197 avsnitt • Längd: 45 min • Veckovis: Onsdag
A guide to the unique mindset and approach that drives Silicon Valley style disruption.
Build product, raise money, and scale your startup like the best. TSP hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein share practical advice based on decades of experience at Google, Uber, and their own startups.
The podcast The Startup Podcast is created by Yaniv Bernstein, Chris Saad. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Are we entering a new era of deregulation and market exuberance? Or is political instability on the horizon?
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv break down Donald Trump's surprising 2024 election win and explore the potential impacts on the tech industry, startup ecosystem, and broader economy.
They examine how Silicon Valley power players helped shape the election outcome and what a second Trump term could mean for everything from crypto regulations to AI development.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you ready to disrupt an industry and change the world? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive deep into the art of fundraising for startups, exploring how to signal value, run an effective process, and craft the perfect ask to fuel your ambitious vision.
They're joined by their own experiences raising capital to discuss the delicate dance between founders and investors in pursuit of explosive growth.
In this episode, you will:
Discover powerful signaling techniques to attract top investors
Learn how to structure an effective fundraising roadshow and process
Understand the key components of crafting your fundraising ask
Explore the delicate balance between ambition and realism in valuations
Gain insights on avoiding common pitfalls like over-capitalization
Unpack the differences between traditional business thinking and Silicon Valley startup mentality
Examine how cultural and personal factors can impact fundraising confidence
Originally published as Edu: Fundraising Basics Part 2 - Avoid Selling Yourself Short, April 2022.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Ever had someone tell you "I have this great idea for an app"? While everyone seems to have the next billion-dollar idea, the reality of startup success is far more complex than just having a clever concept.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explore the real value of ideas in startups and why execution matters more than ideation.
In this episode, you will:
Originally published as 'Edu: Early ideation - Your Idea Is Worthless', March 2022.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are autonomous vehicles about to revolutionize how we get around?
Waymo’s massive $5.6 billion funding round suggests big changes are coming to transportation and possibly to Uber’s dominance in ridesharing.
But that’s not the only tech shakeup in this episode. Chris Saad is joined by Hooman Radfar, founder of Collective, to explore how these developments, along with new moves in AI, could reshape our lives and the future of work.
Analyze Waymo's funding and its potential impact on Uber and the rideshare industry
Explore the challenges and opportunities of integrating autonomous vehicles into existing transportation networks
Examine Sam Altman's WorldCoin project and its implications for verifying human identity in an AI-driven world
Debate whether large language models like ChatGPT can truly reason or are simply regurgitating information
Consider the long-term impacts of AI on human society, work, and our relationship with technology
Discuss strategies for coexisting and aligning with increasingly advanced AI systems
Reflect on how AI and autonomous systems may reshape human identity and our role in the world
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you struggling to drive sustainable growth for your startup? Wondering how to build a high-impact growth team?
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Casey Winters, Chief Product Officer at Eventbrite and one of Silicon Valley's top growth experts. They explore the core principles of growth, common misconceptions, and practical strategies for implementing effective growth practices in your organization.
Casey shares invaluable insights from his experience leading growth at Pinterest, GrubHub, and Eventbrite, as well as advising numerous high-growth startups.
In this episode, you will:
Originally published as Edu: Growth - Stop Hacking and Start Growing w/ Casey Winters, August 2022.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you ready for a world where AI agents can autonomously make purchases and monetize their services? How will commerce and payments evolve as intelligent software agents become ubiquitous?
In this episode, Chris Saad is joined by Amir Sarhangi and Craig DeWitt, co-founders of Skyfire, to explore the cutting-edge intersection of AI, payments, and open protocols.
They discuss Skyfire's mission to become the "Visa for AI" by enabling seamless financial transactions between autonomous agents.
In this episode, you will:
Special Thanks to Llama Lounge - the #1 AI event - for introducing us to to these founders.
Learn more about the startup
Skyfire Website: https://skyfire.xyz/
Follow Amir Sarhangi on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asarhangi/
Follow Craig DeWitt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdewitt/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you ready to navigate the treacherous waters of startup investing?
Buckle up, because in this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad are diving deep into the world of bad investors. From predatory tactics to buzzword obsession, they're exposing the archetypes you need to watch out for.
In this eye-opening conversation, our hosts explore the dark side of venture capital, sharing real-world examples and practical advice for founders looking to secure funding without falling prey to these common pitfalls.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Do you wonder why some products feel magical while others fall flat?
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explore the art of product polish—the hidden details that separate mediocre products from brilliant ones. They explore how to refine a product to delight users, drive retention, and fuel rapid growth.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
What if you could build and deploy a full app in minutes, without writing a single line of code?
In this episode, Chris Saad and Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and CEO at Step, discuss the latest tech news shaping the future for founders and investors.
From crypto policy shifts to groundbreaking space tech and AI-powered coding, we explore the innovations transforming industries.
In this episode, you will:
Step Conference: https://stepconference.com/ hosted by guest Ray Dargham
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Is Tesla's latest announcement a game-changer for autonomous vehicles, or just another empty promise? As the tech world buzzes with excitement, many are left wondering if Elon Musk can deliver on his bold claims.
In this special bonus mini reacts episode of the Startup Podcast, hosts Yaniv and Chris dive deep into Tesla's recent unveiling of their new RoboTaxi, the CyberCab.
They explore the implications of this announcement and provide a critical analysis of Tesla's ambitious plans.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you struggling with decision-making bottlenecks in your fast-paced startup? Do you find your teams hesitant to bring problems to leadership? It's time to embrace the power of escalation.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein dive deep into the critical role of escalation in modern, autonomous organizations. They explore why it's essential, why it's often avoided, and how to create a culture that encourages and rewards effective escalation.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are we on the brink of a privacy apocalypse, or is this just the next step in our technological evolution? As smart glasses become more advanced, the line between helpful augmentation and invasive surveillance grows increasingly blurry.
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive into the recent hack of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses by Harvard students, exploring the implications for privacy, AI, and the future of augmented reality.
They also discuss the unexpected connection between nuclear power and AI, Mark Zuckerberg's changing public persona, and the ongoing drama in the WordPress community.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
In this remastered episode of The Startup Podcast, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad dive deep into the most critical concept for early-stage startups: execution.
The harsh truth? Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) probably sucks, but that's okay.
Chris and Yaniv break down the myths, missteps, and the right approach to iterating and refining your MVP until it becomes a product that users can’t live without.
In this episode, you will:
If you're stuck in the early stages of your startup or need help to take your MVP to the next level, this episode is for you!
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you ready for a world where AI and AR are seamlessly integrated into our daily lives?
The pace of innovation in these fields is accelerating rapidly, with major announcements from tech giants like OpenAI and Meta reshaping the landscape.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Amir Shevat dive deep into the latest developments in AI and AR, exploring their implications for startups, developers, and society at large.
In This Episode, You Will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you struggling to close deals, even when you know your product is the best fit? Do you find yourself losing to prospects who freeze up and don't make a decision at all?
In this episode, Yaniv and Chris are joined by April Dunford, author of "Obviously Awesome" and "Sales Pitch," to explore the art of crafting the perfect sales pitch.
They dive deep into why buying is hard, common pitching mistakes, and how to structure a pitch that truly resonates with your prospects.
In this episode, you will:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
In this week’s Reacts episode, Chris Saad is joined by Yaniv Bernstein to discuss the latest tech and business trends: from the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts and what it means for startups, to the shocking mass resignation at 23andMe, and the release of Snap’s new AR glasses.
Together, they break down the biggest headlines:
Stay tuned as Chris and Yaniv navigate the world of rate cuts, boardroom drama, and AR tech, uncovering how these developments will impact startups and the tech ecosystem.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
One of the toughest challenges in early-stage startups is managing employee career development. Unlike big corporations, startups thrive on chaos, ownership, and self-driven growth, meaning traditional professional development programs often fall flat.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein break down the harsh realities of career development in startups and explain why founders must rethink how they motivate and retain talent.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
Whether you're a founder feeling blindsided by employee demands or an aspiring startup employee, this episode provides invaluable insights to help you navigate the unique landscape of career growth in the startup world.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Is AI getting smarter, and what does that mean for the future of work? Plus, how is Zuckerberg's new public persona shaking things up at Meta?
In this week’s Reacts episode, Chris Saad is joined by Jordan Crook, former deputy editor at TechCrunch and current partner at Betaworks, along with Amir Shevat, a seasoned tech executive and investor.
Together, they break down the latest tech and business trends:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
In the brutal world of startups, conviction is your greatest weapon. It fuels momentum, sharpens decisions, and separates thriving startups from those that fade away.
Conviction isn’t blind faith or passion. It’s clarity of purpose and commitment to a path, even when challenges arise. Without it, you risk losing focus and becoming a "technology-backed services company" or, worse, facing a slow startup death.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explore why conviction is vital for startup survival and how founders can build, sustain, and spread it within their teams.
In this episode, you will:
Join Chris and Yaniv as they explore the nuances of conviction and provide actionable advice to help you build and maintain conviction in your startup.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Is the AI hype crashing along with Nvidia’s stock, or are we just witnessing a temporary correction in the tech sector? And what can San Francisco, a city already living in the future, tell us about where innovation is heading?
Join Chris Saad and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, in this week’s Reacts episode as they break down the latest movements in the tech world:
Stay tuned as they dive into what these developments mean for founders, investors, and the future of innovation.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
What if one perfect slide could get you funded?
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein reveal the pitch deck formula that can turn investor skepticism into funding.
Whether it’s the top 9 pitch secrets or the one slide that seals the deal, they break down every element to help you avoid critical mistakes and win investor trust.
In this episode, you will:
Originally published as 'Edu: Fundraising Basics Part 3 - Crafting your pitch', April 2022.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
What can startup founders learn from bold leadership moves and the challenges of navigating regulatory landscapes?
Join Chris Saad, Amir Shevat, Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, and Yaniv Bernstein in this week’s Reacts episode as they unpack the latest maneuvers shaping the tech world:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Crafting a winning pitch isn't just about what you say—it's about how you say it.
Founders often make stylistic mistakes that can sabotage their chances with investors, even if they have a great product or idea. What are these subtle yet critical errors, and how can you avoid them to secure the funding you need?
In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad are joined by Henry Innis, Co-Founder at Mutinex, to uncover the top 10 fatal stylistic mistakes founders make in their pitches.
They explore why these mistakes can signal inexperience or misunderstanding to potential investors and how to communicate more effectively to build trust and interest.
In this episode, you will:
Learn what investors are looking for in a pitch from firsthand stories and practical advice from Henry Innis on navigating the investor landscape.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Yuhki Yamashita, one of the world's top product design disruptors and Chief Product Officer at Figma, returns in this bonus episode to continue the conversation on how AI is revolutionizing the design landscape.
The impact of AI on product design is becoming increasingly profound. But what does this mean for the future of designers and interfaces? And how can startups leverage AI to build products faster and more effectively?
In this bonus episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein dive deeper with Yuhki Yamashita to explore the transformative potential of AI in product design.
In this episode, you will:
If you want to expand on his insights from the previous episode, click here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dBA0jtNLyRimRZFL9cwZ5?si=023892f06e084688
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Can the aggressive fundraising tactics in Silicon Valley, Lynch’s mysterious yacht conspiracy, and the arrest of Telegram’s CEO help us navigate tech’s hidden dynamics of power and control?
Join Chris Saad and Amir Shevat in this week’s Reacts episode as they reveal the most recent complex power plays within the tech industry:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Product design is more than just an aesthetic choice—it's a strategic asset. But many founders unknowingly sabotage their products by overlooking key design principles. How can you avoid these common pitfalls and ensure your startup stands out?
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are joined by Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer at Figma, the world’s leading design tool, to explore the critical role of design in building successful startups.
In this episode, you can:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Raising capital in today's market is tough, but navigating these challenges with the right strategy can make all the difference. In this week's episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad tackle: How you raise money in a volatile market? Why are female founders facing even steeper hurdles in securing funding? And how can AI reshape both startups and the future of education?
In this episode, they dive into:
Listener Questions Answered:
Mark Orchard (CEO of Planet Startup): "What’s the best way to approach fundraising in this tricky market?"
Toby Tank (Salient): "Why are female founders getting less funding, and what can we do about it?"
Nishita Seeker (LinkedIn): "How should you brand your product after launching an MVP?"
Nicholas: "How will AI be integrated into the education system, and what should we consider for the future?"
Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode will equip you with the insights you need to navigate the complexities of fundraising, branding, and embracing AI in your startup journey.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Can the latest Trump-Musk interview, Tesla’s RoboTaxi delay, and VC backlash against the FTC trigger a shift in tech innovation?
Join Chris Saad and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, in this week’s Reacts episode as they explore how these political developments might reshape the industry.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
In today's fast-paced digital world, capturing and retaining attention is the most valuable currency for startups. But how can you thrive in a hypercompetitive landscape where rejection is the default response?
In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad are joined by Ben Parr, acclaimed author of Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention, to dive deep into the attention economy.
In this episode, they explore:
More on Ben Parr’s Info- Book and Newsletter
Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention:
The AI Analyst: https://www.benparr.com/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Can the executive shakeup at OpenAI and a historic antitrust ruling against Google reshape the future of AI and tech innovation?
Dive into this week’s Reacts episode as Chris Saad and Amir Shevat explore these shifts and their ripple effects across the industry.
Join us for expert insights and in-depth analysis of these pivotal developments impacting the tech landscape.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
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Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Ready to raise your seed round but unsure how to de-risk for investors? Discover strategies to avoid pitfalls and secure early-stage funding confidently.
In this week's episode, our experts hosts Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad explore:
Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode will share the insights needed to de-risk your seed round and optimize your valuation for future success.
TSP Podcasts Episodes on Fundraising to Explore:
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Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Could the launch of SearchGPT by OpenAI and Meta's AI Bots for creators redefine search engines and social media engagement?
Discover how these advancements will reshape the tech landscape in this week's Reacts episode, packed with the latest AI updates.
Join Ben Parr and Jeremiah Owyang as they discuss with Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein:
Tune in for insights on these groundbreaking developments and their impact on the industry.
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Are you shipping faster than you learn, or learning faster than you ship? Learn the risks of practicing "agile" theater and iterating your product without direction.
On this week's episode, product legend John Cutler joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
If you're ready to get things done while avoiding iterative dead-ends, this episode is for you.
Book Recommendation Link: https://a.co/d/f4NWJDA
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Could the rise of Kamala Harris as the new Democratic candidate impact the tech industry in significant ways?
