"Can't Be Done"

Max Haot - Mission for Infinite Humanity

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Join Adam Draper, founder of Boost VC and host of the "Can’t Be Done" Podcast, as he chats with Max Haot, CEO of Vast. Max shares his wild ride from Livestream founder to launching a space startup acquired by Vast. They explore his vision for humanity in space, from private stations to cosmic bathrooms. Expect deep insights, big dreams, and a lot of laughs in this inspiring, future-focused episode on tech, space, and what it all means for us.

Max is an aerospace, consumer electronics, and internet entrepreneur. Founded, scaled, and successfully sold four companies including Launcher (acquired by Vast), Mevo (acquired by Logitech), and Livestream (acquired by IAC/Vimeo).

Connect with Max Haot

Company website https://www.vastspace.com/

Vast Space on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/vastspace/

Vast Space on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vastspacestation/

Vast Space on X https://x.com/vast

Max on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhaot/

Max on X https://x.com/maxhaot

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/boost-vc/?viewAsMember=true

Boost VC on X https://x.com/BoostVC?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/?hl=en

James Sinka - We Can Save Ourselves

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 3 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Join Adam Draper, founder of Boost VC and host of the "Can’t Be Done" Podcast, as he chats with James Sinka, Chief Scientific Officer at BIO Protocol. They dive into sci-fi novels, leadership, and the challenges Sinka faced on his journey. Beyond personal insights, they explore DeSci, the crucial role of scientists, and how researchers can secure financial rewards alongside recognition for groundbreaking work. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on science, motivation, and innovation!

Science Lead @ Bio.xyz - YCW19 Alum, repeat founder, and chemist.

Connect with James Sinka

Bio Protocol https://www.bio.xyz/

Bio Protocol on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bioprotocol/

Bio Protocol on X https://x.com/bioprotocol

James on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessinka/

James on X https://x.com/jamessinka

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/boost-vc/?viewAsMember=true

Boost VC on X https://x.com/BoostVC?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/?hl=en

Andrew Bakst - "Cure hair loss, obviously"

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Adam Draper, Founder of Boost VC and host of the "Can’t Be Done" Podcast, sits down with Andrew Bakst, Co-Founder of HairDAO, to explore how decentralized research is transforming hair loss treatments. They discuss HairDAO’s mission as an open-source R&D network, the role of crypto in reshaping technology, and why DAOs are redefining scientific funding. Plus, they dive into changing perceptions of hair loss and the flaws in traditional testing models.

"The answer to life is in your hair follicles.” - Douglas Adams

Co-founder/Chief Technocrat of HairDAO; MechE turned BioE; Stanford 2018.

Connect with Andrew Bakst

HairDAO https://www.hairdao.xyz/

HairDAO on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/hairdao/

HairDAO on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hairdao/

HairDAO on X https://x.com/HairDAO_?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

HairDAO on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hairdao?lang=en

Andrew on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bakst-78b21b100/

Andrew on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/apballer4/?hl=en

Andrew on X https://x.com/andrew_bakst

Andrew on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewbakst242?lang=en

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/boost-vc/?viewAsMember=true

Boost VC on X https://x.com/BoostVC?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/?hl=en

Patrick Joyce - "Nullius in verba"

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Join Adam Draper, Founder of Boost VC and host of the "Can’t Be Done" Podcast, as he chats with Patrick Joyce, Co-Founder of ResearchHub. They dive into the challenges of modern science, the DeSci movement, and how ResearchHub is transforming funding for researchers. Joyce shares insights on “shorting academia” and reimagining the scientific process. This conversation is a must-watch for anyone passionate about the future of research and innovation.

Patrick is a former PhD and medical student who dropped out of two separate academic institutions because of the broken incentives that govern the global economy for scientific research. He cofounded ResearchHub to accelerate science by building a modern venue for the decentralized publication of scholarly literature that leverages cryptocurrency rewards to align incentives and increase knowledge creation.

Connect with Patrick Joyce

Research Hub https://www.researchhub.com/

Research Hub on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/researchhubtechnologies/

Research Hub on X https://x.com/ResearchHub

Patrick on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-joyce-396b953b/

Patrick on X https://x.com/joycesticks

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/boost-vc/?viewAsMember=true

Boost VC on X https://x.com/BoostVC?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/?hl=en

Jordan Kutzer - Overcoming Rejection, Visceral Virtual Connections, and VR as a Car for the Internet

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Join Boost VC’s Adam Draper as he chats with Jordan Kutzer, founder of Throwback Studios, about how Jordan correlates the competitive nature of starting a company to baseball, especially regarding his mission to become the biggest VR brand and media company in the world. During this high velocity discussion, Jordan details the overcoming of multiple rejections, "coaching" customers, building visceral relationships in VR, and his inherent instinct to win. Tune in for key insights into the world of VR!

Jordan holds a Stanford University B.A. in Science, Technology & Society with a concentration in Information Technology, Media and Society (2015). Former Stanford Student-Athlete and Pitcher. Working to empower the next generation of game creators.

