Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode, David Skok, founder and CEO of The Logic, discusses his journey from traditional journalism to leading a digital-first news outlet. He reflects on his time at The Boston Globe, where he helped the publication transition to a digital subscription model. This experience laid the foundation for his decision to launch The Logic, focusing on Canada's innovation economy and providing high-quality, in-depth reporting.

David explains how Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation influenced his approach to digital media. He saw an opportunity to address gaps in Canadian tech and business coverage, and launched The Logic in 2018. He highlights the challenges of building a digital publication in a space dominated by legacy media and how his publication has carved out its niche by focusing on critical, analytical journalism.

The discussion also covers the impact of Bill C-18 on the media landscape in Canada, with David offering insights into how it aims to level the playing field between big tech platforms and smaller news organizations. He also touches on the role of The Logic Summit, an annual event that brings together leaders in tech and business, as part of his broader mission to foster a stronger innovation ecosystem in Canada.

And John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity joins Matt Cohen to discuss the latest tech and venture capital news.

About David Skok:

David Skok is the founder and CEO of The Logic, a business news publication focused on Canada’s innovation economy, with five bureaus across the country. Backed by the Financial Times, The Logic has become a prominent source of in-depth business journalism under his leadership.

With over 25 years of experience, David previously held senior roles at The Toronto Star and The Boston Globe, where he led digital strategy and helped grow BostonGlobe.com’s digital subscriptions by 40%. He also co-created Globalnews.ca, one of Canada’s leading digital news platforms.

David holds a Nieman Fellowship from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ryerson University. He also serves on the board of the Online News Association and advisory boards for several journalism institutions.

In this episode, we discuss:

News Rundown with John Ruffolo:

* (01:31) Elon Musk’s epic week

* (02:00) Discussion on the rise of reusable rocket systems and the implications for space exploration

* (03:26) Information Venture Partners (IVP), a Toronto-based venture capital firm, decides not to raise its fourth venture fund, citing market conditions and personal circumstances

* (05:00) The trend of venture funds consolidating and shifting towards more niche or special purpose vehicle (SPV) investments is explored

* (09:00) Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "AI godfather," wins the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to AI

* (12:00) Shopify President Harley Finkelstein's controversial comments about the lack of ambition in the Canadian tech sector, and the push for more risk-taking in AI development

* (14:50) John Ruffolo responds, emphasizing the need for better access to capital and support for Canadian entrepreneurs, rather than a lack of ambition being the primary issue

* (19:00) Matt and John discuss the large investments being made in U.S. data center developments and AI infrastructure, noting the contrast with Canada’s lack of similar projects

* (23:00) A story about Anguilla’s earnings from the ".ai" domain surge, and how it now accounts for 20% of the island’s government revenue

Interview with David Skok:

* (24:53) David Skok discusses his early years in journalism and how his experiences shaped his career

* (27:21) His experiences at The Boston Globe, leading its transition to a subscription-based model and the lessons learned from that time

* (31:00) The evolution of digital content consumption and how consumers’ preferences for news have changed

* (33:36) Clayton Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory on David’s decision to start The Logic, and his approach to navigating the shifting media landscape.

* (41:55) The founding of The Logic, initial challenges, and the importance of building a subscription-based media outlet

* (45:00) The competitive nature of the Canadian media landscape and the challenges of securing talent and resources for a startup media company

* (49:13) David explains The Logic Summit, how it serves as a platform for bringing together Canada’s innovation and business leaders, and its growing significance

* (51:58) The implications of Bill C-18 and how it affects relationships between media outlets and tech platforms like Google and Meta

* [56:43] The rise of generative AI, the challenges of copyright for news organizations, and the impact on journalistic integrity

* [59:00] David outlines The Logic’s approach to using AI and how they manage its integration with journalistic standards.

Fast Favorites:

* Favorite podcast: Pivot by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway

* Favorite newsletter or blog: Stratechery by Ben Thompson

* Favorite tech gadget: His iPhone

* Favorite new trend: Generative AI

* Favorite book: The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

* Favorite CEO to watch: Marc Benioff from Salesforce

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Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai

Matt Cohen sits down with Benedikt Langer, the thought leader behind the newsletter Embracing Emergence, to explore the world of emerging managers and their relationships with family offices and other Limited Partners (Limited Partners). Benedikt shares his journey of growing up in Germany to becoming an influential voice in the LP and Emerging Manager space, providing insights on why family offices and LPs should give more attention to emerging managers.

