The {Closed} Session
Building a company from scratch is soul-sucking and mind-numbingly hard - but it’s the best thing ever.
We know this because we’ve built a couple ourselves - and we’re building a lot more right now.
We’ve made a lot of money for our employees, our shareholders, ourselves - we’re proud of that - and that’s why we want to talk about how it’s done.
Join us - Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya - in The Closed Session, where we reveal all the joys and sorrows of company building. From the guttermost to the uttermost, we’re not going to hold back.
Latest episodes
Dec 6, 2019 • 32min
Is Tech Stingy? The Case for Doing Well *and* Doing Good
In the last episode of this season, Tom and Vivek take up the question of philanthropy and giving back in the context of tech. Are tech companies stingy? If they are, what explains it and how did we get here? Should tech companies even engage in or care about philanthropy? Least important, what's the best burrito joint in SF?
Oct 4, 2019 • 26min
How to Interview for a Startup
Sep 27, 2019 • 30min
Women in Tech
Sep 6, 2019 • 33min
Building a Kickass Product & Technology Engine
Aug 2, 2019 • 29min
Creating a Winning Culture: Must-Haves, Memes, and Tips
Jul 5, 2019 • 30min
Early Team Formation
Now that you've written the business plan and raised money, it's time to recruit your early team. In this episode, Tom and Vivek cover the do's and dont's of building a high-output team - who to hire, how to build chemistry and throughput, how to think about talent when your company is a toddler versus when it's an adolescent.
May 3, 2019 • 29min
Early-Stage Funding Do’s and Dont’s
In this episode of The Closed Session, Tom and Vivek talk about dilution, methods, mindset, benchmarks and best practices for raising investment capital for a new tech startup.
Apr 5, 2019 • 28min
The Business Plan – Why, What, and How
Mar 1, 2019 • 32min
Starting From Scratch
In episode 2 of The Closed Session, Tom and Vivek discuss the framework for starting your own company from scratch. Within this framework, there are three dimensions you should take into account; keep listening to find out what they are and to see if you have what it takes to be a tech entrepreneur.
Feb 1, 2019 • 25min
Introduction to The Closed Session
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