Connect with Jordan Kutzer

Throwback Studios https://throwback.studio/

Throwback Studios on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/throwbackvr/

Throwback Studios on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throwback.vr/

Throwback Studios on X https://x.com/throwbackvr

Throwback Studios on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@throwbackvr

Jordan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordankutzer/

Jordan on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jordankutzer/?hl=en

Jordan on X https://x.com/jordankutzer

Jordan on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@jordankutzer

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC LinkTree https://linktr.ee/boostvc

Sampriti Bhattacharyya - An Awakening, Flying Boats, and Maritime Dynamism

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 3 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Join Boost VC’s Adam Draper as he chats with Sampriti Bhattacharyya, founder of Navier. She shares her journey from a small city in India to building a next-gen maritime company in the U.S. From sun-tracking solar panels to dodging marriage and surviving a landslide, Sampriti’s story is one of overcoming challenges. She highlights the value of exceptional people, persistence through failures, and her mission to transform the future of waterways. Tune in for an inspiring episode!

Sampriti is a 3x founder and the CEO of Navier, a pioneering company at the forefront of innovation in sustainable, maritime transportation. Sampriti's journey began with a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after completing projects with NASA. Her academic pursuits span diverse fields including Electrical Engineering, High Energy Physics, Aerospace Engineering, MechE/Robotics/Control & AI. Driven by a passion for tackling fundamental technological challenges with global implications, Sampriti thrives on creating products that push the boundaries of exploration and discovery. Her work reflects a deep-seated commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to address pressing societal needs and unlock new frontiers of possibility.

Connect with Sampriti Bhattacharyya

Navier https://www.navierboat.com/

Navier on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/navierboat/

Navier on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/navierboat/?hl=en

Navier on X https://x.com/navierboat

Sampriti on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampriti-bhattacharyya-40368a3/

Sampriti on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sampriti_bh/?hl=en

Sampriti on X https://x.com/sampritibh?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC LinkTree https://linktr.ee/boostvc

AJ Forsythe - from 2000lb Crystals, to Cracked iPhones, to Chickens on Mars

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Join Boost VC’s Adam Draper as he chats with AJ Forsythe, founder of Coop, about his not-so-illustrious journey as a founder, and the rewarding yet challenging components of building companies. Discover how AJ’s journey evolved from his first steps building iCracked to his ambitious mission of putting chickens on Mars. Adam and AJ reflect on the nature of entrepreneurship and the importance of seizing life's fleeting moments. Tune in for another fun episode filled with shark diving, fossils, and more!

AJ is going to put chickens on mars. He’s a serial entrepreneur and absolutely loves the startup life (mainly because he’s probably unemployable 😂). In college he founded YC-backed iCracked which was a multinational on-demand phone repair and insurance company that grew to 6 countries and a few thousand technicians. They were acquired by Allstate in 2019 and now he’s running Boost VC backed company, Coop, which builds AI powered chicken coops for anyone’s backyard. AJ has been recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list , was #23 on INC 5000, and continues to innovate at the intersection of agriculture and tech – and wakes up with a smile everyday because he’s building his dream company.

Connect with AJ Forsythe

Coop https://smart.coop.farm/

Coop on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/coop-inc/

Coop on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesmartcoop/

Coop on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thesmartcoop

Coop on X https://x.com/thesmartcoop

AJ on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajforsythe/

AJ on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aj__forsythe/

AJ on X https://x.com/spudzeee

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC LinkTree https://linktr.ee/boostvc

Collin West - Rowing across the Arctic, Near Death Experiences, and Venture Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Join Boost VC’s Adam Draper as he chats with Collin West, founder of Ensemble VC, about his incredible journey rowing across the Arctic Ocean and how it changed his approach to decision-making and team management. Learn how this experience influences Ensemble’s data-driven approach to assessing startups. Adam and Collin dive into the evolution of venture capital and reflect on their near-death experiences. Tune in for laughs, insights, and a fresh perspective on adventure and opportunity in VC!

Collin is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ensemble VC, which focuses on using data to identify top teams building companies that can impact a billion people. Collin is also a Guinness World Record holder for leading the first-ever crossing of the Arctic Ocean. His team of four rowed non-stop and unsupported for 41 days through the biggest storm season in Arctic history - this is where he learned just how important a great team is pursuing a mission that's never been done before. Collin's prior investments include Zoom Video (NASDAQ: ZM), Carta, Groww, ICON, Saronic, Sidecar Health, and many others. Previously, Collin was a founder of the Kauffman Fellows VC fund and on the founding fund team at the pioneering data-driven VC firm Correlation Ventures. An avid competitor, Collin spends his free time training Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mountain biking, and climbing mountains.

Connect with Collin West

Ensemble VC https://www.ensemble.vc/home/#ensemble

Ensemble VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ensemblevc/

Collin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinwest/

Collin on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/collinrwest/?hl=en

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC LinkTree https://linktr.ee/boostvc

Bringing Scientific Expertise to the VC Market—with Arkady Kulik of RPV

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:12:59 +0000

According to a BCG report, only 19% of VCs have some kind of scientific or technological competence. And that creates a translation problem between deep tech founders and investors.

To close that gap, Arkady Kulik and his cofounder, Tamaz Khunjua, built RPV, a venture fund that brings scientific expertise to the market and helps scientists become strong entrepreneurs.

On this episode of The Boost VC Podcast, Arkady joins us to explain how the RPV team’s extensive background in science and entrepreneurship serves deep tech startups.

Arkady describes how starting a venture fund differs from founding other companies and shares his excitement around ‘being at the edge of science’ as a frontier tech VC.