About Benedikt Langer:

Benedikt Langer is currently the Founder of Embracing Emergence, a platform dedicated to fostering collaboration and understanding between Limited Partners (LPs) and Emerging Managers (EMs). Through this initiative, he has created a space where both sides can exchange insights, build relationships, and engage in meaningful conversations to solve inefficiencies in the LP-GP process. In addition to running Embracing Emergence, Benedikt partners with select emerging managers, helping them craft their stories and strategies while guiding them in building strong connections with LPs.

Before launching Embracing Emergence in 2024, Benedikt founded The Associates Network, an exclusive community for over 225 Venture Capital associates and analysts worldwide. Through this network, he facilitated deal flow, educational events, and personal introductions, significantly enhancing collaboration within the global VC ecosystem. Concurrently, he worked as an Associate at The Sutton Firm, a single-family office where he helped shape the firm’s strategies in venture capital, real estate, and small business acquisition.

Earlier in his career, Benedikt gained a broad range of experiences, including a role as Senior Treasury Analyst at Vistra Corp. and advisory work with the Port Royal Society. His diverse background, combined with his passion for transparency and thought leadership in the family office space, has made him a sought-after partner in both the LP and EM communities.

In this episode, we discuss:

* (01:23) – Benedikt shares his background, growing up in Germany, and his journey into the venture world through a family office in Dallas

* (05:18) – The story of how Benedikt met his wife during a 500-mile pilgrimage

* (07:06) – The role of emerging managers in the venture ecosystem and common misconceptions held by LPs

* (10:11) – How LPs can better underwrite emerging managers and the importance of storytelling in pitching to LPs

* (12:31) – The concept of “LP-GP fit” and embracing complexity in relationships with emerging managers

* (14:28) – The importance of understanding professional and personal dimensions in emerging managers

* (20:00) – The value of direct communication and trust in LP-emerging manager relationships

* (23:50) – The role of fund of funds in mitigating risk and providing access to top-performing GPs

* (29:10) – How to effectively pitch to family offices and align with their values

* (34:00) – Reverse due diligence: what emerging managers should learn about family offices before pitching

* (36:00) – Differences between pitching founders and pitching family offices

* (39:40) – Benedikt’s vision for Embracing Emergence and fostering better relationships between LPs and emerging managers

Fast Favorites

* Favorite Podcast: Pints with Aquinas – If you could grab a beer with Thomas Aquinas, what would you talk about?

* Favorite Newsletter or Blog: The Abbey of Misrule – A blog about mysticism and wonder.

* Favorite Tech Gadget: AirPods – Essential for phone calls.

* Favorite New Trend: Marketing shifting from attention-based to thoughtfulness-based approaches.

* Favorite Book: Pensées by Blaise Pascal.

* Favorite Life Lesson: "Always do the uncomfortable things first in life" – Advice from his father.

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai

On this week's episode, we welcome Mario Nigro, a partner at Stikeman Elliott, to discuss navigating the world of search funds and recent trends in mid-cap M&A.

Mario shares his journey to becoming an M&A expert and offers insights into the evolving landscape of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the Canadian market.

He explains the rising popularity of the entrepreneurship-through-acquisition model and highlights the essential traits for aspiring search fund founders.

We also explore current trends in mid-market M&A, the impact of rising interest rates, and the significant changes since the 2021-2022 market correction.

Mario provides practical tips for sellers preparing for M&A and emphasizes the importance of strategic planning and cultural due diligence for buyers.

Finally, Mario shares his outlook on the future of mid-market M&A, the role of technology, and the opportunities available for young entrepreneurs.

About Mario Nigro:Mario Nigro is a partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he works in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity & Venture Capital Groups. His practice includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and corporate reorganizations. Mario has worked with clients in various industries, including technology, food, retail, and manufacturing. He also hosts the "Views from the Market: Midmarket M&A and Private Equity" podcast.

Before Stikeman Elliott, Mario was a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, focusing on corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, and energy transactions. He also has experience with Ontario Power Generation and served as a policy adviser in the Office of the Ontario Minister of Education.

Mario earned law degrees from McGill University, a Master’s and a Bachelor’s of Education from Western University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

* (01:13) Mario discusses his journey from kindergarten teacher to M&A expert.

* (03:00) Overview of the rise of search funds and differences between traditional and self-funded models.

