Best Founders Funders Friends Podcasts (2024)

1
FFF EP. 7 Byron Ling 50:14

13h ago50:14

50:14

On this episode, we are excited to welcome Byron Ling, a visionary venture capitalist who has played a pivotal role in shaping the early-stage startup landscape. Byron’s journey into the world of venture capital began over a decade ago, where his keen eye for innovation and passion for supporting founders led him to become a partner at renowned fir…

1
FFF EP. 5 Vinay Hiremath 1:03:41

13h ago1:03:41

1:03:41

On this episode, we are excited to welcome Vinay Hiremath, a visionary entrepreneur who co-founded Loom, a company that has transformed the way we communicate in the digital age. Vinay's journey began with a deep passion for technology and innovation, which led him to work at renowned tech companies like Yelp, Quora, and Medium. It was during a bra…

1
FFF EP. 6 Mark Peter Davids 36:14

13h ago36:14

36:14

In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Mark Peter Davis, a seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a mission-driven approach to supporting startups. Mark, also known as MPD, is the founder of Interplay, a unique ecosystem that goes beyond traditional venture capital to empower entrepreneurs through incubation, foundry initiatives, an…

1
FFF EP. 8 Russ Heddleston 57:19

21d ago57:19

57:19

Join us in this insightful episode featuring Russ Huddleston, a three-time founder best known as the co-founder and former CEO of DocSend, a successful document sharing platform acquired by Dropbox for $165 million. Russ shares his entrepreneurial journey, key lessons from his experience with DocSend, and his new venture, Distil, which utilizes AI …

1
09: Angels of Shopify investing collectively and lessons on following your gut - Atlee Clark, Angel 58:53

21d ago58:53

58:53

What do you get when you mix U.S. national security, angel investing, and kids’ pajamas? Atlee Clark. Proud Canadian Atlee took a hard pivot from the public sector to the tech world, first through a nonprofit called the C100, which supports entrepreneurs, and later at Shopify, focusing on 0 - 1 initiatives. Similar to other angel collectives emergi…

1
08 Takeaways: Charles Hudson, Precursor Ventures: macro, team vs market, fund size vs. outcomes 20:32

1M ago20:32

20:32

Join Shaherose & Aamir as we reflect on our conversation with Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures. Highlights: Don’t forget the macro: Government regulations can lead to massive opportunities or failures. We discuss case studies of companies like Samsara, Movtive (fka KeepTrucking), Republic, and Zum, showing how regulatory shifts led to category-…

1
08: From the CIA to Google to 400+ pre-seed investments, first and early to define pre-seed - Charles Hudson, Precursor 59:28

1M ago59:28

59:28

Hailing from Michigan, Charles developed an early obsession with the public markets in high school. Charles Hudson is now the Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a pre-seed venture fund that has defined and has become synonymous with “pre-seed”. Charles is known for his ability to identify and mentor early-stage companies that have the potentia…

1
FFF EP. 2 Hamilton Morris 52:01

2M ago52:01

52:01

On this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Hamilton Morris, a renowned journalist, documentarian, and scientific researcher. Hamilton is the creator and director of the acclaimed television series Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, where he explores the chemistry, history, and cultural impact of various psychoactive drugs. In September 2021, Hamilton transi…

1
FFF EP. 3 Eugene Wei and Oana Olteanu 1:01:59

2M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

On this episode, we are delighted to host two distinguished guests, Eugene Wei and Oana Olteanu, whose expertise spans the realms of technology, investment, and innovation. First, we have Eugene Wei, a top voice in technology with an incredible background in product and investing. Eugene has had a remarkable career, starting at Amazon.com and later…

1
FFF EP. 4 Ankur Nagpal 56:14

2M ago56:14

56:14

On this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Ankur Nagpal, a dynamic entrepreneur whose journey from Bombay to the U.S. has been marked by remarkable achievements. Ankur began his entrepreneurial career by building Facebook apps in his college dorm room, generating significant advertising revenue. After moving to New York, he started teaching market…

1
FFF EP. 1 Tobias Rose Stockwell 58:11

2M ago58:11

58:11

On this episode, we are excited to welcome Tobias Rose-Stockwell, a writer, designer, and technologist whose work has made significant impacts across various fields. Tobias's research has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED, NPR, The BBC, CNN, and many others, and has influenced key interventions aimed at reducing toxicity and polarization within …

1
07: Angel in 100+ startups, focused on learning and catalyzing mission-first startups - Eric Ries, Creator Lean Startup, Founder, LTSE 1:10:12

2M ago1:10:12

1:10:12

Eric Ries has invested in over 100+ early-stage startups. He is best known as the author of The Lean Startup, a must-read for entrepreneurs worldwide. He also founded the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE), a new stock exchange designed to support companies with long-term goals. He recently launched a new podcast discussing ways to re-think corporate …