Find out how her presidency, Crowdstrike's massive outage, and Sam Altman's UBI experiment could shape the future of your tech startup in this week's insightful Reacts episode.
On this week's episode, Ben Parr and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, join Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
President Harris: Her potential impact on Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry if she becomes President.
Crowdstrike's Massive Outage: Analysis of the causes and implications of their recent outage on big tech and Fortune 500 companies.
Sam Altman's UBI Experiment: The results and implications of his UBI experiment, which gave $1,000 per month to low-income individuals for three years.
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The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
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Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
A strong co-founder relationship is crucial for any startup. Learn how to determine the ideal number of founders and understand the distinctions between roles and titles.
Also, Chris and Yaniv explain what you must know about:
The pros and cons of going solo vs. multiple founders.
CEOs and Founders and the distinction between roles and responsibilities.
Considerations on equity splits and vesting schedules.
Co-CEO conflicts and what to do about them.
How to manage breakups between founders gracefully when the relationship doesn’t work anymore.
If you’re looking to have an effective founding team, this episode is packed with strong advice from personal experiences from Chris and Yaniv.
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There's only one big topic in the headlines this week – the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. What will it mean for the future of tech?
On this week's episode, Elli Hanson joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
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Angel investing is a high-risk, high-reward investment option. But is it right for your portfolio?
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Whether you're looking to grow your investment portfolio or weighing funding options for your own startup, this episode is packed with essential information to help you navigate the complex world of angel investing.
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Could the rise of robotics lead to reduced immigration in Western countries? Learn about the latest events that will affect your tech startup in this week's politically charged Reacts episode.
Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss:
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Impostor syndrome plagues many founders – but why? Founder and podcaster Mike Scott shares his own journey and the practical tools he's developed to overcome imposter syndrome.
In this episode, Mike Scott (SMB Mastery, 'How to be Moderately Successful') joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
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Who are the winners and losers from this week in AI? Learn how Perplexity, Google, Facebook, and the state of California are handling (or not handling) the latest developments in tech.
In this week's episode, Amir Shevat and Emil Michael join Yaniv to discuss:
Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion of the philosophical, technological, and regulatory challenges of AI.
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Do you really understand sales? Learn how great startups grow from founder led origins to dynamic regional teams while maintaining a shared company DNA.
In this episode, sales team hyper-scalers Matt Loop (Rippling, Slack, LinkedIn, Salesforce) and Matt Plank (Rippling, Zenefits) explain how to build a sales team that doesn't suck.
Matt, Matt, and Yaniv discuss:
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What lies at the intersection of 'diversity' and 'meritocracy'? Learn how Silicon Valley insiders defy polarized pop narratives to build talented teams with diverse perspectives.
In this week's episode, Amir Shevat joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
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Why is optimizing your ops crucial for startup success? Learn how your business can better bridge the gap between software and operations.
On today's show, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Tune in for an episode packed with concrete, actionable advice for founders looking to scale their operations and ensure the smooth running of their businesses.
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Is marketing more art than science? Should VC-backed startups push for profitability?
Learn from Eucalyptus founder Tim Doyle as he tackles two highly debated topics in the startup world:
Don't miss Tim’s refreshing and spicy takes on running a high-growth venture-backed business, developing effective marketing strategies, and the real economics of venture funds.
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Are Amazon workers fighting the inevitable? Learn how founders, investors and industry leaders are responding to the big trends in AI.
In this week's episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
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How do the best founders build exceptional teams? Learn how a practical approach to HR can transform the culture at your startup.
In this episode, Patty McCord, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix and author of 'Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility,' shares her wisdom on fostering a high-performance culture.
Patty, Yaniv and Chris discuss:
This is a long episode, but worth every minute of your time. Don't miss it!
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Do we dare to imagine: what if Siri was actually good?
In this week's episode, tech insiders Elli Hanson and Amir Shevat join Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
Don't miss these crucial insights for founders, investors and industry leaders!
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What happens when your product has succeeded and you're finally ready to explore those adjacencies? Find out how to take your startup to the next level.
In this episode, Tim Doyle, founder of brand engine Eucalyptus (and subsidiary healthcare brands Pilot, Kin, Software, Normal, and Juniper), joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss the process of expanding your business into new products, markets, and demographics.
Topics include:
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What's happened to B2B SaaS – and will NVIDIA eat OpenAI's lunch? Learn the latest movements in tech startups from industry insiders.
In this week's episode, Chris, Emil and Yaniv discuss:
Don't miss these crucial insights for founders, investors and industry leaders!
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Why do big, established companies struggle when faced with disruption from agile startups?
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explain:
Whether you're an entrepreneur, business leader, or just curious about the forces shaping today's market, this episode offers practical strategies and expert analysis to help you stay ahead of the curve.
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This is a Sponsor Showcase episode, sponsored by Vanta.
Security and compliance are so important. But as a founder, sometimes they can seem like an expensive distraction.
What if we told you there are ways to massively reduce the cost of building strong security in your product? And even better, to turn that investment into a selling point to help scale your business?
In this episode of TSP, Yaniv is joined by Nathan Miller from scale-up phenomenon Dovetail and Rob White from Airtree, one of Australia’s leading VCs to talk about the power of Vanta to do exactly that.
Listen in to learn:
💡Why it’s so important to get on top of security and compliance early in your startup’s journey.
💡What Vanta does and how it works.
💡Using Vanta to meet customer expectations, gain a competitive edge, and unlock sales into to larger enterprises.
💡How much time and effort can be saved by using Vanta–and how much you can expect your compliance efforts to cost.
Go to https://vanta.com/tsp to learn more and to get USD$1,000 off Vanta’s offering.
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Can NVIDIA keep their unprecedented run going?
Learn what's driving their stunning earnings – and whether they're really on track to become the biggest company in the world.
In this week's episode, Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, and Yaniv Bernstein discuss:
Don't miss this packed agenda of insightful discussions on artificial intelligence and its impact on the tech industry.
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Are you struggling to fund your startup? Learn how to make your idea investable – and avoid the fearsome 'zombie zone'.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss:
Don't miss out – tune in now to gain valuable insights into the complexities of startup funding and growth!
(You can find Yaniv's LinkedIn post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ybernstein_read-this-post-to-understand-venture-capital-activity-7190839571901739008-ULkl/)
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Two-time unicorn founder Jason Cohen (WP Engine, Smart Bear) returns to discuss his Twitter 'koans', exploring their implications for founders.
In this bonus episode, Yaniv Bernstein, Chris Saad, and Jason Cohen discuss:
Tune in for an engaging conversation that offers fun and valuable insights for entrepreneurs!
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How can Google avoid Google+ 2.0? Learn who will win the AI Game of Thrones – and why branding is only one piece of the puzzle.
In this week's episode, Amir Shevat and Yaniv Bernstein discuss:
Tune in to learn more about the ongoing evolution in how tech companies operate, present themselves, and manage threats – within and without.
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Are you planning your founder career in a meaningful way?
Two-time unicorn founder Jason Cohen (WP Engine, Smart Bear) joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss how self-knowledge can lead to a founder journey that's right for you.
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Missed this week's duelling announcements from OpenAI and Google? Catch up on ChatGPT 4o, AI Search, and Project Astra, as our insiders discuss how they'll reshape the tech world.
In this week's Reacts episode, insiders Chris Saad, Yaniv Bernstein, and Elli Hanson discuss:
Tune in now to equip yourself with the insights you'll need to navigate this evolving AI landscape.
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Is your product management approach clashing with real-world demands?
Product expert John Cutler – author of the long-running newsletter The Beautiful Mess and former product evangelist at Amplitude – returns to the podcast to discuss different approaches to product management, and where they might help (or hinder) your business.
Learn about:
This week's discussion got spicy! Don't miss out.
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Is your startup prepared for the next US election? Learn about the forces driving today’s tech giants and tomorrow’s political landscape.
In this week's Reacts episode, insiders Chris Saad, Yaniv Bernstein, and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, cover:
Tune in for a compelling discussion that could reshape your understanding of where technology and politics intersect.
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Is firing a founder CEO ever the right move? Learn about how startup founders and their boards can work together effectively to avoid the worst.
In this week's episode of The Startup Podcast, hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explain:
Tune in for the full discussion on the delicate balance of power between a startup's founder CEO and their board.
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Why didn't Rabbit R1 and Humane AI live up to the hype? Learn how even the biggest names in tech – from TikTok to Tesla – can falter.
In this week's Reacts episode, insiders Yaniv Bernstein, Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, and Leah Mahtani discuss:
Don't miss this timely and controversial discussion!
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Do your plans stand strong when things go wrong?
Hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss the concept of 'graceful degradation' and its critical role in planning for a robust business. They share tips on:
This episode is packed with great advice for anyone looking to enhance their decision-making framework and ensure their business remains agile and resilient.
Tune in to learn how to protect your vision and make pragmatic choices in the face of adversity.
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Australia’s startup ecosystem is about to be hit by an asteroid of awesomeness, and hardly anybody is talking about it.
Learn why the recent Canva secondary round means Australia finally has its own “mafia” to rival the PayPal, Google, and Facebook mafias—and what it means for tech in Australia.
Also in this bonus Aussie Q&A episode: how to think about SAFE notes as a local founder or investor.
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The insiders return this week to discuss the latest in AI startups:
💡 Investments and Optimism: A16z's huge raise suggests an optimistic outlook for tech IPOs.
🤖 Electric Atlas: Boston Dynamics' latest robot raises questions about the future of robotics, but does it have real world utility?
🍏 Siri's Major Update: Siri has the potential for transformative updates, including multi-modal interactions and integration across Apple devices like AR glasses, enhancing Apple's AI strategy.
🔍 Meta's Open-Source Strategy: Uncover Meta's strategy behind open-sourcing their powerful LLAMA3 language model, aiming to challenge mobile giants and fuel innovation.
🧬 OpenCRISPR AI: Explore the groundbreaking developments in DNA editing by OpenCRISPR, examining the promising and risky potential of AI in medicine and material sciences.
Make sure to join Chris Saad, Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, and Amir Shevat for an in-depth discussion on how these innovations are shaping our world.
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Are you protecting your superpower? 🦸
In this Listener Q&A, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
🧠 Expanding Your Engineering Mindset: How to gain empathy and strengthen your team with diverse skill sets.
🎯 Building Valuable Products: Focus on solving real customer problems with strategic feature prioritization.
🚀 Crafting Ambitious Yet Grounded Pitches: Find the balance between a startup vision that's aspirational and grounded in practical plans.
🔗 Aligning Product and Company Strategy: Develop a clear, agreed-upon company strategy with a strong leadership stance.
💼 Fostering Cross-Departmental Empathy: Bridge understanding between finance and product teams to enhance collaboration.
🛠️ Practical Founding Advice: Aim high but stay realistic, focusing on iterative strategy and empathetic communication.
Don't miss out on these invaluable insights!
Tune in now and hear the answers you need to navigate the complexities of the startup world.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
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Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders return this week to explore the rapidly evolving world of AI startups:
🤖 AI Company Trends at Y Combinator: More startups are branding themselves as AI-focused during Demo Day, regardless of their true engagement with the technology.
🧠 Competing AI Models: New AI models are challenging GPT-4, like Claude 3 Opus and Mistral. Will one player come to dominate the market?
🍏 Tech Giants and AI: How Google and Apple's rich consumer data and device integration give them an edge in AI innovation.
🔄 VCs Make Amends: The insiders reflect on venture capitalists apologizing to previously criticized founders and the shifting perspectives in societal outrage.
🚗 Tesla's Troubles: A look at Tesla's workforce cuts, sales declines, and how Elon Musk's actions have impacted the company.
Tune in to form your own opinions on the future of technology and entrepreneurship.
Don't miss out—watch the full episode now! 🎧
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Could bootstrapping be your golden ticket to success?💡
This week, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Rob Walling, a seasoned entrepreneur with a wealth of startup wisdom to share.
Rob Walling is an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster known for his contributions to the startup ecosystem. He is the co-founder of TinySeed, the first startup accelerator designed for bootstrappers, and he also co-founded Drip, an email marketing automation platform for ecommerce businesses, which was later acquired by Leadpages.
Alongside his entrepreneurial ventures, Rob is the host of the popular podcast "Startups for the Rest of Us," where he shares insights and advice for founders building and growing startups outside the traditional Silicon Valley model.
Together, they dive deep into the critical aspects of startups like:
The importance of ambition and risk-taking in startup ventures 🚀
Understanding the different paths to success: bootstrapping vs. venture capital 💼
Factors to consider when deciding the trajectory of your startup, including market size and scalability 📈
Exploring the dichotomy between problem-focused founders and outcome-focused entrepreneurs 🎯
The influence of personal background and psychology on entrepreneurial decision-making 💭
Ready to gain valuable insights into building successful startups?
Don't miss out on the full episode - tune in now! 🎧
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
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The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
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Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders return this week to discuss the latest strides in Google's AI innovations:
Google unveiled groundbreaking AI advancements at Cloud Next, showcasing Gemini 1.5's impressive capabilities.
Their focus on enterprise AI customers signals a strategic shift for Google.
Updates to Vertex and Google Workspace introduce new AI features, enhancing productivity and model-building.
The revelation of the "XZ backdoor" vulnerability underscores the risks inherent in open-source software.
Despite initial lag, Google's methodical AI approach reflects their commitment to leveraging strengths responsibly.
Google's poised to dominate enterprise AI, but vigilance is crucial amid AI and open-source pitfalls.
This conversation illuminates both the promise and perils of AI, emphasizing responsible innovation.
Don't miss this episode! Tune in now to explore the world of AI and enterprise technology. 🎙️🔍
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Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Follow us on YouTube
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Growth Marketer & Associate Producer: Lautaro Diaz Mella
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Last week we had Clementine Jacoby on the podcast to discuss enterprise sales.
Chris was unfortunately unwell. But he’s back! And he’s ready for round 2!
This week with Yaniv Bernstein they discuss:
- How enterprise customers' demands can disrupt product roadmaps.
- Why underestimating costs of custom work for enterprises can be costly.
- How partnering with champion customers fosters customization within a product-led framework.
- Educating customers on best practices ensures long-term product sustainability.
- Balancing power between sales and product teams is crucial for roadmap decisions.
- Managing enterprise relationships requires strong product leadership and discipline.
This is a must watch sequel to last week’s entertaining episode with Clementine. You do not have to have listened to the previous episode to understand the topics discussed today. Don’t miss out on another masterclass with Chris and Yaniv!
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Growth Marketer & Associate Producer: Lautaro Diaz Mella
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders return this week to discuss some developments including:
SBF’s 25 year sentence as repercussion for FTX legal and ethical misdeeds. Is 25 years for a white collar crime too long?