* (04:56) Explanation of the economic structures in search funds.

* (07:00) Discussion on how search funds have evolved in Canada.

* (12:04) Why investors prefer funded search models and their benefits.

* (14:55) Key traits of successful search fund founders.

* (19:22) Current trends in mid-market M&A and the role of search funds.

* (24:25) Increasing role of technology in M&A and its impact on traditional industries.

* (28:40) Impact of rising interest rates on mid-market M&A deals.

* (31:20) Common pitfalls for sellers and the importance of preparation.

* (35:45) Advice for new CEOs post-acquisition on building strong relationships.

* (43:00) Mario’s outlook on the future of mid-market M&A in Canada.

* (49:00) Tips for managing complex and high-pressure deal negotiations.

Mario’s Fast Favorites:

🎙 Favorite Podcast: "Views from the Market"

📰 Favorite Newsletter or Blog: "New York Times"

📲 Favorite Tech Gadget: AirPods Pro

📈 Favorite New Trend: TikTok’s cultural impact

📚 Favorite Book: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

🤔 Favorite Life Lesson: All-in mentality

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai

Mountaineering is a sport that draws a lot of comparisons. Climbing can be done as a lark or as a well-planned expedition. Sometimes even the best-planned climbs can end in disaster due to one wrong choice or factors outside the control of the climbers. And sometimes everything is perfect and an underprepared climber can achieve something special.

At the end of the day, you need to show up and do the climb before you know the outcome.

That same truth applies to venture capital and investing, and our guest today, Tony van Marken of First Ascent Ventures, marries both those pursuits as a successful operator, investor, and mountaineer.

We touched on how Tony supports founders going through the emotional startup journey, and how to help CEOs during a company-wide layoff. Tony shares his experience as a public market CEO, and how the recent sell-off in Canadian IPOs is impacting his Founders.

About Tony van Marken:Tony van Marken is the co-founder and Managing Partner of First Ascent Ventures. Previously he was the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vox Telecom Limited, a leading independent telecommunications service provider in South Africa. Tony is a former General Partner with XDL Intervest Corporation, a Canadian venture capital fund, where he led investments in the software and telecommunications industry. Prior to XDL, he was President and CEO of Architel Systems Corporation. 

Tony is an accomplished endurance athlete and a veteran of over 35 high-altitude mountaineering expeditions with over 65 summits. He summited Everest in 2005 to complete his quest to climb the world’s seven continental summits.

Tony graduated with a B.Sc. (Computer Science) from the University of Cape Town and with a B.Comm. (Economics and Business Management) from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and has completed executive education courses at Kellogg University, Wits Business School (South Africa) and the Oxford Saïd Business School.

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:45 Tony’s career journey to becoming an investor06:01 Perspective on the current downturn and how it compares to ones in the past09:12 Why today may be the best time to make investments11:06 Common mistakes founders make in downturns15:42 Why now is a good time for founders to raise prices17:12 Helping founders manage the emotional rollercoaster21:27 How founders can manage a RIF and layoffs27:35 Advice to CEOs considering an IPO36:51 Has power returned to VCs or do founders still have the edge38:25 Expectations Tony has for new investments40:52 What should founders be asking investors?44:18 Should founders pursue remote or in-person for their companies50:39 Tony’s mountaineering experiences

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: Beyond the Grid with Tom Clarkson

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter/Blog: The Daily Maverick

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Garmin In Reach Mini-2

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Travel and experiences

* 📚 - Favorite Book: Never Split the Difference

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson: Never ignore the opportunity to learn from failure…

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

The road of a solo GP is full of highs and lows, and today’s guest Kirby Winfield has been through all of it. After working in the 90s tech and startup scene in Seattle, Kirby went on to found Ascend VC as a solo GP. We talk about his biggest lessons, the best advice he’s gotten, and dig into some of the stories from the trenches as an emerging manager.

About Kirby Winfield:Kirby Winfield is currently the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, a pre-seed stage venture fund investing in marketplace, e-commerce/DTC, and B2B software startups in the Pacific Northwest.

Early in his career, Kirby was a founding team member and operating executive at back-to-back tech IPOs, with Go2Net (GNET) and Marchex (MCHX). He is also a two-time venture capital-backed CEO, with AdXpose (DFJ, Ignition) acquired by comScore (SCOR), and Dwellable (Maveron, VersionOne) acquired by HomeAway (AWAY).