1
From Funder to Founder 59:20

3M ago59:20

59:20

What does it mean to design your life? In this episode, Denisha Kuhlor, founder and CEO of Stan, shares her journey of embracing uncertainty, taking risks, and redefining her path. Through introspection and experimentation, she discovers the importance of pausing to reflect on one's true desires and the confidence that comes from learning through t…

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06: Finding Alpha in Texas - Rajiv Bala, Clutch VC 1:12:19

3M ago1:12:19

1:12:19

Rajiv Bala, GP of Clutch VC, a pre-seed and seed-stage fund exclusively investing in Texas. Rajiv is committed and bullish on the region with a hands-on approach to investing, working with founders on product feedback, team building, and more to see initial customer validation before investing. Rajiv also embraces sub $500 million outcomes to drive…

1
Everything Everywhere 49:19

3M ago49:19

49:19

Shyvonne lands in Bali, and things immediately get Very Real. With various challenges and unexpected situations, Shyvonne shares how she chose to embrace the moment and make the most of it: shifting from what was going wrong to embracing the abundance of life and living each day to the fullest. We talk trusting ourselves, what it means to take a ca…

1
Make What You Want 56:07

4M ago56:07

56:07

On this episode, Snigdha Sur, founder of The Juggernaut, discusses the decision to raise prices and the challenges faced in a tough funding environment. As a community-driven platform focused on people largely underrepresented in the media space, this was a challenging balancing act. How do you focus on representation while leaving space for critiq…

1
Shifting Your Posture 40:22

4M ago40:22

40:22

In this episode, Cheraé shares a vulnerable moment at a team dinner that could’ve went entirely left. The tension between her current role in venture capital and her previous work building her startup were at a fever pitch and spilled over in a way she did not anticipate. After being gathered by a couple of her closest friends and confidantes, her …

1
05: Discovering hidden baseball talent to leading Sales at Stripe all applied to finding outliers in tech - Meka Asonye, First Round Capital 1:08:18

4M ago1:08:18

1:08:18

Meka Asonye, a Partner at First Round Capital, started angel investing in 2018 while working at Stripe and joined First Round in 2021. He has made dozens of Angel investments and 13 Venture investments, and he's just getting started! While he focuses on B2B SAAS, he has not shied away from investing in audacious founders, from modernizing 911 call …

1
Creating Answers 54:27

5M ago54:27

54:27

In this episode, Mallory Contois, Head of Community at Mercury and Founder of The Old Girls Club, shares her journey of navigating the challenges and pressures of being a woman in tech, from raising a $25 million Series A round for a gaming startup to grappling with the immense responsibility and isolation that came with her role as COO. The conver…

1
04: 3x tech founder turned seed VC brings a founder mindset to startup investing - Amit Kumar, Accel 1:01:48

5M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Amit Kumar, former founder and angel investor, is a generalist venture capitalist at Accel focused on dev tools, healthcare, and fintech startups. Twitter acquired Amit’s third company, and it was then that he realized his true purpose was supporting startup founders, and he shifted to venture capital. Amit shares insightful stories and lessons lea…

1
Mastering the Pivot 49:03

5M ago49:03

49:03

From sleeping in gym clothes to the profound impact of spiritual journey’s, this episode with Sugar Living CEO Fatima Choice, is a testament to the resilience required to succeed in the startup world. Her transition from Jetpack to Sugar, a community-enhancing tech platform, illustrates the importance of community and connection in both business an…

1
03: Angel vs VC, finding purpose and community in startup investing - Rachel Sheinbein 1:03:13

6M ago1:03:13

1:03:13

Rachel Sheinbein is an angel investor with over 250 startup investments. She shares her insights on angel investing and how it allows her to work with founders “even before the seed stage,” writing $25k checks into technology startups through her vehicle Very Serious Ventures. Later, Rachel discusses how building a community drives her investing st…

1
Against All Odds 1:01:20

6M ago1:01:20

1:01:20

In this conversation, Cat Middleton, General Partner at The Venture Collective, shares a vulnerable moment when she questions her place in venture capital. She discusses her motivation to make a difference and create a more inclusive environment. While charing her unlikely journey to VC, she addresses imposter syndrome, the fear of failure and succ…

1
02: 300 startup investments, 500 LPs, sharp elbows - Jenny Fielding, Everywhere Ventures 1:07:14

6M ago1:07:14

1:07:14

Jenny Fielding, a pre-seed investor and angel with 300 early-stage startup investments, discusses investing in FinTech, hard tech, and consumer spaces over the past decade. From studying law to working in finance to leaving it all to found not just one but two startups, Jenny brings a founder-operator mindset to her fund, Everywhere Ventures. She w…