Listen in for Arkady’s unique take on what it means to be useful to others and learn how RPV is working to make talented scientists billionaires!

Topics Covered

The idea behind RPV

Help scientists become strong entrepreneurs
‘Commercialization of science’

How Arkady got into venture capital

Moved to US to be part of scientific exploration of humanity
Lack of funding in prototyping stage of deep tech startups

Arkady’s biggest accomplishment before age 20

Launched first company at 18 without external investment
Scaled to annual revenue of $5M in third year

How starting a venture fund differs from starting other companies

More competitive, thousands of similar funds raising money
Harer to differentiate and properly tell story of niche

What part of being a VC Arkady enjoys the most

Being at edge of science and meeting interesting people
Finding processes that make things work

The secret skills Arkady is most proud of

Developed extreme level of discipline
Extremely organized in managing time and data

How Arkady thinks about being useful to others

Provide with relevant information or connections
Put smile on someone’s face, make life better

The most valuable thing RPV provides for deep tech startups

External proof point for science and technology
Entrepreneurial experience and change management

Arkady’s ‘deathbed test’ to measure success

Nothing ‘could have but didn’t achieve’
Self-actualization (happy, complex person)

Connect with Arkady Kulik

RPV https://rpv.global/

RPV on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/rpvglobal/

Arkady on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkady-kulik/

Arkady on X https://twitter.com/arkadykulik

Resources

Starburst Aerospace https://starburst.aero/

Cantos VC https://cantos.vc/

Countdown https://countdown.capital/

Fifty Years https://fiftyyears.com/

Productivity Planner https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/productivity-planner

Terraforming Mars https://www.fryxgames.se/games/terraforming-mars/

Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper and William H. Draper III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on X https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeepTech Series Ep # 4: Betting on Mission-Driven Deep Tech—with Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest?

Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology.

Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs.

On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’

Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to.

Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold.

Topics Covered

Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high school
Got into Hopkins prep school on scholarship

How Maryanna got into venture capital

Worked for early-stage company out of college
Job offer from Daimler to figure out driverless cars
Introduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus

The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VC

Trust your intuition
Don’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance

How Maryanna defines deep tech

‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’
Index on novelty at Future Ventures

What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right away

Asks what she must believe about reality for YES to hold
Discussion with partner to temper her excitement

Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in venture

Ideal for its efficiency and intellectual honesty
Never puts someone in tie-breaker position

Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investor

Confident in ability to assess tech on first principles
Know how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech

What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer to

Structure of open AI
Deep seabed mining, recycling battery technology

Maryanna’s definition of success

Feel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted
‘Everything I could give to this, I did’

Connect with Maryanna Saenko

Future Ventures https://future.ventures/

Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVC

Future on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/

Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/

Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/

Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko

Resources

Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/

DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles

Airbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlab

Beeflow https://www.beeflow.com/

Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311

Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeepTech Series Ep # 3: What to Look for in a Deep Tech Founder—with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Mon, 5 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Deep tech founders are either technically gifted or great at building a business. But it's seldom both, at least in the beginning.

So, what should venture investors pay attention to when we’re choosing founders in these disruptive technologies?

Greg Castle is Founder and Managing Director at Anorak Ventures, a firm that invests in early-stage deep tech startups.

An entrepreneur and corporate marketer turned VC, Greg has invested in 120 companies, including Oculus, Flexport and Mux.

On this episode of Boost VC, Greg joins us to explore how his view of venture investing has changed since he wrote his first check, explaining what he looks for in a founder and how he evaluates deep tech startups differently.

Greg shares his mixed feelings about the VR market right now and how he benefits from having a partner to engage in conviction-based decision-making.

Listen in for Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech and learn how Anorak chooses founders who apply disruptive technologies to business problems in any industry.

Topics Covered

How Greg got into venture capital

Curious person who advocates for people he believes in
Got lucky in first few personal investments, e.g.: Oculus

The most important lessons Greg has learned as a VC

What high-functioning teams and companies look like
Not to take it personally when things don’t go as planned

What Greg pays attention to when he’s choosing founders

How they interact with cofounders, react to feedback
Punctuality at meetings, preparedness and responsiveness

The questions Greg asks himself before he invests in a startup

Do I believe in the founder?
Do I believe in the market?

How Greg evaluates deep tech companies differently

Move forward with presumption that anything’s possible
Consider if technically gifted person can build business

Greg’s mixed feelings about the VR market right now

Viable platform where developers make real money
Frustrated by lack of competition, Meta fumbling the ball

Greg’s thoughts on Apple entering the VR/AR market

‘Nobody can make a product cool like Apple can’
Not well-positioned in immersive gaming (primary use case)

The Anorak investment thesis

Handful of technologies will have outsized impact on future
Find teams leveraging those technologies, industry agnostic

Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech

Always comes down to people
Build out ecosystem of investors, founders

How Greg thinks about scale in venture investing

Find great people in areas that are not your strengths
Scale of funds = $15M to $25M per partner

How Greg benefits from taking on a partner

Need to explain yourself to thought partner
Can still move quickly when he needs to

Greg’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

Building group of friends in college
Still works with many of them

Greg’s definition of success

Confident and comfortable in your own skin
Content with what you have

Connect with Greg Castle

Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/

Anorak on Medium https://anorakvc.medium.com/

Anorak on Twitter https://twitter.com/AnorakVentures

Anorak on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/anorak-ventures/

Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycastle/

Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12

Resources

Greg Castle on Boost VC EP001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyO3LpZD9Q