The tech titans (Apple, Google, Facebook and X) are taking over as media giants concerning the insiders over journalistic ethics versus commercial interests
Latest AI tech trends – where should we be investing amid the challenge of discerning viable ideas?
The current issues facing product management - Will it survive?
Elon Musk’s recent takedown of Don Lemon
Don't miss out on this action-packed episode. Listen to the full episode now! 🌐✨
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders are back to unpack the latest news in the tech ecosystem.
Joining them this week is Kimberly Marshall, she is an investor and advisor in early stage companies and venture capital funds. Previously she helped build Uber, built the EdTech investing strategy at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and built the Black and Latinx investing strategy for Goldman Sachs.
Together with Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein they discuss:
• Reddit's IPO: The team explores the intricacies of Reddit's IPO pricing and subsequent market performance, sparking debates on its revenue potential.
• Microsoft's Acquisition: Analyze Microsoft's strategic $650M acquisition of Inflection AI, navigating antitrust concerns while bolstering its AI capabilities.
• Big Tech Dominance: Explore the challenges startups face in competing with tech giants in the AI realm, hindered by resource discrepancies.
• Limitations of LLMs: Uncover the potential and limitations of LLMs and their integration complexities for startups.
• Future of LLMs: Discuss the evolving landscape of LLMs and their potential to revolutionize app generation, posing both opportunities and challenges.
• AI in Devices: Examine the significance of client-side machine learning in shaping the future of "AI-native" devices beyond mere marketing claims.
Watch the full episode for in-depth insights and analysis of the most important tech developments this week! 🌐🔍
Episode Links
Reach out to Kimberly on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlynmarshall/
Follow Kimberly on X at: https://twitter.com/KimberlyMar12
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Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Are you really answering the right question?
Do you find that your solutions to the problems you’re facing are not working?
Don’t fear, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are here to steer your startup towards success. Together they discuss the essential strategies of not falling victim to the substitution heuristic.
Misguided Priorities: Explore how founders often prioritize fundraising and publicity over solving core customer problems, leading to convoluted results.
The Right Sequence: Learn the importance of solving customer problems first, scaling the solution, and then monetizing, avoiding the pitfalls of reverse engineering.
Strategies for Success: Uncover practical tips for founders, including accountability partnerships, documenting assumptions and metrics, and maintaining focus on core objectives.
The Role of Advisors: Understand how advisors can serve as critical checkpoints, helping founders realign when they veer off course and guiding them towards answering the right questions.
Cultivating Effective Habits: Embrace the significance of developing habits and routines to combat distraction and avoid falling prey to substitution fallacies.
Watch the full episode to equip yourself with the knowledge and insights needed to navigate startup challenges and prioritize effectively! 🚀🔍
The Pact
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders are back to unpack the latest news in the tech ecosystem.
Joining them this week is Amir Shevat - early stage startup investor and author.
Together they discuss:
OpenAI Marketplace Dynamics: The quartet explores the current state of the OpenAI marketplace for GPT models and predictions for its future growth and utility.
Apple's Potential Collaboration with Google: The insiders discuss rumors about Apple's discussions with Google regarding the utilization of Google's AI model, Gemini, and the strategic implications.
NVIDIA's Groundbreaking Tensor GPU Chips: Discover the impact of NVIDIA's new Tensor GPU chips on AI advancement, balancing progress with concerns about supplier concentration.
Insights from Sam Altman’s Interview On Lex Friedman: Gain valuable perspectives on OpenAI governance challenges and the evolving landscape of AI, including its potential impact on jobs and individual privacy.
Don’t miss another action-packed episode!
Stay up to date with the latest tech developments.
Episode Links
Reach out to Amir on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirshevat/
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Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
It’s finally happened.
We held our first LIVE session.
And who else better to guest star than previous special guest of the podcast Nir Zavaro.
Nir is currently in Australia promoting his book “F*ck The Slides!” and together with Yaniv Bernstein shared more nuggets of information.
Together the duo discussed:
The Power of the Hook: Learn how to craft a succinct 70-word hook followed by a compelling 2-3 minute pitch that grabs attention from the start.
Slide Decks Done Right: Explore different types of slide decks, from the pre-meeting "toilet deck" to in-person support slides, but remember, storytelling reigns supreme over slides.
Pitching Framework: Discover a structured approach to pitching, including a captivating hook, emotionally charged paragraphs, and controlled repetition for maximum impact.
Emotion Drives Investment: Understand how evoking emotion in your audience, coupled with a fear of missing out, can sway investors in your favor.
Practical Tips and Exercises: Get hands-on advice, including crafting attention-grabbing stories and recording pitches for continuous improvement.
Don’t miss this episode if you’re wanting to learn more about storytelling, wanting to level up your pitch deck or currently fundraising!
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Feeling overwhelmed with tech developments happening around the globe?
Don’t worry! Tech insiders, Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are here to break through the noise and provide a deep-dive on the most important topics from the last week.
Together they discuss:
Princess Kate Photo Controversy: The insiders react to the fallout from a manipulated photo of Princess Kate, sparking discussions about the challenges of trusting AI-altered images in today's digital landscape.
TikTok's Uncertain Future in the US: The trio share their thoughts surrounding the potential ban of TikTok over national security concerns, weighing the app's popularity against security risks and the need for consistent policy.
Apple's Massive Fine from the EU: The insiders discuss more about the EU's $2 billion fine imposed on Apple for alleged anti-competitive practices in its App Store, fueling debates over fair competition, ecosystem profits, and the role of monopolies.
Watch the full episode for in-depth insights and analysis of the most important tech developments this week! 🌐🔍
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Startups cannot survive without a runway…
Unless they’ve reached escape velocity.
Haven’t reached takeoff? Wondering how you keep your startup on track? Chris and Yaniv are here to help you through the tough times
Together they discuss:
Runway refers to how long a startup can operate with its current resources before shutting down. It depends on cash, burn rate, and other factors like loss of interest or personal commitments.
Becoming cash flow positive is not the same as becoming sustainably viable. Startups need "escape velocity" to become viable in the long run.
A founder's personal runway, like their financial situation and family commitments, impacts the startup's runway. Founders with more cushion have longer personal runways, benefitting their startups.
Founders should continually provide value and work to extend runway. They should start fundraising well before needing money.
Putting a startup into "hibernation" by eliminating costs can extend runway. But momentum is hard to regain, especially for simple SaaS startups. Hibernation often only works for startups with tech or intellectual property.
When considering hibernation, founders should make rational decisions, not emotional ones to save the startup. They should consider realistic success chances given the situation.
Stay on track while you reach escape velocity - tune into this episode to learn how!
The Pact
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Leverage.
It’s a powerful ally in a startup founder’s itinerary to success.
But how can you harness it in your day-to-day life?
This week Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are here to walk you through how you can master leverage to supercharge your startup!
Together they discuss:
Software & Automation: Explore how tech companies harness low-cost replication and distribution for exponential success.
Financial Leverage: Delve into the impact of venture capital and debt, enabling founders to amplify resources beyond their means.
Labor Efficiency: Learn the art of delegating tasks to optimize time for high-impact activities, maximizing productivity.
Content Distribution: Uncover strategies for leveraging content to reach vast audiences at minimal cost, driving growth.
Avoiding Pitfalls: Identify common pitfalls like custom software development and micromanagement that can undermine leverage.
Software Dynamics: Understand the nuanced role of software in businesses, transcending the notion of being a "software company."
Optimizing Workflow: Embrace assistants and automation to streamline operations, freeing up time for strategic endeavors.
Unlock the secrets to leveraging software, capital, people, and content for unparalleled growth.
Tune in to this insightful episode and propel your business to new heights! 🌟📈
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Emil is out this week from the Insider trio so Yaniv and Chris welcome special guest Alireza Ali to discuss the hottest developments in the tech industry this week.
Ali is currently the co-founder and partner at Blue Dot who specializes in AI strategy and implementation consulting services. He previous founded another AI startup and has worked at Google for 11 years, some of which as a Tech Lead.
Together, this week’s trio discusses:
🌌OpenAI's Sora
🧠Groq's AI chip
💥Gemini's competitive 1.5 release
📈AI Startup Trends
Stay up with the latest developments in the AI scene.
Do not miss this episode!
Episode Links:
Checkout Ali’s work at Blue Dot: theblue.earth
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Founders are the linchpin of a startup.
They are the central foci, the lifeblood.
The buck stops with them.
But how can you tell the difference between a good and a bad founder? And how can you avoid being a bad one?
Don’t worry, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are here this week to discuss 9 differences between good and bad founders, based on a recent article Chris wrote.
The differences are:
🔍 Good founders focus on solving important problems for customers while bad founders mainly concentrate on fundraising and profits.
🧠 Good founders hire smart people who challenge them, while bad founders like to be the smartest person in the room and just give orders.
🔮 Good founders have a vision as well as pragmatism. Bad founders either have no vision or cannot execute pragmatically.
🎯 Good founders put customers first, clearly communicate their vision to investors and choose investors who believe in them. Bad founders change plans to please investors.
❤️ Good founders treat employees with empathy but make tough decisions when needed. Bad founders don't care about their people.
🏛️ Good founders build a culture where the right decisions can be made without them. Bad founders micromanage everything.
🚀 Good founders aim for growth and scale. Bad founders just focus on short-term survival.
Listen to the full episode to hear the other 2 differences!
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Today we have a special bonus interview.
The tables have turned and Yaniv finds himself being interviewed by Ben Wirtz.
Together the duo discuss:
🚀 Early Leadership Lessons: Yaniv's Google journey began with an early leadership role, emphasizing efficiency and effective communication.
🎓 Inspiration from Mentors: Insights from Oliver Heckman instilled high standards and fostered a culture of psychological safety, nurturing Bernstein's leadership skills.
💡 Innovative Problem-Solving: Yaniv's penchant for questioning norms and proposing efficient solutions is tempered by occasional oversight of details.
🤔 Navigating Tough Decisions: Addressing employee departures, while challenging, often signifies overdue actions and can be approached objectively.
❤️ Empathetic Leadership: Yaniv advocates for empathetic leadership, setting clear expectations, and fostering accountability through inquiry.
⚖️ Balancing Priorities: Early leaders must showcase value beyond mere activity, establishing boundaries without coming across as irritable.
🧘 Managing Stress: Yaniv underscores the importance of self-care amidst professional demands, advocating for a balanced approach to work and life.
🎁 Embracing Feedback: Viewing feedback as a gift, Yaniv emphasizes its delivery with good intentions, despite potential challenges in its reception.
See a side of Yaniv that is not often highlighted in the podcast episodes.
Watch it today!
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
$7 TRILLION!?!
It’s the number everyone has been talking about this week.
Here to break down the latest tech news are the insiders: Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein.
This week they discuss:
💰💡🤔Sam Altman's Ambitious Bid: Rumors swirl around Altman's purported $7 trillion funding quest for a new AI chip company, sparking debates on its feasibility and strategic implications.
🚀💻🏆NVIDIA's Dominance: With NVIDIA's AI chip dominance in mind, Altman's move is seen as a potential counterforce, highlighting the competitive dynamics in the tech landscape.
🏢💼🔍Adam Neumann's WeWork Saga: Neumann's attempt to reclaim WeWork prompts reflections on the blurred lines between tech innovation and property management.
📉💼💡Lyft's Earnings Mishap: The hosts dissect Lyft's rollercoaster stock performance following a glaring earnings blunder, underscoring the importance of operational competence.
🌟💼📈Founder Ambitions vs. Reality: Balancing visionary goals with practical execution is a central theme, with examples illustrating the delicate interplay between ambition and feasibility.
Tune in to gain insights into the complexities of startup ambitions and the realities of building successful ventures. Don't miss out on this enlightening discussion! 🎙️✨
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The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Hybrid work.
One of the biggest points of contention in the tech startup landscape right now.
Some startups seem to thrive with the arrangement while others suffer culture implosion and perish.
Navigating the post-COVID work landscape involves grappling with the challenges and opportunities of hybrid work setups.
Don’t worry, this week, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are here to discuss what you need to know to allow your team to flourish no matter the circumstance:
🤝💼🚗In-person Work: Fosters teamwork but poses challenges like high costs and commuting issues.
🏠💻💰Remote Work: Offers access to talent and cost savings but may lack the vibrancy of in-person interactions.
🎯📊🏢Strategic Design: Companies must intentionally choose and design their work style to avoid the pitfalls of a disorganized approach.
🔄📅📝Hybrid Model: Requires clear policies on remote vs. in-office work, meeting schedules, and event planning to optimize productivity and collaboration.
⚖️✅🗣️Tradeoffs and Benefits: While each approach has its pros and cons, intentional decision-making and effective communication are paramount for success.
Tune in to the full episode to explore insightful discussions on the nuances of hybrid work and discover strategies for creating a productive and inclusive work environment in today's dynamic landscape.
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Should Congress apologize to Mark Zuckerberg?
If you haven’t been living under a rock recently, major tech company CEOs have been hauled into Congress to discuss child safety and moderation on their platforms.
What does it mean?
Is Congress right to really drill down on these CEOs?
What else could Congress be doing to really change the current climate to protect our kids while also protecting democracy and free speech?
To debate the hottest topic in tech this week is Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein.
Together the insiders discuss:
⚖️The balance between regulation and platform benefits
👀Excessive oversight
🛡️🔍Accountability of tech companies for harmful content amplified by algorithms and the role of regulation in addressing these issues
🧪🦠The Lab Leak Theory
Don’t miss this SPICY episode.
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Startup founders are often preached to follow neat frameworks and one-size fits all prescriptions.
Here to say “embrace the mess” is John Cutler. John is a well-respected thought leader in the startup world. He is currently the Senior director responsible for product enablement at Toast. John has previously held the position of product evangelist at Amplitude and numerous product management roles over his fascinating career arc. Most importantly, John is the author of the long running newsletter “The Beautiful Mess” where he posts prolifically to his followers about product development.
This week, John joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
John’s fascinating career arc
🔄Reverse Anna Karenina Principle and how it applies to startups
🌀Dysfunctional teams and key anti-patterns associated
🕵️♂️Finding the right people
🧠Deriving views from first principles
🌐Non-Silicon Valley Startup operators unique perspective
⏳💔Startups dying slowly vs dying quickly
🚀📚Putting reps in at a startup vs consuming content
This episode is jam-packed with product knowledge and will get you reconsidering your perspectives on startups.
Episode Links
Subscribe to John’s Newsletter: https://cutlefish.substack.com/
Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpcutler/
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Taylor Swift on a startup podcast?