1
The Three Year Insight 46:42

6M ago46:42

46:42

Let’s talk navigating career transitions! Han shares her post-acquisition story from where we left off in the last season when her company was acquired. We cover fitting into boxes (or not), taking advice (or not), and going from being a generalist to a specialist in a career transition. We also talk about the importance of approaching learning wit…

1
01: State of Venture Capital 2024 with Arjun Arora 43:32

7M ago43:32

43:32

We're all discussing current market conditions - valuations, AI hype, fundraising challenges... Before we kick off our planned interview series on First Funders, we sat down with our friend Arjun Arora to discuss the Trends in Venture Capital 2024. As investors, we always look ahead, making this a great way to start 2024. Highlights from our discus…

1
About the Hosts: How they got into Seed and Angel Investing 6:36

7M ago6:36

6:36

Before you dive into our archives or the next episode, learn about First Funders and its hosts, Shaherose Charania and Aamir Virani. You'll hear about Shaherose's background as a startup builder turned VC who started as a product marketer and how she started Women 2.0, a startup ecosystem, and Founder Labs, a tech incubator. She also reviews her ti…

1
Shift Happens 55:03

7M ago55:03

55:03

Whether intentional or not, shifts are a constant. JZ is a master of the career pivot, and is here to tell us all about it, how she’s (impressively) navigated them to here current role as COO at Charm. But this is It Just Got Real, and so of course, we’re gonna get into it :) We also talk regretful decisions, missed opportunities, the complex exper…

1
Coming Soon - a podcast for Angels and Venture Capitalists who write first checks 0:40

7M ago0:40

0:40

Coming soon. First Funders is a podcast for the Angels and Venture Capitalists who write first checks. Co-hosted by Shaherose Charania, startup builder turned VC. And Aamir Virani, founder turned angel investor. In each episode, you'll hear from angel and seed-stage VCs who wrote the first checks into startups that made it. How did these investors …

1
1,000 Lives 57:38

7M ago57:38

57:38

9 lives isn’t even the beginning of what Karina has lived in her impressive career. From the military to banking to tech to coaching and so much more, throughout it all Karina Cares About The Humans. In this show we get into what it really means to be a “leader”? And how do you unleash potential in others as a manager? Karina brings the goods, smas…

1
Mirth and The Magician 35:47

7M ago35:47

35:47

If you identify as: “A ______ and an Artist” – or want to, this show is for you. In this (hilarious) episode we talk to Danielle, someone who isn’t only a tech founder in the Silicon Valley, but also a prolific and extremely funny artist. Highly aware of the unique (and sometimes bizarre) culture of the Bay Area, she’s consistently pranking it with…

1
Joy as an Act of Resistance 54:24

8M ago54:24

54:24

With Manushka Magloire. Whether you’re a community builder or appreciate being in community, Manushka's story is one you don’t want to miss. Amidst a loss-of-identity moment, the former Global Director of Social Impact and Community for AFROPUNK takes us through her journey of self-discovery and growth to leaning into her superpowers as a soul-led …

1
AI and the Future We (Don’t) Believe In 41:01

8M ago41:01

41:01

With Geneviève Patterson. In this episode, we bring on our first (!) guest, Dr. Geneviève Patterson, Han’s co-founder at Trash. Geneviève is an accomplished scientist specializing in computer vision and artificial intelligence. We talk to her about her current (surprising) project and what it’s been like to be on the forefront of inventing a techno…

1
Deciding to End It All 47:23

8M ago47:23

47:23

We're back for season 2! In today's new episode, Cheraé talks about continuing to be a founder, even when you're no longer running a company. She describes the winding road for Tastemakers Africa, how the pandemic impacted the business, and navigating changes in her identity since then. Learn about how to support the Fearless Fund.…

1
"It Just Got Real" Returns! 1:24

9M ago1:24

1:24

"It Just Got Real" returns next Thursday! Join us for Season 2 of It Just Got Real, a podcast for creative women in business who are carving out their own path in work and life. Join us every Thursday for the realness! Coming soon, wherever you listen to podcasts and now on YouTube.By Hannah Donovan and Cheraé Robinson

1
Episode 30: Trash is Treasure 44:55

3+ y ago44:55

44:55

The realest moment of the season goes down in the finale - Han announces she's sold her company TRASH to VSCO. The two unpack the ins and outs of getting acquired in the rona before going into a run-down of some of the biggest record scratches and culture moments of an insane 2020.By Hannah Donovan and Cherae Robinson

1
Episode 29: Do What Gets The People Going 34:28

3+ y ago34:28

34:28

Cherae realizes she's been so busy with making things sound right that she's stopped following her instincts. Han jumps in and they unpack everything from transparency, to the creative process, to just putting shit out there. In culture we discover Colors on YouTube and new music and we even make our way to discussing Mike Tyson now on Triller (bbm…