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:45 Kirby’s journey into tech06:08 Lessons from the Dot Com bust12:21 Why founders should get to know public market analysts13:45 Kirby’s early experience as an Angel Investor16:07 Early exits as an investor18:11 Finding his first LPs as an emerging manager21:36 Why he viewed his age as a first time manager as an advantage26:37 Building a better startup ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest31:37 Kirby’s original investment thesis and how is has evolved38:19 Managing as a solo GP45:03 Things to avoid that may be red flags to LPs49:10 Navigating the seed and early stage markets in 202252:50 The best career advice he’s gotten as a GP

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: Chuck D - Narrates the Band the Clash, Invest like the best

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter/Blog: Chad Sanderson substack - Data Products

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Garmin

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Lower valuation caps

* 📚 - Favorite Book: Led Zepplin, The Beatles

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson: Running Everyday Solves Problems

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

Building company culture through a screen is a challenge more and more organizations are facing these days. The benefits of remote work will not go away, so how can organizations adapt and evolve to build a culture with everyone spread out? Our guest today is Jason Goldlist, CEO and Co-Founder of Venue, a remote-first meeting software for culture-obsessed companies. We talk about Jason’s dedication to community throughout his career working at amazing companies like Wealthsimple, and how he got Slack’s Founder, Stuart Butterfield and Accel Partners to back his startup.

About Jason Goldlist:Jason Goldlist is the Co-Founder and CEO of Venue, he has been an operator with strong ties to community-building for the last 15 years. Prior to Venue, Jason was Head of Marketing and General Manager of Wealthsimple. He also Co-Founded TechTO, one of Canada’s most prominent tech communities. He began his career at McKinsey and did his undergrad at the University of New Brunswick and his MBA at INSEAD.

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:37 Jason’s journey into tech04:45 Why he leans towards counterintuitive decisions06:30 Lessons Jason took from working at McKinsey09:23 Working in sub Saharan Africa10:57 His experience working at Wealthsimple13:30 Judging his early career in terms of experience in the moment and in retrospect15:29 Jason’s first role at Wealthsimple and how it grew19:18 How he worked on Culutre at Weathsimple20:05 Origins of TechTO23:17 What TechTO has accomplished27:25 How the pandemic and the TechTO events schedule inspired Venue30:18 Steps Jason and the Venue team took to help define the problem32:18 Why 2x2 analysis can sometimes deceptive34:20 Building Venue’s MVP37:46 How venue is helping build culture and community in the remote world39:58 ROI casestudies for Venue43:09 How Venue’s $4M seed came together47:21 The long-term vision for Venue

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: Reply All, the show about the Internet and how we relate to it, told through the lens of amazing storytelling and mysteries. Start with episode #158, the case of the missing hit. 

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter/Blog: The TechTO newsletter. Monday is community events and people, Wednesday is career advice and opportunities, and Friday is all about news and fundraising. 

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Stream Deck by Elgato. I use it to control my lights, speakers, music and a lot more.

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Remote-first

* 📚 - Favorite Book: Bonfire of the Vanities, In Cold Blood, and The Sun Also Rises

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson:Know thyself

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

Once is lucky, twice is good. And our guest today is good. Darrell Silver, Founder and CEO of Unbundle Studio, has sold two companies for over $100M and he’s using that experience to start investing. We dig into why Darrell decided to help create tech companies with underappreciated founders in a venture studio model and the mindset needed for running the studio completely off his own balance sheet.

About Darrell Silver:Darrell Silver runs Unbundle Studio, a venture studio that launches tech companies with underappreciated founders. He is also a board member, advisor, and investor across EdTech and child advocacy.

He co-founded+CEO'd+sold two companies: Thinkful (acquired by Chegg) & Perpetually (acquired by Dell).