It’s not for her ERAS tour, nor is it for the Kansas City Chiefs upcoming Super Bowl game.
Listen to the insiders discuss the biggest developing stories this week:
🚀 Navigating the Volatile Fundraising Landscape:
A challenging fundraising environment in 2023 post-tech bubble burst, characterized by high rates and volatility.
Optimism surfaces in 2024, but with caution—expectations of smaller valuations and round sizes.
Founders urged to prioritize metrics like CAC, retention, and product-market fit. Revenue requirements for early startups scrutinized, except for late seed/Series A stages.
👤 Deepfake Controversies Unveiled:
Taylor Swift Deep Fakes spotlight the negative impacts of generative AI, posing threats to politics, culture, and celebrity realms.
The necessity of regulatory measures discussed; challenges arise in distinguishing between parody and harm.
Importance stressed on moderation and provenance tracking, as brute force solutions like blocking Taylor Swift searches prove ineffective and lack nuance.
Don’t miss out on the latest from The Startup Podcast - join The Pact.
The Pact
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
There’s a fair bit of sentiment in the startup community at the moment purporting that B2B2C is better. Chris believes it is not.
Joining Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein on The Startup Podcast to discuss their startup as a case-study is special guest Matt Holme, CEO and Founder of YouPay.
YouPay is an ecommerce payment platform that pivoted from B2B to B2C over its lifetime.
Together they discuss:
🚀 YouPay's Evolution:
Starting as a B2B platform facilitating payment for others' shopping carts, YouPay faced scalability challenges relying on ecommerce stores.
💡 B2C Pivot and Realizations:
Adapting to challenges, YouPay pivoted to a B2C model, selling directly to creators and fans, realizing the limitations of the B2B2C approach.
🔄 Overcoming Objections:
Exploring objections to B2C, including partner focus, user acquisition hurdles, and potential loss of B2B clients.
📈 Success through Marketing and Product Focus:
YouPay thrived post-pivot by strategically using ads, fostering word-of-mouth, and building a strong brand. The shift resulted in substantial growth and increased team motivation.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Emphasizing the significance of end users, acquiring your user base, and maintaining control over the product.
This is an interesting episode for everyone intrigued by business models and how to best position your company.
Episode Links:
Checkout the document that Chris created that sparked this discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ICK-KmnPJgzfQC1wkxz6Tf-l69pUptmk1QyKH9QB9M/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1izb56alryed
The Pact
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
The insiders are back this week to discuss the hottest topics coming out of the tech and startup ecosystems.
This week Emil, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
🔍 Carta's Controversial Pivot:
Carta halts its secondary business sharing private company data with investors following backlash. The hosts dissect the situation, critiquing Carta's response and exploring potential alternatives.
💹 Cryptocurrency ETF Impact:
Bitcoin experiences a minor dip post-ETF announcement, aligning with predictions. Ethereum anticipates its own ETF, driving a surge in its value. The hosts analyze the evolving crypto landscape.
🌐 OpenAI's Strategic Shift:
OpenAI reverses its stance, allowing military applications, prompting a debate on the ethical implications of tech-military collaboration. The hosts explore the fragmentation of tech companies based on geopolitical stances.
🤖 Google's Layoffs & AI Blame Game:
Google attributes recent layoffs to AI, but the hosts challenge this narrative, pointing to mismanagement and company bloat. Sundar Pichai faces criticism. Waymo's progress is acknowledged, yet doubts linger on commercial viability.
Engage with critical discussions on the intersection of technology, ethics, and leadership. Don't miss the insights—watch the full episode on The Startup Podcast now! 🚀🎙️
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
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Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
🤔Should founders care about building a personal brand?
Isn’t there enough “real work” to be done that posting on LinkedIn is a total waste of time?
We don’t think so and neither does Michael Houck, a founder and investor who has built his personal brand to create Houck’s Newsletter, which is read by 75,000+ founders every week.
Prior to focusing on his newsletter, Houck founded a startup that raised $15M from a16z, co-founded an early stage venture firm, and was part of the early team at Airbnb. When it came to personal brand, Houck was mentored by the best—including Sahil Bloom and Lenny Rachitsky. Here’s what we discussed:
✅ The benefits of having a strong personal brand for as a founder
✅ Being intentional about building a brand for maximum impact
✅ Tactics for growing engagement
✅ Why personal brand is even more important for non-traditional founders
✅ Personal brand vs. company brand.
✅ Overcoming posting anxiety and finding your voice.
✅ How to get the most value from your personal brand.
✅ The FIVE MINUTE PER DAY habit that you can use to grow your personal brand.
✅ Does AI change the game for personal brand building?
Whatever your opinion on personal branding, this episode will get you thinking.
Episode Links:
Do yourself a favour and subscribe to Houck’s free Newsletter: https://houck.news/
Megaphone: https://megaphone.network/
Follow Houck:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/callmehouck
The Pact
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
It’s one of the first questions people ask when they hear of startups.
What makes startups different from usual businesses?
Recently Chris found himself in a debate about the differences between traditional businesses and startups.
As a result he created a document and shared it with his followers about the similarities and differences.
Fortunately, this week on The Startup Podcast he and Yaniv debate the commonalities, differences and how startups drive disruption.
Together they discuss:
📈 Objectives Clash:
Traditional businesses gravitate towards steady growth, while startups chase the adrenaline of rapid expansion and scale.
🔄 Activities Diverge:
Traditional businesses fine-tune existing products, contrasting with startups that embrace experimentation to discover elusive product-market fit.
🌐 Leadership Philosophies:
While traditional businesses thrive on consensus, startups dance to the beat of a founder's visionary rhythm.
🎲 Risk Tolerance Dynamics:
Traditional enterprises tread carefully in risk aversion, whereas startups boldly waltz through the uncertainty, seeing it as a playground for innovation.
⚙️ Execution Styles:
Traditional businesses methodically execute incremental strategies, in stark contrast to startups prioritizing agility, speed, and continuous learning.
🤝 Engaging Industries:
Traditional businesses seek partnerships within the familiar, while startups set sail to disrupt the status quo and redefine industries.
🔍 Focused vs Diversified:
Traditional businesses diversify their portfolio, whereas startups concentrate on a niche with unwavering focus.
💰 Compensation Philosophies:
Traditional businesses stick to market wages, whereas startups entice talent with the allure of equity and moderate pay.
Don’t miss this special episode!
Episode Links:
Checkout the document that Chris created that sparked this discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EiFWYJpSbDoxdiKWeD_EBk26Q82Ki8NvjASQ2m_-JvY/edit
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Welcome to our first episode of 2024. We’re excited to be back and be sharing such a riveting episode to kick off the year!
Today we have the pleasure of welcoming special guest, unicorn founder and CEO of Mercury, Immad Akhund. Mercury offers banking and credit cards for ambitious companies and was founded in 2017.
With Chris and Yaniv, Immad shares his insights from scaling after finding product-market fit and how the journey has brought diverse challenges. In particular they discuss:
🚀 Mercury’s Strategic Launch Success:
How Mercury’s triumph was fueled by a simple, loveable product and a focus on seamless customer onboarding
💡 CEO's Adaptive Role:
Immad discusses navigating his evolving responsibilities as CEO during scaling and adapting to solving the highest-priority issues for effective leadership
🌐 Culture and Quality Hiring:
Why developing culture and hiring top-tier talent from the beginning proved pivotal to Mercury’s successful scaling
🔄 Organizational Scalability:
How to think about scaling and hiring leaders to manage teams effectively
📈 Deliberate Marketing & Investments:
How Mercury deliberately grew through word of mouth, brand campaigns, partnerships and Google ads
🌱 Scaling Success Factors, Growth Mindset and Empowerment
Finding the right strategic advisors, hiring and empowering exceptional individuals with clear priorities, swift decision-making and focus on key growth drivers
Whether you’re working at a startup or scale up, Immad’s actionable insights will be valuable to employ as your team hits the ground running for 2024.
Episode Links:
Follow Immad:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/immad
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/
Check out Mercury:
Website: https://mercury.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mercury
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mercuryfi/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercuryhq
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang Disclaimer: Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC.
This week we are sharing another one of our most popular episode of 2023 featuring Nir Zavaro. The lessons contained in this episode are so important to refresh with in 2024.
We’re all storytellers. It’s the way we first begin to learn and it's the way we have communicated important information for thousands of years. However, it is the skill we practice the least. As startup operators, if you were a better storyteller imagine what you could accomplish. You would be able to engross and inspire potential investors and employees in any situation and be able to explain features better to your teams and get more work done. How, you ask?
Today we say “F*ck the Slides” with special guest, author of the upcoming book, storytelling expert and passionate salesperson - Nir Zavaro. In this episode Nir and Yaniv explore the importance of storytelling for founders. In doing so they delve into the “trailer” and “toilet” pitches, when to use them and how crucial they are for a founder to get right. Nir’s knowledge and experience is on show in this one, don’t miss it!
Episode Links
Watchout for Nir’s new book “F*ck the Slides” releasing in September
Nir’s website: https://nirzavaro.com/
Follow Nir on Instagram: @nzavaro
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
We’re back this week with one of our most popular episodes of 2023, featuring April Dunford.
Product positioning will make or break your startup. Go toe-to-toe with multinational trillion-dollar behemoths and the likelihood of success is minute. Restructure your approach to target a different group and you can one-day “dab [your] tears with the money”.
Researched ways on how to develop your product position and still feel stuck? Don’t fret! Yaniv and Chris are back this week with a super special guest - April Dunford, author of “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy it, Love it” and podcast host “Positioning with April Dunford”.
Sit back and get ready to take some notes as April, Chris and Yaniv break down product positioning for startup. Along the way she shares the concept of positioning baggage, the three styles of product positioning from her book, why product market fit is not a useful thing for startups - just a vibe created by VC, discuss examples of Salesforce and Snowflake and share snippets from Jack Trout’s Positioning the Battle for Your Mind and Peter Thiel’s Zero to One.
There is so much to learn from this episode we highly recommend listening to it twice!
Episode Links
Order April’s book “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy It, Love it”: https://www.amazon.com.au/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/
Checkout April’s website: https://www.aprildunford.com/
Listen to April’s podcast “Positioning with April Dunford”: https://www.positioning.show/
Follow April on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
Follow April on Twitter: @aprildunford
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
2023 is winding down.
You’re no doubt preparing and strategizing for 2024.
You’ve listened to our recent episode on being more efficient in 2024 but now you’re at the pointy end - making the tough decisions on what to focus on.
Feeling stuck? Not sure which way to turn?
Don’t worry, Chris and Yaniv are here to end your decision paralysis!
In this episode they cover:
🔍 Decoding Decision Challenges:
Chris and Yaniv explore the complexities of decision making in the startup world, where poor choices can lead to sluggish progress, compromised solutions, or execution roadblocks. They also cover why startups often grapple with this challenge and how to avoid the pitfalls!
🎯 Guiding Principles for Leadership:
The team identifies the root cause of decision-making hurdles – a lack of clear objectives, principles, or data. In this episode, learn how effective leadership provides the necessary guidance and a robust decision-making framework to navigate these challenges.
🌐 Strategic Clarity & Communication:
Yaniv and Chris explore the imperative need of clear strategy and communication from leadership. Discover how a well-defined strategy simplifies decision-making, making most choices straightforward for the team.
⬆️ Escalation Challenges:
What obstacles hinder effective decision escalation within teams? From unquestioning obedience to a lack of cultural encouragement, learn the critical factors influencing decision escalations - Chris and Yaniv cover it all.
💡 Leadership's Tough Choices:
Embrace the key to effective decision-making – leadership's ability to make difficult choices in defining a clear, well-structured strategy. Grasp how avoiding these challenges can lead to persistent problems.
This episode is a MUST to level-up your strategy game in 2024. Now’s the perfect time to work on improving your decision-making skills for your startup venture.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
This episode is the MOST IMPORTANT podcast episode you will listen to in December.
Contrary to popular opinion, saving money DOES NOT mean sacrificing progress.
Planning your attack for 2024? Chris and Yaniv are here to dispel the myths and strategise for maximum output while minimizing costs in the latest episode of The Startup Podcast.
Together they discuss:
🎯 Clarifying Company Strategy:
Define a clear and focused strategy to guide your company's mission. Learn how to trim costs without losing strategic momentum.
🔄 Reorganizing Company Structure:
Explore the importance of realigning teams and roles to match your updated strategy. An efficient structure not only cuts costs but enhances productivity.
🤝 Ensuring Employee Alignment:
Discover why alignment with the company's strategy is crucial. Wasting time and money becomes inevitable without a unified workforce moving toward common goals.
💼 Hiring Efficient Employees:
Uncover the value of investing in higher-cost but more productive employees. Learn how they can outperform and replace multiple less efficient staff members.
📊 Evaluating Employee Value:
Navigate the process of evaluating employee contributions. Find out when and how to part ways with those who don't align with the new structure or provide sufficient value for the investment.
Don't miss out on practical insights to optimize your startup's efficiency. Watch the full episode for actionable tips on doing more with less.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
What did Elon say?
Leading the Silicon Valley chatter this week are comments Elon Musk made during an interview with Andrew Sorkin. Emil, Chris and Yaniv break it down and the flow-on effects on paid social networks while also exploring:
🚀 Elon Unleashed: Emil, Chris and Yaniv discuss Elon Musk's unfiltered behavior, especially on Twitter. They also explore how his lack of self-censorship and tendency to "troll" impacts his vision of an open platform and its perception.
🔋 EV Demand Dip: The trio uncover the reasons behind the recent decline in electric vehicle (EV) demand. From cost concerns to the inadequacy of charging infrastructure, understand the challenges affecting the EV market.
🌐 China's EV Ascendancy: Emil, Chris and Yaniv discuss the emergence of Chinese automaker BYD as a significant player in the EV space. Discover how lower costs and government subsidies position China as a formidable competitor.
⚡ Energy Dilemma: The trio navigate the complex landscape of energy solutions. Acknowledge the need for increased investment in nuclear and renewable energy to combat climate change, recognizing the political polarization surrounding these discussions.
🌍 Tech's Climate Role: Emil, Chris and Yaniv explore the pivotal role of technology in addressing climate change. Gain insights into the belief that a combination of technological advancements, not just policy changes, is essential for mitigating the effects of climate change.
Don’t miss out on this action-packed episode. Watch the full episode today!
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
VC fundraising.
A crucial way to rapidly expand your startup. The best VC relationships will elevate your startup to another level while poor ones can make your startup lame. This week on The Startup Podcast, Chris and Yaniv venture into the shadows of fundraising as founders expose harrowing tales of dealing with unscrupulous venture capitalists. 🕵️♂️
🤝 False Promises: Some VCs masquerade as venture studios, luring founders with promises of substantial support in exchange for hefty equity. In reality, founders are left to navigate the entrepreneurial journey alone.