Greg Castle on Boost VC EP089 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qYRcDMoemjrMHDxKONu4A

Oculus https://www.meta.com/quest/

GOLF+ https://www.golfplusvr.com/

FitXR https://fitxr.com/

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman https://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman-ebook/dp/B000FC130E

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B000FBJCJE/

Hyperion by Dan Simmons https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004G60EHS/

Neuromancer by William Gibson https://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-Sprawl-Trilogy-William-Gibson-ebook/dp/B000O76ON6/

Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper & William Henry Draper, III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF

‘Perception Is Reality’ Presentation https://www.anorak.vc/post/perception-is-reality-8-startup-marketing-principles

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeepTech Series Ep # 2: Thesis Development for Deep Tech—with Seth Winterroth of Eclipse Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Sun, 21 May 2023 09:00:00 +0000

How does a venture firm approach investments in deep technology?

Seth Winterroth is Partner at Eclipse Ventures, a VC firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build companies that redefine physical industries.

Seth has nine years of experience in venture capital, serving as Associate at GE Ventures before he joined the team at Eclipse.

On this episode of Boost VC, Seth joins us to explore how Eclipse thinks about investing in emerging technologies, explaining how the team engages with customers and leverages internal expertise to identify high-magnitude market opportunities.

Seth shares his interest in robotics, discussing why the acquisition of Kiva Systems sparked his interest in this particular deep tech field and how he identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems—the first deal he led at Eclipse.

Listen in for Seth’s advice to young VCs on cultivating patience and responding to chaos with calm, engaging with founders in a way that’s rational and devoid of fear.

Topics Covered

The thesis at Eclipse Ventures

Small teams of engineers solving hard development problems
Industries that operate in physical world (80% of global GDP)

How Seth thinks about investing in emerging technology

Start with markets, customer pain points
Find specialist to develop n-of-1 solution
Add traditional engineers with experience scaling technology

What gets Seth excited about robotics

Kiva Systems acquisition by Amazon sparked interest
Saw market trends driving adoption of autonomous systems

The success of Seth’s first investment at Eclipse, 6 River Systems

Robotics company in supply chain logistics
Acquired for $500M by Shopify in 2019

How Seth identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems

Ideal team profile and product differentiation
Gap in market to replace Kiva Systems

Eclipse’s institutional process of thesis development

Engage with customers, purchasing decision-makers
Internal engineering expertise to identify gaps

Eclipse’s internal venture equity program

Cases where did research but didn’t find right opportunity
Engineer storm vs. wait for lightning to strike

What Eclipse does to win deals

Build relationships with founders
Provide evidence of value-added capital

The part of a deal Seth is most excited about

Find high-magnitude market opportunity to match worldview
Go to partners with conviction and say THIS ONE

What Seth would tell his 25-year-old self

Be patient, don’t rush to have track record in venture
Respond to chaos with calm, be rational and devoid of fear

What differentiates Eclipse from other venture firms

Tackle category of economy traditional VCs shy away from
Deep involvement with companies to improve odds

Seth’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

Live on own and travel world
Spend meaningful time with and learn from grandfather

Connect with Seth Winterroth

Eclipse Ventures https://eclipse.vc/

Eclipse on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eclipse-vc/

Eclipse on Twitter https://twitter.com/eclipseventures

Seth on Twitter https://twitter.com/Sethwinterroth

Seth on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterroth/

Resources

Kiva Systems Acquisition https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/19/amazon-acquires-online-fulfillment-company-kiva-systems-for-775-million-in-cash/

Willow Garage https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-back-at-willow-garage-2016-2

DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles

6 River Systems https://6river.com/

Bright Machines https://www.brightmachines.com/

BrightInsight https://brightinsight.com/

Foxglove Studio https://foxglove.dev/

Kevin Kelly’s Blog ‘You Are Not Late’ https://medium.com/message/you-are-not-late-b3d76f963142

Richard Hamming’s Talk ‘You and Your Research’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zDuOPkMSw

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin https://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0743270754

Lincoln https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeepTech Series Ep # 1: Making Global-Scale Impact Through Deep Tech—with Ian Rountree of Cantos

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Mon, 15 May 2023 13:11:07 +0000

What inspires a venture firm to focus on deep tech?

Ian Rountree is Founder and General Partner at Cantos, a venture fund that invests in potentially world-changing deep tech startups.

Cantos focuses on hardware and bio investing at the intersection of climate and industrials, life sciences and AI, aerospace and defense, and next-generation computing.

On this episode of Boost VC, Ian joins us to share his definition of deep tech and explain why he underwrites technical risk rather than market risk.

Ian discusses the value of founder empathy, challenging VCs to see the entrepreneur as their customer and LPs as shareholders in the portfolio.

Listen in to understand what drives Ian to make a global-scale impact, backing founders who tackle climate change, disease, armed conflict, poverty and existential risk.