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:33 Darrell’s journey into Tech04:51 Darrell’s experience pitching Jason Calacanis and TechCrunch Disrupt08:21 Building Thinkful and selling to Chegg11:02 Best practices for acquihires and retaining senior talent13:00 Evaluating deals by weighing the best alternative15:46 Why you can’t BS your way through an M&A process17:32 Why Darrell launched Unbundle Studio21:41 The thesis behind Unbundle Studio23:25 Types of founders Unbundle is looking for24:22 Why Darrell is using his own money to start Unbundle26:01 How the traditional venture model doesn’t account for profitable businesses27:27 Darrell’s experience as an LP28:38 Why he sticks to his expertise when investing30:50 What he looks for when he invests33:06 The importance of good board members35:55 Building your networks37:05 What he learned from Mike Maples at Floodgate38:36 Redflags people should avoid when pitching him as an LP39:50 How Darrell adds value as an LP41:16 Why being a board member is philanthropic42:44 Advice for new LPs44:39 The best career advice he’s gotten as an LP45:50 Why he’s building a workshop with his dad

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: Mike Maples

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter/Blog: Matt Levine

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Apple Watch

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Google Home

* 📚 - Favorite Book: Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Grinding It Out

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson: How lucky he’s been to be presented with these life opportunities

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

It’s tempting to think of Venture Capitalists as the top of the food chain, but in reality, we are closer to founders. VCs build an investment thesis and then go test that thesis, both in the fundraising marketplace and in doing their investments. Just like with founders, sometimes the marketplace demands VCs to pivot and change their thesis, sometimes dramatically. And always—always—VCs are held accountable by their investors, known as Limited Partners, or LPs. Our guest today is Jeffrey Rinvelt, his work at Renaissance Venture Capital finds him investing as an LP across many funds. He’s got some great insights into what LPs are thinking, and what the market may hold in the coming months.

About Jeffrey Rinvelt:Jeffrey Rinvelt is a Partner with the Rennaisance Venture Capital. He was previously part of Ardesta, where he was a Director engaged in sourcing, evaluating, and conducting due diligence on investment opportunities, as well as monitoring and providing assistance to the companies in Ardesta’s portfolio. Prior to joining Ardesta, Jeff was a co-founder of GrapeVINE Technologies, providing Product Management and Marketing for their knowledge management product, eventually resulting in an acquisition by Sun Microsystems. Jeff was also part of the start-up team for MAXfunds.com, an Internet company providing complete coverage of the mutual fund industry, including hundreds of funds not available on any other site. In addition, Jeff spent five years with Ernst & Young’s Information Technology group as a senior consultant.

Jeff is a proud trustee of Western Michigan University and also lends his expertise to a number of local non-profits.

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cash back on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:38 Jeff’s journey into Venture Capital and why he started in Michigan05:11 How he got through the 2008 financial crisis06:11 The original investing thesis for Renaissance Venture Capital08:59 Inspiration and innovations around Renaissance10:33 What makes a good fund manager12:20 Red flags for emerging managers14:52 What’s more important for a manager, track record or technical chops?17:10 How Jeff works to give value as an LP19:33 Building a platform as an LP20:29 What the current market is like as an LP22:50 Internal conversations around deployment of funds in 202224:05 Types of returns they are looking for in the current market25:38 Are preferred returns required to get LPs27:15 Advice to new LPs28:46 Why isn’t there standardized reporting around track record for Venture30:55 The problems with current 409A valuations32:55 Thoughts on opportunity funds34:29 Why Jeff stopped doing direct investments35:12 Philosophies around co-investing opportunities36:37 Investment categories Jeff is excited about38:20 Showing off results from research and investments39:24 The best career advice he’s ever gotten

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: Cocaine and Rhinestones The History of Rock in 500 Songs

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter/Blog: Dave Pell’s Next Draft

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Raspberry Pi

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Work from Home and Walk and Talks

* 📚 - Favorite Book: The Hard Things About Hard Things

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson: Longterm games with long-term people

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

The term A/B testing gets thrown around a lot in startups, many use it to great effect, and some know they should use it, but never quite do. Our guest today is Chetan Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of Eppo, a platform that helps companies run useful, reliable experiments by automating the analysis, diagnostics, and investigations, all on top of your data warehouse. We get into the power of A/B testing, how Eppo can unlock that power for startups of all sizes, and best practices for implementing them.

About Chetan Sharma:Chetan Sharma is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eppo. Previously, he was Data Scientist at Webflow and Airbnb. Chetan worked in empirical healthcare policy, helping to craft metrics and incentive systems as part of the Affordable Care Act's pay-for-performance programs. He has BS and MS degrees from Stanford.

