequent and affordable. Lapsa emphasizes how a robust space economy can enhance life on Earth, addressing global challenges like sustainable energy and equitable information access. He recounts his journey from childhood astronaut dreams to leading innovations in commercial space launches, inspired by the potential of the space industry.

In this episode, James Currier delves into the concept of network effects, its impact on status, wealth, and power, and the emergence of the network economy. Using Facebook as a case study, he discusses the dominance of network effect businesses. He also explores the acceleration of the network economy through cryptocurrency. The episode further examines the Matthew Principle and how network economy influences various fields, including education and real estate. James concludes with a discussion on the evolving social contract in the network economy and the roles of governments and companies. This is The Founders’ List – audio versions of essays from technology’s most important leaders, selected by the founder community. Network effect businesses are reshaping the world. Network effects are still the best and most powerful force we know to create persistent value for billions of people. However, we think that too little has been said about how society should adapt to these new network effect behemoths we’re helping create. NFX Partner James Currier outlines how the network economy works, and how power, wealth, and status all flow on the network. He then looks at the implications of this and finally specific ideas for Founders about what these new social contracts could look like. Read the full NFX essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/network-economy/ (0:00) Introduction to the episode (0:14) Exploring network effects: Status, wealth, and power (1:44) Understanding the network economy and its emergence (4:05) Dominance and power of network effect businesses: Facebook example (6:17) Acceleration of the network economy through cryptocurrency and its impact (11:06) The Matthew Principle and examples of the network economy in various fields (14:15) Influence of the network economy on education, real estate, and Uber drivers (18:11) Positives and negatives of the network economy: Improved odds, access, and challenges for edge nodes (20:10) The evolution of the social contract in the network economy (24:52) The role of governments and companies in the network economy (30:06) Conclusion: Responsibility of world-class founders in setting new social contracts

null This is an NFX Mashup, where we string thoughts from past episodes together under the same topic. Startups today have more options than ever before — much earlier in their life cycles — for entering the public markets. Founders are constantly looking for advice on how to think about traditional IPO vs. SPAC vs. direct listing — and how to even answer the question: Am I ready to be a public company? In this mashup, NFX Partner Pete Flint is joined by Eventbrite co-founder Kevin Hartz, Hippo founder Assaf Wand, and the IPO whisperer Lisa Buyer on their experience and advice around taking tech companies public.

In this episode, Morgan Beller, Mack Flavelle, Lisa Sterbakov, and Maaria Bajwa discuss the use of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and their application in the Stoner Katz Project. They delve into the benefits of NFTs for creators, the community aspect of the project, and the risks and potentials of using NFTs as access tokens. The conversation also touches on the impact of NFTs on Hollywood and the challenges of content selection in the industry. 'Stoner Cats' is an adult animated series centered on five house cats who repeatedly save their beloved owner created by Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and friends, including the creative forces behind Toy Story 2, Spider-Verse, Happy Feet, and Cryptokitties. Users will be able to buy Stoner Cats NFTs and can use those tokens to access the comedy cartoon online. The show will be an estimated five minutes long per episode. The tokens purchased will go toward funding future episodes of the series. Today we have part of the Stoner Cats founding team including Morgan Beller (NFX Partner), Maaria Bajwa (Sound Ventures), Mack Flavelle (CryptoKitties), and Lisa Sterbakov (Orchard Farm Productions) to discuss the origin story of the show and the new future for content creation in Hollywood. Visit the site to learn more and buy an NFT - https://www.stonercats.com/ (0:00) Introduction to The NFX Podcast and Guest Introductions (3:24) Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): Explanation and Use in Stoner Katz Project (7:19) The Genesis and Collaboration of Stoner Katz Project (15:02) The Benefits of NFTs for Creators and Artists (18:05) Unique Artwork and Community Aspect in Stoner Cat NFT Project (21:26) Risks and Potentials of Using NFTs as Access Tokens (30:59) Sponsor Message (31:33) Impact of NFT on Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry (37:13) The Process and Challenges of Content Selection in Hollywood (45:06) Balancing Control and Innovation for the Future of Technology (50:36) Closing Remarks and Podcast Outro