Topics Covered

Ian’s biggest accomplishment before age 20

Getting Vanderbilt to accept him off waitlist
Refused to take NO as answer

Ian’s take on who is the customer in venture capital

Founder = customer
LP = shareholder

What inspired Ian to focus on deep tech

Tackle big problems, e.g.: climate change, poverty
Deep tech startups outperformed rest of portfolio

How losing his father early informs Ian’s work

Feels hard deadline to career and life
Wants to play small role in changing world

The criteria Ian uses to decide if a startup is ‘important’

Nonzero chance of global-scale impact
Tackles climate, disease, armed conflict or poverty

How Ian defines deep tech

Taking technical risk rather than market risk
Cantos specializes in hardware and bio investing

How Ian thinks about growing the Cantos organization

From solo GP to 4 equal partners
‘Fire’ himself by age 55

What’s behind Benchmark’s equal partnership structure

Set up for generational turnover from jump
May also be consequence of early success

Why a deep tech VC doesn’t need to be technical

Ask expert if violation of physics involved
Startups that change world challenge status quo

What differentiates software investing from deep tech

Software involves market risk, easy to pivot
Deep tech involves technical risk, hard to pivot

Ian’s diligence criteria

Size of market, potential margins at scale
Founder who understands their WHY

Connect with Ian Rountree

Cantos https://cantos.vc/

Cantos on Twitter https://twitter.com/cantos

Ian on Twitter https://twitter.com/ianrountree

Ian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianrountree/

Near Frontier Podcast https://nearfrontier.castos.com/

Resources

Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer’ https://avc.com/2005/11/the_vcs_custome/

Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer (Continued)’ https://avc.com/2009/07/the-vcs-customer-continued/

Radiant https://www.radiantnuclear.com/

Tim Urban’s TED Talk on Procrastination https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator/c

Benchmark https://www.benchmark.com/

eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work by Randall E. Stross https://www.amazon.com/eBoys-Inside-Account-Venture-Capitalists/dp/0812930959

Benchmark Part I on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-capital

Benchmark Part II on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-part-ii-the-dinner

Union Square Ventures https://www.usv.com/

Cerebras https://www.cerebras.net/

Eric Vishria on Twitter https://twitter.com/ericvishria

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep # 7: How DeSci Bridges Academia and the Startup World—with Niklas Rindtorff of LabDAO

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 21:30:27 +0000

Many independently minded, young scientists are too ambitious for academia… But the startup world isn’t quite right for them either.

How might decentralized science provide a space for these innovators to do their work?

Niklas Rindtorff is the classical scientist behind LabDAO, an online home for inventors that builds open tools for scientific research. Niklas coauthored his first paper before the age of 20, and he has expertise in CRISPR and cancer research.

On this episode of Boost VC, Niklas joins us to explain how classical science emerged after World War II and explore the problems with the NIH grant funding process.

Niklas shares his open-access approach to consuming scientific media and describes how DeSci is experimenting with different ways to measures the importance of new science.

Listen in to understand how decentralized science can serve as the bridge between research organizations and science startups, building an ecosystem for inventors who don’t fit into the nonprofit or for-profit world.

Topics Covered

How Niklas defines science

Formal knowledge generation process
Fishing at edge of what is known

How World War II changed the way we do science

Conflict won because of US sophisticated tech
NIH funding created class of full-time scientists
System doesn’t always maximize progress

How the importance of new science is determined

Measured by citations vs. markets
DeSci experiments with different accounting

How Niklas consumes scientific media

Used to use few free, open-access journals
Now leverage Twitter bookmarks, preprints

What LabDAO does for scientists

Provide tools to work wherever they are
Current focus on computational biology

What inspired Niklas to build LabDAO

Experience with inventions stuck in bureaucracy
Measure number of patients treated vs. citations

The age distribution of NIH grant recipients

Ages with scientists who were first
No market discipline, don’t answer to public

How we might equalize the demographic of NIH winners

Create more NIHs
Private funding agency with philanthropic match

How we might invest in a portfolio of science

Charge higher fee to run research-oriented fund
Online collectives do research sponsorships

How LabDAO itself is funded

Nonprofit governed by token
Private investors buy token for stake on projects

The relationship between academia and DeSci

Connective tissue among existing organizations
Inventors who don’t fit in academia or startups

Niklas’ definition of success

Strive toward personal values
Invent cool stuff

Connect with Niklas RIndtorff

LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/

LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao

LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao

LabDAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/labdao.eth

LabDAO on Medium https://medium.com/@labdao

LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao

Niklas on Twitter https://twitter.com/niklas_tr

Resources

Broad Institute https://www.broadinstitute.org/

‘Science the Endless Frontier’ 1945 Report to Congress https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/vbush1945.htm

National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/

Public Library of Science https://plos.org/

bioRxiv https://www.biorxiv.org/

New Science https://newscience.org/

VitaDAO https://www.vitadao.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep # 6: Commercializing Science for Climate Solutions—with George Church & Ben Lamm of Colossal

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 16:09:53 +0000

In academia, most scientists publish their ideas and stop there. But if we want our breakthroughs to benefit society, we have to take it a step further.

So, what does it look like to commercialize scientific research? What mindset do academics need to work at the intersection of science and industry?

Ben Lamm has a career of building successful deep tech businesses, and George Church has a career of commercializing academic science.

Together, they are the cofounders of Colossal, a breakthrough bioscience and genetic engineering company that is pioneering animal de-extinction technology to restore lost ecosystems for a healthier planet.

On this episode of Boost VC, Ben and George join us to explain how bringing back the woolly mammoth addresses climate change and explore their approach to the ethical concerns around de-extinction.