🤐 Confidential Betrayal: Unethical practices emerge as certain VCs breach trust by sharing founders' confidential information with competitors, exploiting sensitive details for a competitive edge.
💸 Lowball Offers: Founders face the peril of VCs making undervalued offers, jeopardizing the startup's equity structure and hindering its path to success during critical funding rounds.
👻 Investor Ghosting: Post-investment, some VCs vanish, leaving founders in the lurch. While investor support is crucial, the absence of ongoing assistance can hinder a startup's growth.
⏳ Funding Delays: Founders experience intentional delays in funding after agreeing to term sheets, introducing pressure tactics or blocking potential competitors.
💰 Fee Excess: Unscrupulous VCs exploit founders by charging fees and claiming cuts from subsequent funding rounds, compromising equity in exchange for essential capital.
There’s a lot of horror stories out there. Don’t fret! Yaniv and Chris are here to help you through the process so you don’t have your own horror story. They explore how to get the best out of VC including:
🕵️♀️ Vetting Investors: Founders are reminded to meticulously vet potential investors, discern their priorities, and avoid falling prey to "innovation theater" or compromising their vision too quickly.
🚀 Clean Relationships: The essence of successful fundraising lies in forging transparent, straightforward relationships with investors who genuinely empower founders rather than exploiting them.
Explore the dark side of fundraising and glean insights on navigating the complex VC landscape. Watch the full episode for cautionary tales and strategic wisdom.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
Data is radioactive.
Handle it appropriately and you can harness its extreme power for your startup.
Don’t and the promised invaluable insights will decay and destroy it!
Thankfully Chris and Yaniv explore the art of data-driven decision-making in this week’s episode of The Startup Podcast. Listen as they investigate:
📊 Choosing Wisely: Use product telemetry data for insightful product decisions, steering away from the common trap of relying solely on business metrics like revenue and user numbers.
🚀 Being Guided, Not Dictated: Embrace a data-informed approach without losing sight of your startup's vision and intuition; data complements, but doesn't dictate.
🚨 Avoiding Pitfalls: Navigate the pitfalls of false precision and data fallacies. Understand that data, without proper context, can lead to misguided decisions.
🧹 Trimming the Excess: Don't drown in data! Collect only the essential information to avoid distraction and distortion of priorities.
❤️ User-Centric Approach: Prioritize user love over customer and investor data. A product that users genuinely love will naturally attract success.
This episode serves as a compelling reminder that while data is a powerful tool, it must be wielded judiciously. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on steering your startup with the right balance of insight, vision, and data
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
He’s back!
Sam Altman returns as CEO of OpenAI, less than a week after being fired by the board.
Today on The Startup Podcast, Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, also returns to the pod with Chris and Yaniv to discuss the latest OpenAI drama. Together they explore:
🤝 Leadership Dynamics at OpenAI: Uncover the compelling narrative of Sam Altman's departure and return as OpenAI's CEO, exploring the nuances of board decisions and the impact of employee protests.
🌐 Managing AI Partnership Risks: Delve into the Microsoft-OpenAI deal, dissecting how Satya Nadella adeptly structured the partnership to mitigate risks, offering valuable lessons in strategic collaboration.
⚖️ Balancing Safety and Progress: Navigate the fine line between rapid AI advancement and ensuring safety, as the episode scrutinizes the potential risks of swift progress in the competitive landscape of AI development.
🤔 The Role of Effective Boards: Gain insights into the pivotal role of boards in companies, particularly OpenAI, and how board dynamics can influence strategic decisions, especially during challenging periods.
🚀 Lessons for Fast-Growth Companies: Extract valuable lessons for fast-growing companies, learning from OpenAI's experiences in navigating risk, embracing innovation, and fostering collaboration with a constructive board.
Don't miss this thought-provoking episode that unravels the complex tapestry of leadership, risk, and innovation in OpenAI. Watch the full episode for a deep dive into the lessons shaping the future of technology and company dynamics. 🎬🔍
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
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Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
When is it the right time to shut down your startup?
Join Chris and Yaniv in this insightful episode featuring Gabor Cselle, the founder of the once-promising T2/Pebble, as he candidly shares the story behind the decision to shut down his startup.
Facing the uphill battle of funding challenges and operational struggles, T2/Pebble, a Twitter alternative, ultimately reached a crossroads. Cselle walks us through the tough realization that the opportunity cost of persisting outweighed the benefits.
While Cselle believes in the viability of a Twitter alternative, the intricate execution posed insurmountable challenges for T2/Pebble. Despite this setback, he remains optimistic, suggesting that future endeavors might successfully tread this path.
The emotional toll of shutting down a startup is not lost on Cselle, drawing on his experience from Google to approach the decision rationally. He emphasizes that "failure is a skill" developed over time, shedding light on the nuanced journey of founders.
Delving into competitor analysis, Cselle dissects platforms like Facebook's Threads, highlighting engagement and algorithmic effectiveness. Despite shortcomings, Facebook's colossal size and persistence grant them a formidable advantage.
In a comprehensive summary, Cselle imparts invaluable wisdom for fellow founders, navigating the delicate balance between financial realities, emotional resilience, and the ever-present consideration of opportunity costs. Tune in to glean insights for your entrepreneurial journey! 🚀🔍
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by:
Editor: Justin McArthur
Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
On the 17th of November OpenAI announced on their blog that Sam Altman was fired.
This sent shockwaves throughout the startup ecosystem worldwide. What happened next was even more fireworks. Greg Brockman, the other co-founder was removed as president of the board then Mira Murati was appointed interim CEO. Greg quit as well as four other senior people. Investors including Microsoft has been in the dark and Mira Murati and has since tried to bring Sam and Greg back to OpenAI.
So what the hell is going on?
Wading through the speculation craziness of the last week are Chris and Yaniv joined by special guest and friend of the pod Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber.
Was this because of AI safety from people with no skin in the game? An internal battle?
What is to become of OpenAI?
You DO NOT want to miss this episode!
Episode Links:
Checkout our recent episode on OpenAI DevDay 2023: https://www.tsp.show/reacts-ai-insiders-discuss-openai-devday-2023-everything-you-need-to-know/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp for 20% off their incredible offer.
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
How do you improve your mental health?
Today continues the important discussion we started with Mike Filbey, founder of Pepper and former co-founder of ButcherBox surrounding mental health.
To help guide us on the ins and outs of founder mental health is expert coach Georgia Dienst. Georgia has spent her career working with high performance people at Google, Google X and Kernel.
In this eye-opening conversation, Georgia sheds light on the formidable challenges founders face in maintaining their mental well-being within the demanding startup landscape. Drawing from her own experiences with burnout and her coaching insights, she unravels the complexities that often go unnoticed.
🌪️ Explore the key revelations:
🧠 Unmasking the Mental Health Epidemic: Founders, grappling with intense work demands, lack the crucial support needed for their mental health.
🤝 Untangling Founder Identity: Dive deep into the intricacies of how founder identities become inseparable from their companies, resulting in self-neglect and fragility.
🚨 Warning Signs: Recognize the early indicators of trouble, such as broken self-care promises and the dangerous link between self-care and company goals.
🧩 Mindset Matters: Uncover the prevalent mindset issues like imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and low self-worth haunting founders.
💼 Invest in Yourself: Georgia advocates for founders to treat themselves as equally vital resources, emphasizing the need for self-investment.
🌿 Holistic Well-being: Learn how basic self-care, coupled with guidance from a coach or therapist, can be a game-changer. Reach out for help early, not just when things are dire.
🤝 Coach's Corner: Understand the role of coaches in implementing support systems while addressing emotional challenges.
Embark on this illuminating episode to empower yourself as a founder, discovering the tools and insights crucial for building resilience in the face of mental health challenges.
Episode Links:
Check out Georgia’s website: https://www.georgiadienst.com/
Explore the Mochary Method: https://mocharymethod.com/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
OpenAI DevDay 2023.
A conference that sent reverberations throughout the startup ecosystem worldwide.
Welcomed back on The Startup Podcast to discuss and debate it all are Jeremiah Owyang, general partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and founder of Lama Lounge, and Ben Parr, founder of Octane AI, AI Insiders deeply embedded in the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem. With Chris and Yaniv they explore the top takeaways from the OpenAI DevDay.
From why GPT-4 Turbo is light-years better than GPT3.5, how to make your own super customized ChatGPT, to quality of life improvements for developers and tinkerers at home, interoperability, multi-modality, switching costs and more, this episode has it all!
The quartet also share hot takes on the future of AI startups and what startups in the AI field should be thinking about doing right now!
Stay on the pulse of AI, don't miss this episode.
Episode Links:
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Brace yourself for a masterclass in app evolution as Andres Glusman, founder of DoWhatWorks shares 15 years of wisdom gained at Meetup, where experimentation was the key to their monumental growth.
Discover the hidden truth that most experiments fail, but when they succeed, the impact is colossal.
The secret? Thoughtful experimentation. It's about testing specific hypotheses, not just throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks.
Experiments go beyond correlation, establishing causation – the only way to truly gauge if your product changes are working. 📊
Statistical significance is crucial, but startups can dance on the edge of uncertainty to move faster and break new ground.
And remember, every experiment carries downstream and upstream effects. Improvements in one metric might ripple through others, for better or worse.
Interested in revolutionising your experiments? Andres suggests exploring tools like Optimizely and Adobe Target. He also explores how DoWhatWorks is changing the industry by allowing companies to learn from each other's experiments, turbocharging the learning curve and skyrocketing success rates. 🔧
🎙️ Don't miss this episode, where we decode the art of product experiments and learn the science behind app success.
Episode Links:
Checkout Andres’ company DoWhatWorks at dowhatworks.io
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Are you a product manager, wanting to become or know more about product management or hire one?
Embark on a riveting expedition into the dynamic world of product management as Chris and Yaniv unveil the 17 extraordinary traits that catapult Product Managers to the pinnacle of success.
🎨 Picture this: Product Managers as the User Whisperers, tapping into the deepest needs and desires of their audience.
💡 They're not just guided by buzzwords but wield the power of common sense, keeping it simple and effective.
🖌️ The aesthetic gurus who can tell a visual story and understand the marriage of design and function.
💻 Tech-savvy visionaries, bridging the gap between code and creative vision.
📊 Number crunchers who navigate the sea of data and transform it into insights that shape the future.
🌟 And that's just the beginning! From diplomatic peacemakers to trend-spotters and marathon runners, these Product Managers are the unsung heroes behind your favorite products.
🎙️ Join us for this enlightening episode as we uncover the traits that set apart the best in the industry. Whether you're an aspiring Product Manager or simply curious about the magic behind your favorite products, this episode is a must-listen!
Episode Links:
Subscribe to Chris’ Newsletter where the concept of this episode originated: https://www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter
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🌟 Imagine sharing in the triumph and value of a startup's success! It's the magic potion that aligns every employee's heartbeat with the company's vision. Discover why options, with their tantalizing tax benefits, are the darlings of the startup universe but why they can also screw employees.
In this week's electrifying episode of The Startup Podcast, we dive headfirst into the world of employee equity and ESOP with Jason Atkins, co-founder of Cake Equity - a startup that simplifies how startups and scaleups manage equity and stock options globally.
🔑 Startups play the long game, gifting options with a four-year vesting period and a tantalizingly extended expiration date. But, there's a catch - employees need to make their move to claim their stake.
📈 Early birds can score big with 1% equity, but the real treasure is in the communication and tracking tools to unlock its full potential.
🤝 Learn how equity acts as a powerful talent magnet and the secrets to keeping them hooked with timely updates.
❌ Watch out for warning signs of an equity scheme in peril: lack of transparency, communication, or support. A thriving startup culture thrives on shared ownership!
💻 Pro tip: Ditch the manual labor - unleash the true potential of equity with savvy software.
🚀🎙️ Tune in to this eye-opening episode, and master the art of employee equity, the driving force behind every startup's success story!
Episode Links:
Checkout the Cake Equity toolkit discussed in the episode https://www.cakeequity.com/equity-toolkit
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How do you hire a PM? 💭
How do you empower product designers? 🙌
What is the Domain Dogma trap? 🤔
We’ve gone into the vault and polished another one of our most popular episodes.
Marty Cagan joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss what he sees as the biggest risk to building a successful product. It’s not choosing the wrong problem, it’s building the wrong solution!
Marty is as close as the world of product has to a public intellectual: after decades spent building impactful products at Hewlett-Packard, Netscape Communications, and eBay, Marty founded Silicon Valley Product Group to spread the best practices of product development in tech. His two books Inspired and Empowered have taught countless Product Managers and leaders how to build better products.
In this episode, we discuss:
Solution Risk and why it’s the biggest risk for most startups;
Prototyping and the PM solution discovery toolkit;
The Product Manager as CEO of the team;
The power of including Engineers in product discovery;
Empowered Product Designers;
How to hire a PM;
What to do if you find yourself in a feature team;
The importance of coaching in developing Product Managers;
Subject matter expertise and the Domain Dogma trap;
Episode Links:
This discussions in this episode were inspired by Marty’s blog post on solution risk: https://www.svpg.com/the-biggest-risk/
Learn more about Marty here: https://www.svpg.com/team/marty-cagan/
Read Marty’s book Inspired: https://www.svpg.com/books/inspired-how-to-create-tech-products-customers-love-2nd-edition/
Read Marty’s book Empowered:: https://www.svpg.com/books/empowered-ordinary-people-extraordinary-products/
Watch the original episode: https://www.tsp.show/guest-marty-cagan-the-biggest-risk-to-building-a-great-product/
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We’ve received a lot of questions from the last few episodes. It’s time Chris and Yaniv answer them!
This Q&A episode they explore:
When should you quit your day job to go all in on your startup?
When should we raise? We have got advice from VCs to raise early before it gets complicated to show interest in our platform. I’m sitting on the fence whether we should raise it as it takes a bit of agility and liberty away from us but I understand the benefits that the network accelerators/ VCs could bring.
What do you mean by “going global day one”?
Can you identify a specific moment or experience that made you question your purpose in your professional career? How did it influence your path forward?
Is it worth registering patents as a startup when you know you don’t have the financial capacity or the time to chase up potential infringements?
Engineering and highly technical cultures are often hard to orientate towards customer impact and outcomes. How do you build a strong obsession with customers amongst highly technical organizations?
