"World of DaaS" – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Scott Stephenson is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: VRSK), where he led the company's transformation from a nonprofit insurance data collective into a global data analytics powerhouse with a market cap of over $40 billion.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Scott and Auren discuss:

• Data monetization and defensibility strategies
• AI's impact on data businesses
• Leadership succession in data companies
• Effective board membership

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Scott Stephenson on Linkedin. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Martin Casado is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he focuses on AI and infrastructure investments. He previously co-founded Nicira which was acquired by VMware for $1.2 billion in 2012.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Martin and Auren discuss:

• Economics of open source AI
• Chinese AI innovation with DeepSeek
• Model collapse and data moats
• Regulatory challenges in AI

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Martin Casado on X at @martin_casado.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Rajeev Goel is the co-founder and CEO of PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM), a sell-side advertising platform that processes over 780 billion ad impressions daily.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Rajeev and Auren discuss:

• Building private cloud infrastructure for ad tech
• Processing 780 billion daily ad impressions
• The rise of retail media networks
• Political advertising in Connected TV

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Rajeev Goel on LinkedIn.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Jack Abraham is the founder of Atomic, a startup studio that has launched several dozen companies including Hims & Hers, Openstore, and Bungalow. Before starting Atomic, Jack co-founded Milo, which he sold to eBay.

Auren and Jack discuss how the studio fund model works and what’s allowed Atomic to be successful in a space where many other studios have failed. Jack breaks down the process of finding scalable ideas and deciding which ones to allocate resources to. 

Auren and Jack also dive into the history of the startup studio model and highlight the success stories of companies like Uber, Twitter, and Moderna that originated from studios. They also discuss the benefits of starting a company during a downturn, scaling companies quickly, and the art of branding for both DTC and B2B companies. Jack also shares his thoughts on what’s made Miami a tech hub and where the city will be going in the future.  

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Jack Abraham on Twitter at @jackabraham.

Will Manidis is the CEO and founder of ScienceIO, which builds data solutions for health care. He was previously a managing partner at Dorm Room Fund, and a Thiel Fellow.

Auren and Will discuss American dynamism and the future of knowledge work. Will breaks down his view that technology has not improved our lives as much as it should have. He explains how the nature of platform shifts have accelerated tech earnings over the last decade, but kept actual progress low. 

Will and Auren also do a deep dive on healthcare: why it’s so expensive, why healthcare data is so difficult to work with, and what can be changed. Will emphasizes the need for more usable healthcare data and breaks down how operational workflows consume most of the healthcare dollars spent in the US. 

They also discuss Will’s practical advice for young founders (as a founder and former Thiel fellow), his early work on classical Greek and Latin, and why everyone should believe in demons.  

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Will Manidis on Twitter at @WillManidis.

Avlok Kohli is the CEO of AngelList and the founder of FastBite and Fairy. 

Auren and Avlok discuss the underestimated impact of AI and how it could be creating a tech mega cycle. Avlok explains the importance of unique data as a moat for companies building on top of large language models, and how this technology can disrupt incumbents. 

They also discuss the rise of Dual Threat CEOs and their outsized success in early stage venture capital. Avlok makes the case for why more current operators should start funds, and explains why they’ll thrive in the changing VC landscape. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Avlok Kohli on Twitter at @avlok.

Elad Gil is a prolific angel investor and advisor whose early investments include AirBnb, Coinbase, Pinterest, Stripe, and Square. He’s also the founder of Color Health and author of the bestselling book High Growth Handbook.

Elad and Auren discuss the challenges and opportunities for startups in the emerging AI technology landscape, particularly in comparison to incumbent companies. Elad breaks down what he’s learned as an angel investor and provides some non-generic advice for making good early-stage investments. 

Auren and Elad also discuss fundraising and operating in lean times, the potential for life extension drugs, and why the biotech market is so fragmented. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Elad Gil on Twitter at @eladgil.

Johnathan Bi is the host of a fantastic seven-part lecture series on the work of philosopher René Girard. He’s also a member of the founding team at Opto Investments. 

Auren and Johnathan discuss some of the fundamental concepts in Girard’s philosophy and how they apply to startups, venture capital, and life more broadly. They break down physical vs metaphysical desire, the power of self-delusion, and Girard's concept of zero-sum and negative-sum human interactions.

Johnathan explains what to make of Girard’s apocalyptic thoughts on the future of humanity, and makes some useful recommendations for using mimetic theory to improve your life. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Johnathan Bi on Twitter at @JohnathanBi.

Nicole Perlroth was the New York Times’ lead cybersecurity reporter for over a decade. She’s an advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee and the author of the bestselling book This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends.

Auren and Nicole discuss the global cyber landscape— which countries have the strongest hacking capabilities, how Ukraine has changed cyber warfare, and where the US stacks up against its adversaries. 

Nicole also shares insights on personal opsec and recounts her experience tracking down a potential leaker behind the Shadow Brokers hack of the NSA. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Nicole Perlroth on Twitter at @nicoleperlroth.

Sigal Mandelker served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence from 2017 to 2019. She’s currently a general partner at Ribbit Capital, which invests in fintech companies. 

Sigal and Auren discuss how sanctions actually work and what makes them effective. Sigal explains how the US’s role in the global financial system could change as new financial technology evolves. They also discuss how the government should work with the private sector, why crypto regulation has moved so slowly, and where the US is starting to look to other countries for regulatory leadership. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Sigal Mandelker on LinkedIn.