In Depth
First Round
Welcome to In Depth, a new podcast from First Round Review that’s dedicated to surfacing the tactical advice founders and startup leaders need to grow their teams, their companies and themselves. Hosted by Brett Berson, a partner at First Round, In Depth will cover a lot of ground and a wide range of topics, from hiring executives and becoming a better manager, to the importance of storytelling inside of your organization. But every interview will hit the level of tactical depth where the very best advice is found. We hope you’ll join us. Subscribe to “In Depth” now and learn more at firstround.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
29 snips
Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 6min
Twitter's former CEO on rebuilding the web for AI | Parag Agrawal (Co-founder and CEO of Parallel)
Parag Agrawal, Co-founder and CEO of Parallel and former Twitter CEO, dives deep into the future of web infrastructure for AI. He discusses lessons learned from his Twitter days and why the web must evolve to serve AI efficiently. Agrawal highlights the importance of accuracy over speed in AI search, along with innovative API design for agent-friendly experiences. He also shares insights on hiring talent, the unique customer needs in tech, and how AI is reshaping roles in engineering. The conversation blends tech strategy with personal growth, offering a fresh perspective on AI's potential.
69 snips
Aug 6, 2025 • 1h 2min
Ignoring Silicon Valley advice to build a $3B fintech unicorn | Immad Akhund (Co-founder and CEO of Mercury)
Immad Akhund, CEO and co-founder of Mercury, a digital banking platform for startups, shares insights from his two-decade journey in entrepreneurship. He discusses the importance of strong product-market fit and the pitfalls of weak iterations. Immad also reveals Mercury's unique culture playbook that encourages intentional hiring and how trust was built during the Silicon Valley Bank crisis with the launch of Mercury Vault. His experiences highlight the need for endurance and transparency in navigating the fintech landscape.
20 snips
Aug 1, 2025 • 1h
Inside the ex-YC partner’s $15B self driving car company | Qasar Younis
Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, shares insights from his journey in the tech world. He discusses the undervalued traits of founders and reveals strategies to boost productivity by 1–3 months annually. The conversation dives into co-founder fit, lessons from Y Combinator, and how Applied Intuition developed a multi-product approach early on. Qasar also offers contrarian views on startup culture and the resurgence of domain expertise in tech, all while navigating the complex landscape of autonomous vehicles.
61 snips
Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 10min
What Braintrust got right about product-market fit | Ankur Goyal (Founder and CEO)
Ankur Goyal, Founder and CEO of Braintrust, shares his journey from dropping out of college to leading AI innovations. He discusses early lessons on software quality from MemSQL and the frustration that sparked Braintrust’s creation. Ankur reveals why they strategically delayed their market launch and dives into finding product-market fit in the AI landscape. He emphasizes that great software arises from a sense of 'paranoia,' highlighting the balance between skepticism and optimism in entrepreneurship.
42 snips
Jul 1, 2025 • 55min
How Gusto built a $9.5 billion company by identifying a burning problem
Tomer London, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Gusto, discusses his journey from helping in his father's clothing store to building a $9.5 billion payroll platform. He emphasizes the importance of hiring for humility and embracing customer rejection as a path to innovation. London shares insights on conducting scrappy customer research and why emotional urgency is crucial for product development. He reveals how Gusto evolved from payroll solutions to a multi-product platform, focusing on creating tools that truly resonate with small business owners.
43 snips
Jun 19, 2025 • 1h 41min
How rejecting conventional wisdom grew Sentry to a $3 billion company | David Cramer (Co-founder and CPO)
David Cramer, Co-founder and CPO of Sentry, made his journey from high school dropout to tech entrepreneur, creating an open-source error monitoring tool used by 90,000 companies. He shares how a single code snippet evolved into a $3 billion business. Cramer highlights the underrated power of open source, his obsession with excellence, and the importance of connecting with customers. He also offers insights on rethinking marketing strategies and competitive dynamics in the tech space, emphasizing that challenging conventions can lead to monumental success.
94 snips
Jun 10, 2025 • 1h 33min
Inside Linear: Why craft and focus still win in product building | Karri Saarinen (Co-founder and CEO)
Karri Saarinen, Co-founder and CEO of Linear, shares fascinating insights from his tech journey. He discusses his early passion for computers, and crucial lessons from his first startup failure. Karri emphasizes the value of small, focused teams and the importance of validating product ideas through genuine user feedback. He also explores the role of Finnish culture in prioritizing quality over rapid growth, and the need for a clear design vision tailored to user needs. This conversation shines a light on the essence of creating impactful software.
129 snips
May 22, 2025 • 1h 20min
How Wes Kao coaches founders to influence, lead, and get what they want | Wes Kao (Executive coach, co-founder of Maven)
Wes Kao, an executive coach and co-founder of Maven and the AltMBA, shares insights into effective leadership and communication. She introduces her 'personality-message fit' framework, debunking myths around charisma. Wes emphasizes the significance of self-awareness and authenticity in communication. She explains how to navigate the complexities of founder-executive dynamics and addresses the importance of clarity in strategic thinking. With anecdotes on raising personal standards, this conversation is a masterclass in influence and self-expression.
May 8, 2025 • 1h 15min
From reluctant founder to $2B valuation: The story of Persona | Rick Song (Co-founder and CEO)
Rick Song, co-founder and CEO of Persona, shares insights from his journey transitioning from a secure role at Square to launching a game-changing identity verification platform. He discusses the importance of skepticism in shaping early strategies and explores the challenges of scaling in competitive markets. The conversation also highlights unexpected customer validations, evolving pricing strategies, and lessons learned from his co-founder. Rick emphasizes the critical nature of product-market fit in an AI-driven world and the value of strong partnerships in entrepreneurship.
66 snips
Apr 29, 2025 • 1h
How a weekend hack became a multimillion-dollar AI startup | Adit Abraham (Co-founder & CEO at Reducto)
Adit Abraham, co-founder and CEO of Reducto, previously a Product Manager at Google and a researcher at MIT's Media Lab, shares the journey of turning a weekend hack into a multimillion-dollar AI startup. He discusses how customer insights drove a pivotal business shift towards document processing. Adit reveals the strategies behind landing significant customers, including a Fortune 10 giant, and emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships in sales. With a successful $24M Series A under their belt, he offers candid advice for founders on navigating challenges and embracing failure.