1
Episode 28: Swapping Out Your OS 31:12

3+ y ago31:12

31:12

Cherae realizes she needs more than a "work/life balance break" and unpacks what it's like to reprogram the way you get things done. Han chimes in with some thoughts on her own shifts before getting real about the state of COVID-19 in Los Angeles and what's really going on with pandemic Thanksgiving gatherings. The two close it out with Cherae step…

1
Episode 27: You Don't Have to Like It 30:46

3+ y ago30:46

30:46

Han gets asked a question that makes her confront the realities of building, and the not so glamorous parts of getting the job done. Cheraé chimes in with some thoughts on where our need for "veneer" comes from and the two of them have some record scratch moments from everyday life. In culture Han drops two new tracks (by other people, she has not …

1
Episode 26: Mama I Made It 35:58

4y ago35:58

35:58

With election results in - Han and Cherae dive into what this all means and are generally elated about the outcomes. In the real moment, Cherae chats moving into a new apartment in Brooklyn, what that means for her state of mind as a founder, and the tradeoffs female founders make unnecessarily in their journeys. In culture Soulection shows up agai…

1
Episode 25: In Limbo 24:57

4y ago24:57

24:57

Cherae and Han jump into the thing everyone is laser focused on: the US election. Recorded as the results were in the air, the two discuss what this means for America and for themselves. Han also gets pretty personal with her moment - you'll have to tune in to see how.By Hannah Donovan and Cherae Robinson

1
Episode 24: Creative Blocks Aren't A Thing 36:58

4y ago36:58

36:58

In another live episode from Mexico, Cheraé shares the moment where Han, over the most delicious of Portuguese dinners, blew up the idea of "creative blocks" and got to the nuts and bolts of how creative output (when it's what you do for a living) actually works. The record scratch dives into things white women are doing in 2020, including becoming…

1
Episode 23: Viva Mexico 38:59

4y ago38:59

38:59

Han and Cheraé take the pod to Mexico and deal with the realness of travel during COVID-19 and what makes something "essential essential". Han chats through the emotions and logistics of the entire decision and Cheraé's record scratch reveals that leaving the US doesn't always mean leaving its problematic ways. In culture or what could be called th…

1
Episode 22: Give It Time To Bake 39:08

4y ago39:08

39:08

Cheraé's week gets real when she has to hit pause and give herself time to get to leader level vision. Han chimes in with some lessons and cautions around the murky middle of being in the thick of a founder journey at the least celebrated stage. They both share tips for breaking through before jumping into the Record Scratch moment, which per norma…

1
Episode 21: Many Guns, Many Drawers 35:53

4y ago35:53

35:53

Han's moment is a bit of a founder's groundhog's day and tackles the idea of focus. Probably the single most repeated advice given to founders, Cheraé and Han tackle whether focus is really the key to the game. You'll have to listen in to see where they land. On the record scratch they chat Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis and Roblox's IPO (which Cheraé …

1
Episode 20: Fire is Better than Failing 53:46

4y ago53:46

53:46

Cheraé shares one of the hardest parts of being a founder and some pro tips for how to make the pill easier (in the long run). Han chimes in with some tried and true methods and some tangible ways to build better. The record scratch centers on the Breonna Taylor ruling, pulling in some lessons from Germany on dealing with America's ongoing race pro…

1
Episode 19: The Long Game 33:30

4y ago33:30

33:30

Han reveals a huge product accomplishment that was years in the making and shares the mindset and practice required to have the conviction to tackle the hard things that don't come easily. The record scratch is the one we all felt - the passing of RBG and the subsequent foolery that has commenced in America. In culture Han and Cheraé talk TikTok – …

1
Episode 18: Tunnel Vision 42:12

4y ago42:12

42:12

Cheraé shares the tension between founder ambitions vs. practical life choices. Han chimes in and shares that "Plan B" is not a thing. The two then talk about vision, conviction, and what that all really means - especially for founders trying to adult, have impact, and/or leave a legacy beyond their companies (if this is a thing). The record scratc…

1
Episode 17: Don't Smash the Egg 31:04

4y ago31:04

31:04

Han's life gets real when she learns just how intense getting a rescue dog can be. She re-evaluates this move, which is proving to be an exercise in patience. That's a muscle we should all be flexing during COVID-19, as we inch towards the sort of "normalcy" that existed before. You can't avoid including one Donald Trump moment during the record sc…

1
Episode 16: Discretion 35:54

4y ago35:54

35:54

Cheraé reflects on the passing of Chadwick Boseman and his choice to keep his battle with cancer private. Han chimes in and they both reflect on whether sharing your struggle is always the right (or necessary) way forward. Jacob Blake and the NBA strike make this week's record scratch (in what feels like an ongoing one for the US), and Han closes u…

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