I am slowly getting stagnant from the lens of learning and growth. There isn’t enough manpower due to cost management, and I am spending a lot of my time working on low value work. There is no clear progression and I have not gotten an increment though it’s been over a year. How do I initiate a conversation with my direct report on this topic again? We have chatted about this but there is still no clear direction. How do I bring this up again without appearing like all I care about is growth and increment
Why do investors require an ESOP pool to be created that they are protected from being diluted by? Why is the dilution not shared for future hires, whose objective is to increase the value of all shareholders? Shouldn’t everyone be treated evenly from this dilution?
How do you know when it’s time to pivot? And what’s a pivot? A complete change of direction or just a change in the business model that would slightly change the product and the way you approach sales? What are the real implications of a pivot for a startup and the founders?
Thanks to Nan, Simon, Henry and anonymous submitters for your questions.
*Get your question in for our next Q&A episode:* https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
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Are you lying to yourself?
Are you really aiming for greatness?
This week Chris and Yaniv dive deep into the psyche of startup founders.
Discover the harsh truth that a lack of conviction in your vision can lead to self-sabotage, compromising your business through misalignment, poor decision-making, and lost credibility. Are you settling for "good enough," or are you pursuing greatness with unwavering faith in yourself?
In this thought-provoking discussion, learn why being ruthlessly honest with yourself is the key to building a company of meaningful impact. Once your vision is lost, it's challenging to regain that magic. Now is the time to align your thinking and execution.
Join us as we explore how pragmatic decisions driven by conviction can inspire your team to follow your lead passionately. Don't deceive yourself; pursue your vision with courage and alignment to create a company that leaves a lasting mark. The magic of success is within your grasp - are you ready to seize it? Tune in now and embark on a journey of self-discovery and greatness!
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Today is a very special episode.
This week on The Startup Podcast, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Mike Filbey, founder of Pepper and former co-founder of ButcherBox.
Mike's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. He catapulted ButcherBox to soaring heights, amassing over $500 million in revenue. Yet, beneath the glitz and glamour of startup success, lay a harrowing truth.
Driven by relentless ambition, Mike pushed himself to the brink, working grueling hours to meet colossal growth targets. But success came at a grave cost – his health. Multiple trips to the ER, with no physical explanation, were the alarming wake-up call that his body and mind had paid the price of extreme stress and anxiety.
In a gut-wrenching twist, Mike chose to walk away from ButcherBox, relinquishing equity for the sake of his well-being. But the battle didn't end there. Depression loomed in the aftermath, and it took three arduous years to rediscover his purpose. A process he is still working on today.
Join us as we delve deep into the profound lessons from Mike's journey. Discover why money and success offer diminishing returns for happiness, and why seeking help and finding your "flow" activities are vital for your mental health. Listen closely for the warning signs of burnout – they might just save your life.
This episode is a profound exploration of the human side of entrepreneurship, that could reshape your perspective on the startup world. This episode is not to be missed. Tune in now!
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Is monetization the secret sauce for startup success, or is it a treacherous highway to failure?
Monetization isn't just about making money; it's about proving your product's worth in the market. Chris and Yaniv unveil the perfect timing for startups to take the monetization plunge and why premature monetization can slam the brakes on growth.
Early-stage founders, take note: Discover why proving product-market fit is your North Star. Timing is everything, and monetizing too soon can slam the brakes on your growth.
It's not just about profits; it's about reinvesting wisely. Explore how to navigate the monetization maze, from charging the right customers to leveraging paywalls and mastering enterprise sales.
Dive into the priorities that propel startups from product-market fit to profitability, each stage an essential chapter in your success story.
Remember, this framework isn't one-size-fits-all; it's a compass for your unique startup journey. Don't miss this episode—use it as your roadmap to monetization success!
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Squads - they’re the “it” way to organise cross-functional teams at Silicon Valley-startups. So why do they often not work?
Unravel the blueprint for achieving organizational excellence through effective squads. With squads, teams transform from mere projects to long-term mission owners. These cross-functional squads, comprised of diverse roles and skills, skillfully navigate the balance between self-management and alignment with company objectives.
Leadership steps in as the guiding force, offering vital support for escalation and resourcing needs. Behind the scenes, functions like product and engineering ensure seamless consistency across squads, fostering collaboration and autonomy.
Discover the financial heartbeat of these squads as they are funded based on their missions, igniting innovation and progress. In this episode, we demystify the true metrics of success: outcomes and objectives. Join us this week as Chris and Yaniv explore the evolution of teams into autonomous, accountable units, all with the guidance and backing of leadership.
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In a world where insider founders often seem to have the upper hand, what if being an outsider founder could become your secret weapon?
This week on The Startup Podcast, Chris and Yaniv dive deep into the intriguing journey of outsider founders – those who don't hail from traditional backgrounds.
Join them as they unravel the strategies and insights that can transform your perceived disadvantages into strengths. Discover how understanding insider jargon and metrics can help you communicate effectively with investors and vital partners.
This week, they emphasize the power of seeking advice and making insiders your allies in the journey to success. And don't miss the exclusive on how accelerators can supercharge or destroy your growth and credibility.
But that's not all! They also explore the art of networking and the immense value of authenticity in forging lasting professional relationships.
Tune in and learn how to harness your scrappiness and resourcefulness, turning outsider status into your secret weapon for startup success!
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There’s no denying it.
No matter how good your product or team is, the startup will make or break because of the founder.
Most founders learn this during their startup journey and actively pursue everything they can to make sure they can be the best founders possible. But in doing so, fall into the hidden traps and paradoxically become the founders they’ve tried so hard to avoid being. What are these founder traits that you should avoid at all cost?
Chris is back and he rejoins Yaniv to explore the 7 Founder Archetypes Destined To Destroy Their Own Companies. With an analysis of their strengths and pitfalls, this exploration into the inner workings of startup visionaries is bound to captivate anyone fascinated by the clash of ego, ambition, and innovation.
The 7 Founder Archetypes:
🪄 The Showman.
🍆 The Sex Addict.
👶 The Baby Elon.
👩💼 The Grown-Up.
🚁 The Helicopter Parent.
🎐 The Weathervane.
❓ The Memento Guy.
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Being a founder is incredibly difficult.
There’s no denying that.
As a startup founder, the fate of the company rests on your shoulders. There’s little wonder you’re stressed. For the sake of the company, you must develop skills and techniques to look after yourself!
With Chris unavailable as he continues his European adventures, Yaniv explores his 5 Rules of Staying Sane As A Founder.
Curious about the art of balancing ambition and well-being? Eager to glean insights from a co-founder's perspective on steering the startup ship through uncharted waters?
Watch as Yaniv peels back the layers of startup life, his personal anecdotes, invaluable tips and tricks for preserving your sanity in the exhilarating world of innovation and disruption.
Yaniv’s 5 Rules of Staying Sane As A Founder:
Rule 1: Keep your eye on the ball
Rule 2: Observe the Stockdale Paradox
Rule 3: Care a lot, but not too much
Rule 4: Don’t try to do it alone, lean on others
Rule 5: Prioritise staying in the game over winning the game
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You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. That’s great at a social level or when you’re climbing the corporate ladder but what happens when you’ve founded your own startup and are looking for advice. Enter advisory boards - your startup-oriented “five people”. Feeling stuck and unsure on how to build your advisory board?
Don’t worry, Chris and Yaniv are here to help you navigate the world of advisory boards. In this week’s episode of The Startup Podcast they dive into:
Understanding Advisory Boards
The Two Types of Advisors
Identifying Suitable Advisory Board Members
Advisor Compensation Structures
Whether you’re a startup founder, operator, enthusiast or someone interested in getting into the advisory game, this episode is a must listen!
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Planning on fundraising in the next 6-18 months?
Interested in the inner-workings of startup fundraising?
This episode is a MUST listen for you!
After the success of our previous episode replay we’ve gone into the vault and polished another one of our most popular episodes.
This week we’re rediscovering the symbiosis that exists between startup founders and venture capitalists and that at its core, this relationship is what makes the startup business model possible. When the relationship works, billion-dollar, hockey-stick curved, Silicon Valley-style startups are born. But when it goes badly, the results are catastrophic.
Listen to this episode to get educated on how it all works and how to dance the dance.
This episode Chris and Yaniv dive into:
Different investing stages: Seed vs Series A etc.
Aside: Non-dilutive capital
What investors look for: Defensible moats and more
Selling the big picture vs. existing traction
Episode Links:
Listen to the original episode: https://www.tsp.show/edu-fundraising-basics-part-1-how-to-find-the-smart-money/
The Pact
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
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There is only one Silicon Valley.
Countries around the world have tried and continue to attempt to recreate the magic of Sandhill Road. But there will be only one Silicon Valley. So what can different startup ecosystems do to emulate the success of Silicon Valley?
This week on The Startup Podcast, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein dive into the key tenants on creating your own Silicon Valley.
What marketplaces do NOT work
Why governments need to focus on only ONE place to strive for ecosystem success and change taxes to persuade foreigners to move
How to capitalise on your area’s natural advantages
How to elevate expatriates
How to take big bets effectively
Government. Education. Economics. AI. This podcast covers it all and more.
Whether you’re a government official, startup founder or operator or someone interested in the startup landscape, this episode is a goldmine for opportunities to make your startup and startup ecosystem a global force.
The Pact
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The tech industry has evolved immensely in 2023. It’s time Chris and Yaniv answers the burning questions of startup operators in The Startup Podcast community.
This Q&A episode they explore:
Everyone always talks about how you must continue iterating on a product. Does there ever come a point where there is over iteration? Is there a way of telling when you’ve hit that point where you’ve effectively solved the problems but are now making new problems? Is a problem ever truly solved?
Is Web3 dead? Was it a problem in search of a solution? An oversold ape, NFT bought for Dogecoin perhaps?
What are your suggestions about reaching out to Angels or VC when you are shit scared and an introvert?
I’ve been here for 4 years, moved from Silicon Valley, originally from India. This country is going on a steady path of decline. Like most of Europe, tall Poppy syndrome is rife. GDP has flatlined for 10 years, and innovation is met with severe resistance. There is a massive entitlement culture and so on. The younger generation have a doomer mindset and resorts to victimhood instead of using hardship as a learning process. There’s also a culture of toxic positivity all around where any constructive or negative opinions seem to be frowned upon. I’m happy with my life in Australia, but definitely a bit concerned with the future of this great nation. Is Australia declining? Can anything be done to reboot GDP growth?
Thanks to Aidan, Nick, Reese and Aswan for your questions.
*Get your question in for our next Q&A episode:* https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
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Key links
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
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🚨Twitter Rebrands to X 🚨
Elon Musk wants to blow up the Twitter brand & replace it with 'X' - but why?
Listen to this bonus episode of The Startup Podcast, hosted by Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to hear their 🌶️🌶️🌶️ takes!
The Pact
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
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Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Rules are meant to be broken! You wouldn’t be building startups if you were a complete rule follower.
In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss all the times when you should IGNORE their advice!
Together they cover common themes that regularly appear in episodes:
Don’t listen to VCs
Don’t compromise on your vision
Don’t build B2B when you’re trying to build B2C
Don’t build a technology-backed services company
Along the way they also sprinkle key insights such as “data in context is information. Information in context is knowledge. Knowledge in context is wisdom”.
Whether this is your first time listening to The Startup Podcast, or you’ve held with baited breath week-to-week for the next episode from the beginning, learning when to break the rules is almost as important as learning the rules.
Enjoy!
Episode Links
Listen to episode 2- Edu: Early Ideation - Your Idea is Worthless: https://www.tsp.show/edu-early-ideation-your-idea-is-worthless/
Listen to the episode featuring Kyle Poyar, Accelerate Sales with Product Led Growth: https://www.tsp.show/guest-kyle-poyar-accelerate-sales-with-product-led-growth/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
We have a special episode for you all this week!
This week we’re putting our own advice to use! We have repolished one of our most popular episodes with our new style jam-packed with information to get your company off the ground and steer away from small business syndrome.
What is the difference between a Silicon Valley-style tech startup and a regular small business?
In this episode of The Startup Podcast Chris and Yaniv unpack the many ways people misunderstand what makes startups different to other businesses, and what goes wrong when those differences are ignored.
Enjoy!
Episode Links
Listen to the original episode: https://www.tsp.show/edu-what-is-a-startup-an-antidote-to-small-business-syndrome/
Paul Graham’s essays on how to start a startup http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html and what startups are really like http://www.paulgraham.com/really.html
The Pact
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Key links
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Introducing Mid Capital!
This week on The Startup Podcast Chris and Yaniv wanted to switch it up and show how to navigate the fundraising VC discussions via roleplay. That’s right! We think Yaniv has found his calling as an actor as he performs as the VC and Chris is the founder pitching.
This episode is jam-packed with ways to respond to questions, read the signs and maintain a level of self-belief and confidence that the right investors are out there for you. Not every VC firm will be investing in the same types of business as you, their risk profiles may be vastly different and that’s okay! What you need to have as a founder fundraising is the conviction, clarity and understanding of the true nature of the world - where there is infinite resources, billions of people and trillions of dollars. It is hard but all you need to do is find your people!
It’s a big call but we believe this is our best episode yet! 🔥🔥🔥
PSA: No VC’s were harmed in the recording of this episode.
Enjoy!
The Pact
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Key links
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The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
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Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Today we’re excited to share with you an episode from one of our favourite podcasts - The Sachin and Adam Show. Each episode, Sachin and Adam host a fascinating guest from the tech industry - plenty of podcasts do that! But what separates The Sachin and Adam Show from the rest is the skill of the interviewers blending the professional with the personal in a way that really makes you feel like you’re getting to know everyone of their guests!
We chose to share with you Maxine Minter’s episode. Maxine is founder and general partner at Co Ventures. Maxine shares everything she’s learnt from her fascinating and unorthodox journey as a lawyer, founder, coach, mentor and investor. We love the Sachin and Adam Show and are sure you
will too.
Enjoy!
Episode Links
Checkout Maxine’s Fund Co Ventures: https://www.aprildunford.com/
Follow Maxine on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxine-minter-06011951/
Checkout Maxine’s Startup Co Lab: https://www.the-colab.co/
Checkout The Sachin and Adam Show: https://linktr.ee/TheSachinandAdamShow
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Key links
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Product positioning will make or break your startup. Go toe-to-toe with multinational trillion-dollar behemoths and the likelihood of success is minute. Restructure your approach to target a different group and you could one-day be the industry-leader yourselves.
Researched ways on how to develop your product position and still feel stuck? Don’t fret! Yaniv and Chris are back this week with a super special guest - April Dunford, author of “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy it, Love it” and podcast host “Positioning with April Dunford”.