They discuss the benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding, describing how their work helps endangered animals and promotes conservation.

Listen in for Ben and George’s insight on commercializing science and learn how to get comfortable enough with risk to turn academic ideas into industry.

Topics Covered

How George defines science

Predict and create new options for humanity
Goal to build better world

Why Ben & George are bringing back the woolly mammoth

Restore previous ratio of grass to trees
Sequester carbon at rate only possible in Arctic

How Ben & George approach the ethical concerns re: de-extinction

Believe in radical transparency
Learn from negative feedback, people who question

Why George works at the intersection of academia and industry

Likes to work with curious young people
Exposure to diversity of ideas

Why Colossal needs government collaboration and support

Several governments, Indigenous groups in Arctic
Climate change, biodiversity and species preservation

How woolly mammoths promote carbon removal

Knock down trees so more grass can grow
Cold, Arctic grasslands sequester carbon particularly well

The benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding

Eradicate EHV virus in elephants
Promote species conservation

How Ben & George think about commercializing science

Go beyond publication to help society
Feedback from investors and academia

What makes Ben & George’s partnership work

George’s lab provides idea from academic study
Ben figures out product-market fit and funding

George’s advice to academics on commercializing products

Can’t be afraid of failure
Can come back from bankruptcy

How Ben & George think about taking big risks

Ben believed grandmother saying he could do anything
Academic failures taught George he would survive

The impact Ben & George hope to make with Colossal

Ex utero development, species preservation
Thousands of Arctic elephants to sequester carbon
Advancements in reading and writing of genomes

How Ben & George define success

Benefit society, facilitate survival of species
Create things that are additive

Connect with George Church & Ben Lamm

Colossal https://colossal.com

Colossal on Twitter https://twitter.com/ItIsColossal

Colossal on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal/

Colossal on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itiscolossal/

George on Twitter https://twitter.com/geochurch

Ben on Twitter https://twitter.com/federallamm

Resources

Citizen Science https://www.citizenscience.gov/#

Personal Genome Project https://www.personalgenomes.org/

How to Grow (Almost) Anything https://www.media.mit.edu/courses/htgaa/

DIYbio https://diybio.org/

Church Lab https://arep.med.harvard.edu/

Hypergiant https://www.hypergiant.com/

Pleistocene Park https://pleistocenepark.ru/

Chris Mason Author Talk https://mitpress.mit.edu/blog/author-talk-the-next-500-years-by-christopher-e-mason/

Prehistoric Planet https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep #5: An Investor’s Perspective on DeSci—with James Sinka of Orange DAO

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Wed, 9 Nov 2022 22:01:48 +0000

Why invest in decentralized science?

James Sinka is a classically trained chemist and materials engineer and DeSci investor at Orange DAO, a fund for crypto projects supported by an alliance of Y Combinator alumni.

On this episode of Boost VC, James joins us to discuss where he sees opportunities in DeSci, describing the benefit of publishing null results and how open science helps us get to the truth more quickly.

James explains how the Orange Fund and Orange DAO work together to finance crypto projects and shares his advice to scientist-founders on generating your own luck through action.

Listen in for James’ insight on the first use cases for decentralized science and learn how investing in DeSci can democratize access to research and help rebel scientist-entrepreneurs ship products in the real world!

Topics Covered

How James defines science

Process to uncover truths about world
Not an institution of truth

What attracted James to DeSci

Benefits of publishing null results
Less wasted science effort and money

How James got into crypto

Exposed to Bitcoin in college
Offers financial freedom to bet on self

How Orange DAO works

$50M fund for crypto projects
Y Combinator alum support efforts

James’ advice for founders

Bias toward action
Be willing to be wrong

Where James sees opportunity in DeSci

Free flowing access to information
Get to truth more quickly

What’s wrong with academic science now

Research for prestige, not passion
Value determined by citation numbers

How the Alzheimer’s fraud happened

Conflict of interest at NIH
No reverse accountability system

What inspires James to invest in DeSci

Push boundaries of scientific research
Help scientists build real products

James’ take on the first use case for DeSci

Data warehousing (null results)
New forms of publication open to all

James’ definition of success

Time, space and resources
Ability to do what you love

Connect with James Sinka

Orange DAO https://www.orangedao.xyz/

Orange DAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/DVncb7UxGB

Orange DAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/orangedaoxyz.eth

Orange DAO on Etherscan https://etherscan.io/token/0x1bBD79f1Ecb3f2cCC586A5E3A26eE1d1D2E1991f

Orange DAO on OpenSea https://opensea.io/collection/alumni-gems

Orange DAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/OrangeDAOxyz

James on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamessinka

Resources

Through the Wormhole https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1513168/

Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/

NEAR Protocol https://near.org/

Algorand https://www.algorand.com/

Blockchain Capital https://blockchain.capital/

The Memo by Howard Marks https://link.chtbl.com/thememobyhowardmarks

Multicoin Capital https://multicoin.capital/

Solana https://solana.com/

Exploring Decentralized Science with Balaji Srinivasan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrcRI_hYDtQ

Naval https://nav.al/

Brian Armstrong https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong

Epsilon3 https://www.epsilon3.io/

Benchling https://www.benchling.com/

Amplitude https://amplitude.com/

Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/

Patrick Joyce on the Boost VC Podcast https://www.boost.vc/bvc/2022/08/04/desci-ep-2-addressing-the-misalignment-of-incentives-in-science

DeSci Labs https://desci.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep #4: Decentralizing Drug Development—with Paul Kohlhaas & Tyler Golato of Molecule

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 8 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Under the current centralized system, drug development happens in silos.