In this episode, James Currier interviews Ann Hiatt, discussing her experiences at Amazon, Google, and Yahoo, the importance of 'glue people' in tech, and her transition from Amazon to Google. They explore key strengths for success, characteristics of successful CEOs, and the importance of team dissent. Insights on mission statements, value-alignment hiring, and building significant companies are shared. The episode concludes with a discussion on Hiatt's book "Bet on Yourself". What few people see is that Trillion-Dollar Leadership focuses relentlessly on the “who.” Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt both aligned their companies around this question: Who are we serving and who is going to get us there? Today, Ann Hiatt (former Chief of Staff / Executive Business Partner to Bezos and then Schmidt for 14+ years) shares with NFX Partner James Currier her insider stories, analysis, and patterns of Bezos' and Schmidt's leadership principles and mental models. She gives us intimate insight to: - What crazy, long-term vision looks like, even in its earliest days- 3-part framework for value-alignment in $Trillion teams- How to hire and motivate people who will invent the future- Tthe leadership mental models she learned from working directly with Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt, for the benefit of Founders everywhere. Read the NFX essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/trillion-dollar-leadership/ (0:00) Introduction and guest background: Ann Hiatt (1:37) Ann's experience in Silicon Valley and roles at Amazon, Google, and Yahoo (8:28) The importance of networking and the role of 'glue people' in tech companies (16:57) Transition from Amazon to Google and first impressions (22:25) Key strengths for success: detail orientation, anticipation, and calm under pressure (29:16) Sponsor message (31:09) Common characteristics of successful CEOs and the importance of dissent in teams (34:21) Launch of Amazon Prime and Jeff Bezos's negotiation tactics (38:08) Insights on mission statement, hiring for value alignment, and building a significant company (42:14) Ann Hiatt's new book "Bet on Yourself" and advice on career growth (47:18) Closing remarks and the NFX philosophy

In this episode, NFX delves into Bitcoin dominance, new crypto protocol creation, and the intricacies of side chains and Ethereum smart contracts. They explore network effects in a crypto economic context, discuss the downsides of side chains, and examine the power of currency network effects. The concept of US Beller stablecoin maximalism is explored, alongside Blockstream's funding strategies and Hayekian currency competition. This is The Founders’ List – audio versions of essays from technology’s most important leaders, selected by the founder community. In this article (published in 2014) Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin challenges the Bitcoin maximalist movement a few different ways. Bitcoin maximalists believe that all other digital currencies are inferior to Bitcoin. The idea that an environment of multiple competing cryptocurrencies is undesirable and that it is both righteous and inevitable that the Bitcoin currency comes to take a monopoly position in the cryptocurrency scene. Maximalists argue that a single road—or a single cryptocurrency—will have more value because more people will have to use it. Vitalik does a deep dive into the technicals of launching a protocol, the network effects that take place, and the incentive/psychological arguments that can be had against the maximalist movement. Read the essay here - https://blog.ethereum.org/2014/11/20/bitcoin-maximalism-currency-platform-network-effects/ (0:00) Introduction to the episode (0:15) Discussion on Bitcoin dominance and new crypto protocol creation (3:15) Exploration of side chains and counterparty's Ethereum smart contracts (6:06) Analysis of network effects in a crypto economic context (13:57) Discussion on the downside of side chains and proof of stake (16:13) Examination of the power and limitations of currency network effects (18:43) Concept of US Beller stablecoin maximalism and the case against transaction fees (20:15) Incentive and psychological arguments for multiple crypto fuels (23:23) Overview of Blockstream's funding strategies and issues with crypto 2.0 companies (26:54) Discussion on Hayekian currency competition, future of volcoins, and potential issues with pre-mining and presales (29:52) Closing remarks and information about NFX podcast