Sit back and get ready to take some notes as April, Chris and Yaniv break down product positioning for startup. Along the way she shares the concept of positioning baggage, the three styles of product positioning from her book, why product market fit is not a useful thing for startups - just a vibe created by VC, discuss examples of Salesforce and Snowflake and share snippets from Jack Trout’s Positioning the Battle for Your Mind and Peter Thiel’s Zero to One.
There is so much to learn from this episode we highly recommend listening to it twice!
Episode Links
Order April’s book “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy It, Love it”: https://www.amazon.com.au/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/
Checkout April’s website: https://www.aprildunford.com/
Listen to April’s podcast “Positioning with April Dunford”: https://www.positioning.show/
Follow April on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
Follow April on Twitter: @aprildunford
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
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Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Saying NO takes clarity of thinking. It requires personal conviction and above all else, requires courage.
For weeks, Chris and Yaniv have discussed solutions to the symptoms of chronically saying yes: lack of polish, growth, self-serve and appropriate prioritisation. They’ve spoken to special guests about the 10 Commandments of Planning, understanding the 7 Deadly Sins of Startups, developing strategies, focus and culture and learning the difference between traction and distraction. But there comes a point when someone, somewhere in the organisation has to have the courage to stop the overcommitment and say “NO”. Say “NO” to your leadership, “NO” to your customers and “NO” to your distractions.
Feeling powerless and unable to take the first step to saying “NO”? Chris and Yaniv have your back in this week’s episode of The Startup Podcast. From learning how saying “NO” is an unknown superpower in startups, to discussing how toxic niceness and ruinous empathy is destroying companies to understanding Consequence Education this episode is a must for all startup founders, operators, investors and consultants to realign with their North Star and principles.
Listen to hear how saying “NO” can provide surprising consequences now!
Episode Links
Checkout one of Yaniv’s favourite leadership books- “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-patrick-m-lencioni/book/9781118118757.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjwv8qkBhAnEiwAkY-ahia4LKfiNFbKOZXCBDvPlt9naiza4TIqJTmV3MizJv8Zre5_-rGO_BoC6OEQAvD_BwE
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Apple on your face, or a big disgrace? 🤔
On the 5th of June, an auditorium sat patiently waiting for Apple’s 2023 Worldwide Developer Conference. Rumours had been floating for a while that there was a new product under development. Over the past few years, Apple had been gaining patents, buying companies and hiring people in the augmented reality (AR) space. Much to the wonderment of the crowd, Tim Cook presented the first-look of the Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s AR product and first major product introduction since the Apple Watch in 2015. Ever since, there has been a tsunami of content released around the Apple Vision Pro. From Marques Brownlee review to tech pundits pontificating on what this new product release means for the future of tech.
This week’s episode, Chris and Yaniv go back to their roots and go one-on-one over the Apple Vision Pro. There’s been a lot of predictable reactions to this new product but is it really worth it? Should you as a startup founder be considering a pivot into the AR space with this potentially revolutionary product?
Listen to this 🔥🔥🔥 to find out!
Episode Links
Checkout the Apple Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/?afid=p238%7CsMvRJFrna-dc_mtid_209256hr42481_pcrid_661147233482_pgrid_149559740549_pexid__&cid=wwa-au-kwgo-avalanche--slid---product----Announce-
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
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🚨WARNING: Controversial topic alert!🚨
Historically, startup culture has forced people to create a professional facade. A facade that inhibits the ability to reveal any kind of distraction or humanity that might weaken your position or your professionalism in a corporate setting.
Challenging that trend is Amy Sun. Amy is CEO and Founder of Briefly AI and also a new mother. Before running her own startup, Amy has a storied career including such roles as Partner at Sequoia and Product Manager at both Facebook and Uber where she worked with Chris.
They discuss the difficulties and opportunities of being a new mother while also being a founder and running your own startup. The logistical challenges, the implicit and explicit biases and even the counterintuitive benefits.
This episode is sure to provide some 🌶️🌶️🌶️ discussions.
Episode Links
Checkout Amy’s startup Briefly AI at: https://www.brieflyai.com/
Connect with Amy on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunamy/
Follow Amy on Twitter: @amysundae
Amy’s Linkedin post on her experience of motherhood and being a startup founder: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sunamy_my-son-recently-celebrated-his-first-birthday-activity-7056281037928087552-CBVG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Have you built products and no matter what you worked on it didn’t matter, the business metrics didn’t improve nor did the user experience? You are not alone!
Fortunately, we have special guest Itamar Gilad– Former Product Manager at Google turned startup coach, author and speaker here to help change your product mindset from data-driven to evidence-guided. Like many of you, Itamar developed and launched products that did not impact business metrics. From this, he investigated what makes the difference between successful and unsuccessful projects and how companies can repeatedly generate success.
What Itamar uncovers leads him to develop the “Product Idea Confidence Calculator”, a tool that can help your team switch mindsets and generate evidence for your product. Itamar is a true deep-thinker and this episode is sure to be thought-provoking for the entire team!
Episode Links
Visit Itamar’s website: https://itamar.gilad.com
Product Idea Confidence Calculator: https://itamargilad.com/resources/confidence-meter-calculator/
The GIST Framework https://itamargilad.com/gist-framework-slides/ and GIST Board https://itamargilad.com/resources/gist-board-template/
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
We’re all storytellers. It’s the way we first begin to learn and it's the way we have communicated important information for thousands of years. However, it is the skill we practice the least. As startup operators, if you were a better storyteller imagine what you could accomplish. You would be able to engross and inspire potential investors and employees in any situation and be able to explain features better to your teams and get more work done. How, you ask?
Today we say “F*ck the Slides” with special guest, author of the upcoming book, storytelling expert and passionate salesperson - Nir Zavaro. In this episode Nir and Yaniv explore the importance of storytelling for founders. In doing so they delve into the “trailer” and “toilet” pitches, when to use them and how crucial they are for a founder to get right. Nir’s knowledge and experience is on show in this one, don’t miss it!
Episode Links
Watchout for Nir’s new book “F*ck the Slides” releasing in September
Nir’s website: https://nirzavaro.com/
Follow Nir on Instagram: @nzavaro
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Good plans often make the difference between success and failure. Yet so many organisations are filled with time-consuming, ineffective, demoralising planning processes that have everybody muttering “waste of time” under their breath.
Fear not! We have very special guest Oliver Heckmann—Head of Engineering at Silicon Valley darling Coda and former Google VP—to help set you up for good planning! In this episode, Oliver talks through his “Ten Commandments of Good Planning”. These commandments have been honed through years of hands-on work helping organisations deliver value. Oliver is one of the very best… you don’t want to miss this one.The Ten Commandments of Good Planning
Thou shalt plan both top-down and bottom-up
Thou shalt not plan for the future without reflecting on the past
Thou shalt not blindly copy someone else’s tool or process
Thou shalt not spread planning information across different places
Thou shalt not plan in a separate place than you execute
Thou shalt not confuse Goals with Stretch Goals
Thou shalt not waste time on success metrics when success is obvious, or rush success metrics when success is not obvious
Thou shalt not etch your plans in stone
Thou shalt spend no more than 10% of your time planning
Thou shalt not confuse OKRs with strategy or vision
Episode Links
Oliver Heckmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-heckmann-a173082/
Email Oliver to talk planning and OKRs at your organisation: [email protected]
Oliver’s template for hackathons, ideations, awards, and more: https://coda.io/@oliverheckmann
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ episode. Yaniv and Chris are fired up about bad VC investors, and they can't hold it in any longer!
Good Venture Capitalists help founders make the impossible, possible. They are the fuel that allows rocketships to defy gravity.
But bad VC investors will take a founder's dream and grind it into dust.
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv share the ways in which bad investors often undermine a founder's ability to pursue their vision. They then share tips how as a founder to look out for and defend against this type of "dumb money" investor, and how to show traction that is beyond just revenue.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/
Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
About The Episode
All of a sudden, AI is everywhere.
But how do you pick through the hype to understand the real impact? And importantly, as a founder how should you react to the rapid emergence of LLM-based AI?
Chris is joined by two leaders in the AI space, AI analyst and prolific investor Jeremiah Owyang and Ben Parr (co-founder Octane AI) to give you actionable insight and advice on how AI affects startups, from the macro-societal level all the way down to the micro.
No matter how much you've been reading and listening on AI, there are new perspectives here that will add to your understanding.
Episode Links
The Pact
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Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
About The Episode
In this episode, Chris Saad and Jack Bloomfield discuss the pros and cons of moving to the US to accelerate and amplify the success of your startup. They discuss topics like..
The Pact Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
About The Episode Chris has had to watch from the sidelines for the last four episodes while he rested his voice, and it almost killed him! This week he is BACK and can’t wait to share his spicy takes on everything we discussed during his convalescence. If you ever wondered what Gogglebox crossed with TSP might be like, this one is for you. The Pact Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
We’ve been communicating all our lives, so we’re probably pretty good at it, right?
Wrong.
Poor communication has arguably been responsible for more startup failures than any other single cause. In this episode, Yaniv is joined by Jenny Rudd, founder of DisputeBuddy, to talk about good communication: what it is, how to do it, and why your startup will die without it.
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
** The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff including up to USD200k in compute credit at https://goo.gle/tsp **
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
FInd Jenny at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-rudd-71a3352b/
Find Chris and Yaniv:
http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Darker times in venture have seen the return of some old investment terms that haven’t had much of an airing lately: warrants, participating liquidation preferences, tranches, and more. These aren’t always bad, but if you’re not careful you can end up with a cap table that makes you uninvestable in future rounds.
In this episode, Yaniv is once more joined by Jessy Wu, Investment Principal at Afterwork Ventures, to talk through a rogue’s gallery of investment terms, what they mean, and how to think about them.
Jessy’s Original Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessyzwu_venturecapital-startups-investment-activity-7006777884203769856-aRxw
Afterwork Ventures: https://afterwork.vc
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
** The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff including up to USD200k in compute credit at https://goo.gle/tsp **
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
FInd Jessy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessyzwu
Find Chris and Yaniv:
http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Communicating with your investors can seem like an annoying chore when you’re grinding away as a founder trying to make something out of nothing. But there are a lot of good reasons why you should keep your investors in the loop. And it doesn’t have to be painful!
In this episode, Yaniv is joined by friend-of-the-pod Jessy Wu, Investment Principal at Afterwork Ventures, to talk through her six tips for conducting excellent investor comms that will put you top of every investor’s portfolio. Yaniv also shares his perspective as both a founder and an angel investor.
Jessy’s Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessyzwu_venturecapital-founders-startup-activity-7005692338249359360-ygEt
Afterwork Ventures: https://afterwork.vc
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app. *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
** The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff including up to USD200k in compute credit at https://goo.gle/tsp **
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Find Chris and Yaniv:
http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Netflix popularised the term “talent density” to describe the key plank of its approach to building a high-performing organisation. But what is it? Why is it important? And of course, how can you ensure your startup possesses high talent density?
While Chris rests his voice, Yaniv is joined by Henry Innis, founder of Mutinex, to dive into this topic. They cover the following, while sharing hard-won experiences and anecdotes along the way:
* What is talent density?
* Why is it important?
* Attracting and retaining top talent
* Compensating and rewarding high performers
* The critical role of culture in enabling and retaining performace
* Letting go of low performers
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
** The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff including up to USD200k in compute credit at https://goo.gle/tsp **
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
FInd Henry at https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryinnis/
Find Chris and Yaniv:
http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Chris braves his vocal issues to rejoin Yaniv in our latest Listener Q&A episode. Five great questions, lots of great discussion and actionable advice.
* How do you break into startups when you only have corporate experience?
* What is your take on when startups need legal support, and what should the characteristics of an optimal legal support for startups be?
* What's the most common misconception that a non-technical sole founder has in the early stages?
* What’s the difference between business strategy and product strategy in Startups? Do you have some examples?
* In light of higher interest rates, what start-up practices would you reconsider in order to get to profit earlier?
Thanks to Allen, Onur, Jayen, Leandro, and Antonios for your questions.
*Get your question in for our next Q&A episode:* https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
*Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app *Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff at https://goo.gle/tsp
Find Chris and Yaniv:
http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
If using your product becomes an ingrained habit for your users, you’re well on your way to massive success. But how do you make your product habit-forming?
On this episode of The Startup Podcast Yaniv talks to Nir Eyal, the world’s leading behavioural designer and author of the bestselling book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. Nir and Yaniv talk about what types of products can benefit from habit formation (it’s broader than you think!) and how you can implement the four-step “Hooked model” to make your customers reach for your product now and into the future.
Buy Hooked: https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/ (the audiobook is great)
Check out Nir’s work at https://www.nirandfar.com/
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Without a clear communication path back to leadership, creating autonomous teams doesn’t lead to an empowered organisation… it just leads to chaos. Escalation is that clear communication path. Far from being a minor practice, escalation is the nervous system that allows multiple empowered teams to still act as a single cohesive organisation.
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv explain what escalation is, why it’s important, and how to create a culture of effective escalation within your organisation.
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
It is nearly impossible for a startup to succeed if its leaders do not have a clear sense of conviction about the direction they are going. But what is conviction? Why is it so critical? And what are the ingredients that are necessary in building and maintaining that sense of conviction as a leader?
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv break down this sometimes murky topic into a clear set of criteria and steps that allow any leader to map out what it takes to build and maintain a sense of conviction at their startup.
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
The great disruptors of Silicon Valley are nearly all product led. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive deep on how a product-led organisation works, what is necessary for it to be successful, the various responsibilities of Product Managers and their counterparts, and most importantly: what it takes to transform any organisation into one that is truly product-led. It’s not easy, but it is worth it! This episode helps guide the way.
This is Part 2 of a 2-part series on transforming into a product-led organisation, designed to work as a companion to Chris’s recent presentation on the same topic. We strongly recommend listening to Part 1 first.
You can access the rest of Chris’s “Scaling Startups” series at https://www.chrissaad.com/startupscale
Article on the W Framework by Lenny Rachitsky and Nels Gilbreth: https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite
Turn the Ship Around! By L. David Marquet: https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Building-Breaking/dp/1591846404
Our interview with Marty Cagan: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/v6ZD6YOHTwb
Our episode on Alignment: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/oMrMJU2HTwb
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
The great disruptors of Silicon Valley are nearly all product led. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv explain what a product-led organisation looks like, how it thinks, and why it is the right model for massive disruption at scale. They then discuss common alternative models to being product led, and the risks and dysfunctions of these various alternatives.
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on transforming into a product-led organisation, designed to work as a companion to Chris’s recent presentation on the same topic. Next week, we will dive deep into the “how” of becoming product led.
You can access the rest of Chris’s “Scaling Startups” series at https://www.chrissaad.com/startupscale
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
All season, Chris and Yaniv have talked about the mindset that is needed to succeed at venture-backed startups. For the final episode of Season 1, we tie it all together with an analogy: tournament poker. It is amazing how many things poker and startups have in common, so in this episode we use the lens of poker to discuss the big picture of how to approach building a successful startup. We dive into each of the following aspects of commonality between poker and startup life:
We were inspired by the book Thinking in Bets, by former pro poker player Annie Duke.
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Mike Scott is a serial entrepreneur who found himself working at a large tech unicorn when they acquired his business. As newly-minted Head of Product Partnerships, Mike has questions! Luckily, Yaniv and Chris have (some) answers. This ended up being a bit of a personal discussion and coaching session, and we thank Mike for opening up. In this Office Hours episode, topics discussed include:
Mike has an awesome podcast of his own, How To Be Moderately Successful: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-to-be-moderately-successful/id1535553116
Connect with Mike Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeadamscott/
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Alignment is about making sure that everybody in an organisation is working in such a way that their efforts build on each other, rather than cancelling out. If you’re not aligned, it doesn’t matter how hard you work—you’re not going to get anywhere. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
This bonus episode is a collaboration with Yan Kruger’s fantastic Growth Ripples podcast.
Startups can survive a bad culture to achieve product-market fit, but once they reach the scale-up stage the effects of poor culture hinder growth. In this episode, Yan and Yaniv discuss what culture is, why it’s so important, and when is the right time to start investing in it.
Connect with Yan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yankruger/
Yan’s Growth Ripples podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthdrOh5Ce439ppCwGHzovg
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Most startups limp along with way too many priorities—and the lack of focus will kill them. Ruthless and deliberate prioritization and sequencing is *the* secret ingredient behind successful startups. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv tell you how to do it like the best, and how to avoid falling into many common traps.
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Emil Michael was Uber’s Chief Business Officer during the company’s glory years, and is one of the small handful of people who shaped the modern ridesharing economy. Emil is one of Silicon Valley’s most legendary business development people, and in this episode he shares some of his best tips about finding, evaluating, closing, and executing partnerships that will turbocharge your startup.
As an added bonus, Chris and Emil share some stories from their early days of Uber, what made Uber’s culture special, how it’s been portrayed publicly, and how things have changes at Uber.
https://www.emilmichael.com/
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
It’s no secret that the investment environment has changed quite drastically in the last six months, and for many founders out there it has become much more difficult to raise the needed funds.
We have recently had the privilege of speaking to two incredible investors: Jessy Wu from Afterwork Ventures, and the legendary Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer of Uber.
In this bonus episode, we asked each of them for their advice to founders on how to navigate the current fundraising environment.
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Time for another Listener Q&A episode! Chris and Yaniv give clear, actionable answers on the following questions:
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Ask questions for future Listener Q&A episodes: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
The modern software ecosystem is made possible by developer platforms and APIs. Many of the most successful tech startups of recent years have succeeded by offering powerful tools to developers. So what exactly are devekoper platforms, and what makes them so valuable? And how should you think about incorporating developer platforms into your own startup growth story?
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv tap into their deep experience building developer platforms to take you through the opportunities, pitfalls, and unique mindset of dev platform creation.
There comes a point in the journey of most startups when it all turns to sh*t. A crisis looms large and it is up to you, as a leader, to get things back on track. What do you do? How do you talk about it? How do you move quickly without making things worse? And how do you not lose your mind doing it? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
You can’t swing a cat these days without hitting a startup accelerator. But what actually are accelerators? What’s the point of them? And most importantly, is it worth having your startup go through one? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv will talk you through it:
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Product Marketing is one of the most commonly neglected or misunderstood functions in a Silicon Valley style tech startup. At the best companies, it is the glue that keeps everything together and allows a deep focus on building and iterating a great product. Without this glue, things tend to fall apart, sooner or later.
Yaniv is out on vacation this week, so Chris is joined by a special guest host: Leah Mahtani, Product Marketer Extraordinaire. In this episode, Chris and Leah cover the following topics:
Connect with Leah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmahtani/
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
We are back with a fresh Listener Q&A episode! Chris and Yaniv dive deep on the following questions:
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Marty Cagan joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss what he sees as the biggest risk to building a successful product. It’s not choosing the wrong problem, it’s building the wrong solution!
Marty is as close as the world of product has to a public intellectual: after decades spent building impactful products at Hewlett-Packard, Netscape Communications, and eBay, Marty founded Silicon Valley Product Group to spread the best practices of product development in tech. His two books Inspired and Empowered have taught countless Product Managers and leaders how to build better products.
In this episode, we discuss:
Solution Risk and why it’s the biggest risk for most startups;
Prototyping and the PM solution discovery toolkit;
The Product Manager as CEO of the team;
The power of including Engineers in product discovery;
Empowered Product Designers;
How to hire a PM;
What to do if you find yourself in a feature team;
The importance of coaching in developing Product Managers;
Subject matter expertise and the Domain Dogma trap;
This discussions in this episode were inspired by Marty’s blog post on solution risk: https://www.svpg.com/the-biggest-risk/
Learn more about Marty here: https://www.svpg.com/team/marty-cagan/
Read Marty’s book Inspired: https://www.svpg.com/books/inspired-how-to-create-tech-products-customers-love-2nd-edition/
Read Marty’s book Empowered:: https://www.svpg.com/books/empowered-ordinary-people-extraordinary-products/
Want to connect with us?
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Chris and Yaniv have worked in and advised many startups, scaleups and BigCos. There are 7 organizational sins they see over and over again. In this episode, they unpack and discuss each of these sins, discuss what causes them, and identify the key symptoms.
Sin 1: Poor context setting by the leadership team;
Sin 2: Poor operationalization of shared context;
Sin 3: Poor planning;
Sin 4: Poor org structure;
Sin 5: Poor role design and ways of working;
Sin 6: Poor risk-taking;
Sin 7: Piecemeal attempts to rectify;
This episode was inspired by Chris’s blog post on the same topic: https://www.chrissaad.com/startupsnippets/2022/6/the-7-deadly-sins-of-scaleups-and-bigcos
Want to connect with us?
Follow the Startup Podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter Yaniv Bernstein @ybernstein Chris Saad @chrissaad
Please rate and Review The Startup Podcast on your podcast app.
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-startup-podcast/id1612757016. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5C6oN1uFj29A4jHZn57lNO.
Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84NjhlNWEwNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
A bit about our hosts:
Chris Saad: Independent Startup Advisor and Angel Investor, who helps startups and entrepreneurs fast-forward company’s growth. Chris consults on developer platforms & ecosystems, future of media, data portability, on-demand economy, and the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Visit http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ or connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Yaniv Bernstein: Founder and COO of Circular, a subscription e-commerce platform with sustainability at its heart. By focusing on customer experience while reducing waste and underutilization, Circular provides subscriptions to premium devices at affordable prices and with unmatched flexibility. Visit Circular https://www.nowcircular.com/ and connect with Yaniv on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
The founder of WeWork, Adam Neumann, spent countless billions of investor money on the way to a failed IPO that values the company at over $50 Billion. Now, it is worth just one-tenth of that amount. The WeWork story was presented as one of disgrace and faiure.
Now Adam Neumann is back in the news, having raised $350 million from Andreesen Horowitz in what may be the largest Pre Seed capital raise in history. How did that happen? In this episode, we discuss:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
Follow us on Twitter @ybernstein @chrissaad
***Leave us a rating and review in your favourite podcast app***
Uber has been in the news recently thanks to a fresh trove of emails discussing some of the early practices at the company. Chris and Yaniv use this news as a jumping-off point to discuss the social obligations of tech companies, shifting public perceptions, the role of the media in framing issues around tech, and the way in which this fits into the broader political landscape---especially in the United States.
This is a bit different to our usual material, but we really enjoyed recording it. We'd love it if you let us know what you think!
👉 Join the discussion on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-pod/
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People Engineering Newsletter: newsletter.peopleeng.com
Startup Newsletter: www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter
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Software engineering is a discipline that is often deeply misunderstood, often leading to frustration and inefficiency. With over 15 years experience as an engineer, Yaniv will help straighten things out (with Chris's help).
What even are software engineers? How are they different from IT? How do they work with product management? How do you keep your engineers accountable? Why is outsourcing problematic? Do no-code tools mean that software engineers are no longer necessary?
Listen in to hear the answers to these questions and more.
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As a startup with ambitions of global disruption, the odds are already against you. Don't make things worse by launching in a geography that lengthens those odds, or that distort your company in a way that dooms international expansion.
How to think about geography? Chris and Yaniv don't quite see eye to eye on this one, so join them for a thought-provoking and (mostly) respectful debate. After that, tell us what you think! (Ed: Yaniv is clearly correct)
Follow us on Twitter @ybernstein @chrissaad
People Engineering Newsletter: newsletter.peopleeng.com
Startup Newsletter: www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter
***Leave us a rating and review in your favourite podcast app***
**This episode is brought to you by n14.io**
You're building a complex product, so you need a lot of specialists to handle the complexity, right?
BA, PM, UXR, UX, UI, PgM, PMM, Architect, TL, Scrum Master, FE dev, BE dev, DevOps, QA...
Right?
Wrong.
Chris and Yaniv describe the misunderstandings that lead to the formation of oversized teams of over-specialised roles---and the very real problems and dysfunctions that follow. They then discuss the scalable and effective organisational design adopted by some of the best tech companies such as Google, Uber, Facebook, Spotify, and Amazon.
Follow us on Twitter @ybernstein @chrissaad
People Engineering Newsletter: newsletter.peopleeng.com
Startup Newsletter: www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter
Please leave us a rating and review in your favourite podcast app!
**This episode is brought to you by n14.io**
You ask questions, we give answers! In our first-ever Listener Q&A episode, Chris and Yaniv tackle the following questions asked by our wonderful listeners:
-What are the biggest mistakes new founders make?
-What are the pros and cons of taking money from a strategic investor?
-Key operational metrics for engineering and product teams?
-What should I do if I find out someone else is building the exact same product as me?
-Should I wait until I find the perfect problem to solve before founding a startup, or dive right in?
Follow us on Twitter @ybernstein @chrissaad
People Engineering Newsletter: newsletter.peopleeng.com
Startup Newsletter: www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter
Please leave us a rating and review in your favourite podcast app!
**This episode is brought to you by n14.io**
Sentiment in the markets has turned sharply downward. What does this mean for venture-backed startups?
Don't panic.
In this special topical episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
-Is this more like 2001 or 2008?
-What should you be doing differently?
-Should you extend your runway?
Follow us on Twitter! @chrissaad and @ybernstein
Leave us a rating and review in Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. It makes us so happy 🤗🤗🤗
What do you need to do to keep employees engaged and committed? What should your position be on remote work? Side hustles? Ping pong tables? Should you offer all employees equity?
Chris and Yaniv discuss all this and more with Dan Brockwell, Founder and Chief Meme Officer of Earlywork, a vibrant community for early-career professionals. Topics include: Job risk vs. career risk What candidates are looking for in their career ESOP Remote vs. In office Diversity and inclusion Side hustles How young candidates are looking for jobs Check out Earlywork at earlywork.co This episode is brought to you by n14.io
Look at any great tech company, and there is an exceptionally talented team behind it. Great talent is always in short supply, so how do you make sure that you are able to secure incredible people for your startup? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Chris' "Tips for hiring like Uber" post: https://www.chrissaad.com/startupsnippets/2021/12/oxin1bo5ow0s53tz7vcsh7c3g8z5k3
The co-founder relationship is far and away the most important one in any startup. If you get the partnership right, you become an unstoppable team. If you get it wrong, the relationship will blow up -- most likely taking the startup with it. So how do you know what to look for in a co-founder? And how do you find Mr/Mrs/Mx Right? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive into:
You’re a “tech” company, so you’re building technology, right?
Wrong.
Technology is merely the medium through which you are bringing a product to the world. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv talk about what it means to build a product, what that means for your relationship with customers, and the profound importance of learning how to say “no” to your customers.
Have you followed your heart when choosing the business model for your startup? Or are you making the choice out of fear?
Yaniv and Chris examine when to go B2B and when to go B2C, and how too many startups are selling to the very industry they should actually be disrupting.
Episode overview:
[1:44] Chris explains how the Netflix and Uber b2c business models made them so truly disruptive
[7.22] Why pursue a full-stack disruption over a traditional B2B model?
[11:16] Case study examples: Uber and Instagram’s success with customers
[13:51] The consequences of moving from B2B to B2C
[16:21] Aggregation theory and power of aggregating demand
[29:01] The mirage of playing it safe in life and in business
[29:53] How to bring investors on board with your b2c, full-stack disruption business model
References:
Stratechery blog - https://stratechery.com/
Chris and Yaniv have a discussion with Nick Crocker, General partner at Blackbird Ventures. Together they discuss The truth about "VC Value add" and how the wrong investor can be value destructive How founders and VCs partner over a multi-stage iterative game of growth Reference checking potential investors How founders imagine and build new products The importance of hiring operations and finance people The precious nature of a founder's attention and health And more!
Building compelling and clear fundraising narratives and pitch decks can be life and death for your startup.
In this episode, Yaniv and Chris discuss what a standard pitch deck narrative looks like and go deep on each slide and explain best practices and common mistakes when telling your story. They also talk about other important uses of the pitch deck that you might not have considered yet!
Knowing how to run a good fundraising process (and what to ask for) can make the difference between a glorious partnership that takes you to your next big milestone and serious resource constraint and a fractious relationship with investors. Getting this right is one of the highest leverage things and founder can do. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Article link: VCs Should Play Bridge
The symbiosis between founders and venture capitalists is at the core of what makes the startup business model possible. When it works well it can work very well indeed, but when it goes badly the result can be catastrophic. Get educated on how it all works, and how to dance the dance.
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Is your startup about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
When you've built a product that customers love, scaling up to take that product to more customers might seem simple. In fact, the scale-up phase of a startup's life is arguably the time where things can go most spectacularly wrong.
Chris and Yaniv talk about all the surprising thrills and challenges of scale-up life, including:
Love The Startup Podcast? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on your favourite podcast app!
Ideas are cheap, but execution is where the magic happens. Listen as Chris and Yaniv talk about what it means to execute successfully as an early-stage startup.
We finally disagree about something too!
Topics covered:
Got an idea for a startup?
Congratulations, so does everybody else. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive deep on the idea of ideas, their role, and their limitations in the context of building a startup.
Discussion topics include:
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.