Pharmaceutical companies don’t share information. Scientists run the same failed experiments over and over again. And the process of bringing a drug to market typically takes ten-plus years.

But Paul Kohlhaas and Tyler Golato are building a new way to do drug development. A system that allows for collaboration and dramatically increases the speed of breakthroughs in healthcare.

CEO Paul and CSO Tyler are the Cofounders of Molecule, a decentralized biotech protocol that establishes a Web3 marketplace for research-related intellectual property.

On this episode of Boost VC, Paul and Tyler join us to explain how their personal experiences with the failures of healthcare inspired their interest in changing the system.

They discuss Molecule's end-to-end ecosystem for bringing drugs to market, describing how their IP-NFT both protects innovation and makes it more open, sharable and collaborative.

Listen in for insight on Eroom's Law and learn how open science leads to enormous efficiency gains in the drug development process.

Topics Covered

How Paul & Tyler define science

Empirical discovery of knowledge
Progressive search for truth

What inspired Paul & Tyler’s interest in science

Personal experience with failures of healthcare
Potential for DeSci to foster new behaviors

Paul & Tyler’s failed experiment with crowdfunding

Tried to raise money for microdosing study
Partnership with University of Toronto

How Molecule has evolved since 2019

Ecosystem for bringing drugs to market
IP-NFT framework for collaboration

How to make scientists more open to sharing

Improve user experience
Streamline funding process

The power of Molecule’s IP-NFT framework

Intellectual property rights held on chain
Collectively owned by patients

The value prop for open science

Creates enormous efficiency gains
Makes drug development much cheaper

Jack Scannel’s naming of Eroom’s Law

Technology to discover drugs improving
Yet drug discovery output in decline

The goals for DeSci over the next decade

Extend quality of human health span
Make science self-sovereign, self-aware

How Paul & Tyler define success

Remain true to values and vision for life
Net positive impact on every person

Connect with Paul Kohlhaas & Tyler Golato

Molecule https://www.molecule.to/

Molecule on GitHub https://github.com/moleculeprotocol

Molecule on Discord https://discord.com/invite/uAGW7K4hQU

Molecule on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWYW5ho3L_d0EO_a619E7RQ

Molecule on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/molecule-protocol

Molecule on Twitter https://twitter.com/molecule_dao

Paul on Twitter https://twitter.com/paulkhls

Tyler on Twitter https://twitter.com/GolatoTyler

Resources

Linum Labs https://www.linumlabs.com/

Molecule’s Crowdfunding Experiment with the University of Toronto https://www.molecule.to/blog/psychedelics-on-the-blockchain

NIH Grants and Funding https://www.nih.gov/grants-funding

Simon de la Rouviere on Bonding Curves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k4M6QAW2pM

Jack Scannell on Eroom’s Law https://refoundable.com/research/life-after-erooms-law-interview-with-jack-scannell.html

Meme Lordz https://memelordz.io/

North American Association of Technology Transfer http://aim.autm.net/

Ray Kurzweil https://www.kurzweilai.net/

Peter Diamandis https://www.diamandis.com/

Abundance 360 https://www.abundance360.com/summit

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep #3: Why Scientists Are the Unappreciated Creator Class—with Jocelynn Pearl of LabDAO

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:20:00 +0000

The internet has given content creators of all kinds a way to monetize their talents. Writers have Medium. Teachers and vloggers have YouTube.

But scientists don’t have a platform to earn money for their research.

That’s why Dr. Jocelynn Pearl calls scientists the ‘unappreciated creator class.’ And that’s why she’s working to further the DeSci movement, leveraging Web3 technology to enable breakthrough research through better incentives.

A molecular and cellular biologist by training, Jocelynn serves as cofounder of LabDAO, a design marketplace for life science research, and host of The UltraRare Podcast, a show about the builders behind the decentralized science movement.

On this episode of Boost VC, Jocelynn joins us to explain how DeSci solves for speed of translation and communicates science better than existing systems, exploring how the movement might specifically facilitate breakthroughs around rare disease.

Jocelynn discusses how academia owns the best scientific minds without rewarding them appropriately and describes how DAOs offer alternatives to classic academic publishing and drug development.

Listen in as Jocelynn makes the case that scientists are the unappreciated creator class and learn how access to the right advisors and capital can accelerate the decentralized science movement.