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cashback on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:25 Chetan’s journey into startups and data science03:46 His experience working at AirBnB06:56 How one of his projects at AirBnB became open source11:22 Chetan’s decision to take a year to travel before his next career move14:42 Why A/B testing is so popular at startups17:34 Some misconceptions around A/B testing21:31 Why companies struggle with A/B testing24:08 What happens when A/B gives inaccurate results26:38 Picking the right northstar metrics for your company to track29:32 How capital-constrained companies can use A/B testing to solve problems faster30:59 What Eppo does to make A/B testing better32:15 How Eppo works34:12 Why focusing your company to work on core products and not tools is important at early startups35:42 What early-stage startups can do to get more data38:04 The ROI of Eppo even in a recession39:39 The value-add of Eppo40:32 Customer case studies of Eppo42:43 Eppo’s new Cupid product46:13 Plans for the recent $16M Series A round backed by some of world’s leading data and  product investors like Menlo Ventures and Amplify Partners

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast: NFL Podcasts, Hardcore History, Ezra Klein, Tyler Cowen

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter /Blog: Lenny Rachitsky

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Apple Watch

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Angel Investing

* 📚 - Favorite Book: How Asia Works

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson: All you know is what you personally observe and what you personally feel, you don’t know intentions of others.

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

The human component of building a startup has always been, and probably will always be one of the most challenging aspects of any organization. Our guest today is an expert in building culture and getting the best out of people, Sandy Scholes, Chief People Officer, most recently at Flipp, has a wealth of experience in team building and coaching managers to get high performance from their teams.

About Sandy Scholes:Sandy Scholes is a leader with 15+ years of global HR experience ranging from large multinational organizations to mid-size companies both public and private. Most recently she was the CPO of Flipp. Previously Sandy was Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources at Entertainment One, and Senior Vice President, People at Softchoice.

A word from our sponsor:

At Ripple, we manage all of our fund expenses and employee credit cards using Jeeves. 

The team at Jeeves helped get me and my team setup with physical and virtual credit cards in days. I was able to allow my teammates to expense items in multiple currencies allowing them to pay for anything, anywhere at anytime. We weren’t asked for any personal guarantees or to pay any setup or monthly SaaS fees.

Not only does Jeeves save us time, but they also give us cashback on our purchases including expenses like Google, Facebook, or AWS every month. New users can earn up to 3% cashback for their first 90 days.

The best part is Jeeves puts up the cash, and you settle up once every 30 days in any currency you want, unlike some other corporate card companies that make you pre-pay every month. Jeeves also recently launched its Jeeves Growth and Working Capital initiative for startups and fast-growing companies to enable more financial freedom for companies. The best thing of all is that Jeeves is live in  24 countries including Canada, US and many other countries around the world.

Jeeves truly offers the best all-in-one expense management corporate card program for all startups especially the ones at Ripple and we at Tank Talks could not be more excited to officially partner with them. Listeners of Tank Talks can get set up with a demo of Jeeves today and take advantage of our Tank Talks special with a‍ $250 statement credit after the first $2,500 in spend or a $500 statement credit after the first $5000 in spend. Lastly, all Jeeves cardholders receive access to their Lounge Pass program and access to over 1300 airports globally.

Visit tryjeeves.com/tanktalks to learn more.

In this episode we discuss:

02:44 Sandy’s journey into tech04:43 How Sandy was able to navigate between large organizations and smaller startups07:07 Dealing with office politics at large companies09:19 What is performance management and how it differs from traditional HR11:42 Why open ended questions and frameworks are important12:59 Problems with traditional performance reviews16:25 Types of frameworks that work best for managers19:40How much influence should managers have in setting OKRs21:39The cadence that performance and work plans should be updated23:35Why isn’t performance management more widely adopted24:19How often should managers check-in?29:06Advice to managers to avoid random or confusing feedback33:01Communicating expectations to employees34:20How do you establish a culture of high performance without dealing with burnout or high turnover37:01Dealing with burnout38:02What to do with high performance/low culture fit hires39:23Favorite tools to help with performance coaching40:09Does Sandy coach performance to those in her private life41:15About her father

Fast Favorites

* 🎙- Favorite Podcast:  Ted Talks

* 📰 - Favorite Newsletter /Blog: HBR / Center for Creative Leadership

* 📲 - Favorite Tech Gadget: Theragun

* 📈 -  Favorite New Trend: Pickle Ball

* 📚 - Favorite Book:   Work Book: Good to Great 

* 🤔 - Favorite Life Lesson:  I always loved this quote: Whether You Think you can or Think you can’t - You’re right. Get out of your comfort zone and try something even if you think you may fail. Push your envelope and build your confidence and courage.  I especially think this is important for females.  We second-guess ourselves too much. 

Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!

Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency