POD OF JAKE

Preethi is an entrepreneur, engineer, writer, and student. She is the Founder of DappCamp, a cohort-based Web3 development course for Web2 developers. Preethi previously founded a company called TruStory and worked as an early software engineer at Coinbase and a Partner at a16z after beginning her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Follow Preethi on Twitter @iam_preethi. [2:16] - Preethi’s unconventional path through investment banking, VC, software development, and entrepreneurship [17:20] - Leaving a16z to follow her intuition and learn to code [28:08] - Practices and processes Preethi finds helpful as a lifelong learner [40:11] - Preethi’s experience transitioning into teaching at DappCamp [44:42] - The future of education and how Web3 and AI may change it For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠Chase Devens⁠ for the show notes and ⁠Yiction⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Scott is the Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) where he is responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. He also invests in growth-stage companies within the bio and healthcare industries. Scott originally joined Andreessen Horowitz as the first employee, joining Marc & Ben after they founded the firm. He is the author of the bestselling book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It. Follow Scott on Twitter @skupor. [1:41] - The start of Scott's career, from law school to investment banking [6:00] - The evolution of Scott's relationship with reading [10:29] - Persisting after an initial rejection from Stanford [14:05] - Scott’s role in shaping the amazing growth of a16z [17:46] - Transitioning from executing tasks to managing people [22:03] - Scott's learnings from scaling a16z from scratch [27:25] - The development of a16z's organizational design [36:30] - Going from a generalized investment fund to multiple specialized verticals [39:50] - Criteria for selecting new general partners at a16z [47:01] - The value of making media efforts as a VC firm [51:40] - Scott’s guiding principles for success in his work For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠Chase Devens⁠ for the show notes and ⁠Yiction⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Anthony is the Founder and Managing Partner of Skybridge, a global alternative investment firm. He is also the Founder and Chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Anthony is well known for his stint as the former White House Director of Communications. He has written several books and hosts a podcast called Open Book. Follow Anthony on Twitter @Scaramucci. [1:41] - Anthony’s story of resilience in work and in life [6:57] - The turning point that kickstarted Anthony’s drive to success [15:50] - Leaving his career at Goldman Sachs and betting on himself [23:06] - How Anthony approaches life, his perspective on family [28:27] - Anthony’s journey into crypto and why he believes in Bitcoin For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠Chase Devens⁠ for the show notes and ⁠Yiction⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Aswath is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at NYU where he teaches corporate finance and equity valuation. He is the author of several books on both subjects and is widely known as “The Dean of Valuation”. Follow Aswath on Twitter @AswathDamodaran. [1:41] - Aswath’s interest in finance and passion for teaching [5:53] - Why valuations are a part of every day life, not just finance [11:04] - The outsized impact of luck on investing outcomes [13:49] - Using stories of the future to determine valuations in the present [17:14] - Managing one's own biases in investing [19:21] - How to think about various valuation frameworks [21:45] - Why large swings in a company's stock price can be good times to re-asses your valuation [26:56] - How social media and modern communications impact trading volatility and what that means for investing [33:56] - The role of diversification in modern portfolios [40:01] - Aswath’s perspective on Bitcoin and Amazon For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to Chase Devens for the show notes and Yiction for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Masha is the Founder and General Partner of Day One Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that places an emphasis on leading public relations for its portfolio companies. Prior to starting Day One, Masha was a successful angel investor and the creator of a public relations studio for startups. Follow Masha on Twitter @mashadrokova. [1:36] - Social media’s role in kickstarting Masha’s career in entrepreneurship and investing [9:34] - How Masha leveraged her experience in public relations to become a successful angel investor [17:15] - Transitioning from angel investing to raising a fund [24:26] - Masha’s reflections on her successful exits [27:23] - Breaking down Day One’s approach to managing public relations for its portfolio companies [34:19] - Crafting a successful media approach in the age of social networks [40:43] - Masha’s experience working with Worldcoin and its founders [45:51] - The roadmap for Day One Ventures For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Turner is the Founder of Banana Capital, a global venture capital firm. Prior to launching Banana Capital in 2021, Turner ran all venture capital investing at Gelt VC. He writes a newsletter called “The Split” and hosts a podcast called “The Peel”. Follow Turner on Twitter @TurnerNovak [0:00] - Turner’s early interests in investing; how he ended up starting his own fund [10:31] - Growing up and building friendships on the internet [16:30] - Differences in fundraising from individual vs. institutional LPs [21:36] - The importance of evaluating founders in any startup investment [31:20] - Raising in public and Turner’s reflections on raising his first fund [44:50] - Turner’s media strategy and his new podcast, “The Peel” [55:19] - How Turner curates information & finds leverage in content [1:01:22] - The importance of understanding TikTok & the latest trends For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Sophia is a serial entrepreneur and investor who most recently launched Trust Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund. She also runs a digital course and exclusive community called Business Class through which she mentors aspiring entrepreneurs. Sophia made her entrepreneurial debut as the founder of Nasty Gal, a women’s fashion retailer which she scaled to $100M in annual revenue. She also created Girlboss Media, a professional development platform for women of the millennial generation. Sophia's best-selling autobiography, #GIRLBOSS, was adapted into a TV series of the same name by Netflix and viewed in over 100 million homes around the world. Follow Sophia on Twitter @sophiaamoruso and read the latest Trust Fund Investor Update to learn more. [0:00] - Sophia’s story & experience scaling Nasty Gal from a small eBay store into a business with $100 million in annual revenue [10:34] - Her best-selling book #GIRLBOSS, and its impact on women around the world [19:10] - Evolving from angel investing to raising her first fund, Trust Fund [27:01] - How Sophia builds excellent brands for everything she does [37:56] - The challenges of building a company culture [40:00] - Sophia’s strategy for success with Trust Fund For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Kevin is the Founding Executive Editor of Wired magazine, where he still serves as Senior Maverick. He was previously publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review. Kevin is a co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, creator of Cool Tools, and author of multiple best-selling books, including his most recent, Excellent Advice for Living. Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevin2kelly. [0:00] - Kevin's story and his lifelong interest in learning and disseminating knowledge [5:08] - Key inflection points in information-related technologies [14:49] - How to focus in a world of distraction [20:58] - Pursuing the unknown and creating uniquely [29:24] - Inventing your own definition of success [36:27] - Spending time on things you love [45:29] - Why innovation often comes from those who focus on their interests more than money For more episodes, go to podofjake.com. Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

