The {Closed} Session
Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, super{set}
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 6, 2020 • 36min
To Sell or Not to Sell
Should you sell your company—or keep building? In this episode, Tom and Vivek break down the timeless founder’s dilemma with lessons from their own exits at Rapt and Krux. They explore the frameworks entrepreneurs can use to decide, from evaluating whether you have a feature, a product, or a category to weighing investor, employee, and personal motivations. Along the way, they share candid stories of near misses, tough boardroom conversations, and what it really takes to “land the plane” when opportunity knocks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Feb 7, 2020 • 34min
And, we’re live at super{set}!
Welcome to Season 2 of The Closed Session! In this first episode of 2020, Tom and Vivek talk about the five companies super{set} launched in 2019 and the lessons they’re learning as they go.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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?
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Apr 5, 2019 • 28min