Packy is the creator of Not Boring, the #1 Business Newsletter on Substack with over 200,000 subscribers. In addition to writing, Packy invests in early-stage startups with his fund, Not Boring Capital. He also serves as an advisor to a16z crypto. Follow Packy on Twitter @packyM. [0:00] - Packy’s journey to becoming a full-time writer [4:18] - Packy’s decision to forego business school and work for a startup instead [7:02] - Starting a newsletter and in-person business at the beginning of COVID [12:25] - How Packy’s writing has evolved since starting the Not Boring newsletter [16:00] - Modeling Not Boring after Ben Thompson and Bill Simmons’ writing [18:25] - Not Boring's innovative monetization model with sponsored posts [22:31] - Packy’s early experiences investing in startups with Not Boring Capital [29:24] - Scaling Not Boring with software platforms, AI, and people [33:10] - Why Packy does not use Twitter as much as he used to [36:55] - How social media could be made better [44:48] - What's next for Not Boring [49:12] - Why Packy believes it is important to be optimistic homeofjake.com

Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Fount, a comprehensive health and performance program backed by Founders Fund. Prior to starting Fount, Andrew led human performance and biotech strategy efforts for the U.S. military. He has worked with the Navy Seals, US National Soccer Team, and Miami Heat, among others. Andrew is also an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University where he designed and teaches Hands-on Unconventional Weapons Technology. Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewHerrBio. [0:00] - How Andrew’s family history led him to study human performance [3:29] - Andrew’s evolving perspective on athletic performance in the military [8:14] - Fount’s approach to improving human performance [15:53] - The interplay between human coaching and AI-driven coaching at Fount [18:45] - Breaking down the various components of the Fount Pro program [22:39] - How Fount is leveraging insights from individual clients to create products for the masses [26:13] - Understanding how Fount’s FlyKitt product prevents jet lag [30:21] - Wearables and other human performance products that Andrew recommends [40:40] - Andrew’s personal health and performance journey and what he does daily [46:42] - Andrew’s perspective on radically increasing human healthspan and longevity homeofjake.com