Topics Covered

How Jocelynn defines science

Process of exploring unanswered questions
Conversation among people trained to be critical

How Jocelynn defines decentralized science

Way of democratizing resources
Communicate science better than existing systems

What inspired Jocelynn’s interest in DeSci

Centralization of research inhibits progress
Solve for speed of translation, cost reduction

How DeSci might facilitate breakthroughs in rare disease

Explore drug development through DAOs
Communication of collective knowledge

Leveraging DeSci to incentivize scientific research

Change academic publishing through tokenization
Allow patient group to co-own drug development

Why Jocelynn sees scientists as the unappreciated creator class

Writers have Medium, vloggers have YouTube
No platform for scientists to monetize content

What needs to change for scientists to be appreciated creators

Activists like Seemay Chou who encourage sharing
Alternative model to academic publishing

How academia owns the best minds (without rewarding them)

Earn $30K/year working full-time in PhD program
Does form you as scientist and provides network

How CROs address the lab space shortage

Stands for contract research organization
Farm out research can’t perform in-house

The challenges of establishing decentralized science

Traditional academia and publishing will fight back
Much work required to override existing system

What's stopping the DeSci space from accelerating faster

Struggles to bring in advising and capital
Working on projects outside day jobs

Jocelynn’s definition of success

Lasting change in scientific ecosystem
Pivot how progress happens

Connect with Jocelynn Pearl

Jocelynn’s Website https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/

LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/

LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao

LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao

LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao

UltraRare Podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/ultrarare/

Resources

A Guide to Decentralized Biotech https://future.com/a-guide-to-decentralized-biotech/

The DeSci Wiki https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/

Molecule Protocol https://www.molecule.to/

Ben Hills https://twitter.com/0xboodle

Vibe Bio https://www.vibebio.com/

Experiment.com https://experiment.com/

Arcadia Science https://www.arcadia.science/

Invisible College https://www.invisiblecollege.xyz/

Charles River Laboratories https://www.criver.com/

Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss on Boost VC EP102 https://podbay.fm/p/the-boost-vc-podcast/e/1606903200

Manhattan Project https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project

Thiel Fellowship http://www.thielfellowship.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep. #2: Addressing the Misalignment of Incentives in Science—with Patrick Joyce of ResearchHub

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 4 Aug 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Only 1% of first year PhD students become research professors.

This creates a hypercompetitive environment where scientists will do whatever it takes to get funding, even if that means tweaking statistical analyses to make their findings seem more significant.

But decentralized science is working to address this egregious misalignment of incentives and reward science done the right way.

Patrick Joyce is the Cofounder and COO of ResearchHub, a Reddit-style forum that allows anyone to share, discuss and curate scientific papers—and earn ERC-20 tokens for doing so.

On this episode of Boost VC, Patrick joins us to discuss the misalignment of incentives in science and describe the problem with using bibliometrics to determine who receives funding.

Patrick explains why decentralizing science is so important, exploring how DeSci will increase the adoption of open science practices and accelerate innovation in the space.

Listen in to understand how DeSci can pressure large academic journals to pay content creators for their work and learn how ResearchHub is leveraging Web3 to make capital available to scientists.

Topics Covered

How Patrick defines science

Pursuit of knowledge
Verifiable results

What’s behind the replication crisis in science

Hypercompetitive job market
Quality judged by bibliometrics

Why decentralizing science is important

Tweak analyses to maximize perceived impact
Not honest, transparent or reproducible
Only most cited scientists receive funding

Patrick’s take on the first breakthrough for DeSci

Increase adoption of open science practices
No longer career risk to share work in open

What drives Patrick’s conviction around DeSci

Success not based on work ethic, intelligence
Little innovation in drugs for mental health

How ResearchHub rewards quality science

Allows anyone to share and discuss papers
Earn ERC-20 tokens for participation

How Patrick builds trust in the scientific community

Provide funding and publishing outlets
Help meet goals of open science

What success looks like for decentralized science

Paywall journals provide open access options
Pay science content creators for work

Why the science incentive structure hasn’t changed

Previous attempts not fundable
Pirate organizations like Sci-Hub not legal

Patrick’s take on what makes publishers the enemy

Responsible to own incentive to make money
Charge scientists to publish, subscription fees

Patrick’s uniting purpose for the DeSci community

Web3 offers ROI to invest in science
Makes capital available to scientists

How Patrick defines success for ResearchHub

Take power away from bibliometrics
Create rockstar scientists who define culture

Connect with Patrick Joyce

ResearchHub https://www.researchhub.com/

ResearchHub on Twitter https://twitter.com/researchhub

ResearchHub on Discord https://discord.com/invite/ZcCYgcnUp5

ResearchHub on Medium https://medium.com/researchhub

ResearchHub on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ResearchHub/

ResearchHub on GitHub https://github.com/ResearchHub

Resources

Brian Armstrong & Patrick Joyce on The Sheekey Science Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmhHLPrUIU

Clarivate Analytics https://clarivate.com/

OpenAlex https://openalex.org/

r/medicalstudent https://www.reddit.com/r/medicalstudent/

r/ImmunoPsychiatry https://www.reddit.com/r/ImmunoPsychiatry/

eLife https://elifesciences.org/

Open Science Framework https://www.cos.io/

Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/neuro/

Chris Hill on Boost VC DeSci EP02 https://www.boost.vc/podcast

Authorea https://www.authorea.com/

F1000Research https://f1000research.com/

Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/

Stack Overflow https://stackoverflow.com/

Hindawi https://www.hindawi.com/

MetaMask https://metamask.io/

Fast Grants https://fastgrants.org/

Kaggle https://www.kaggle.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Intro: A Framework for Understanding Decentralized Science or DeSci

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 17:15:00 +0000

At Boost VC, we’re known for supporting early-stage blockchain startups.

Why is that such an important part of our identity? Because institutional trust is dying. And that trust is being passed down to the individual through peer-to-peer technologies.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are solving for trust in our financial system. But what other institutions are ripe for this kind of disruption?

Where else might we apply decentralization as a way to drive innovation?

On this edition of Boost VC, I’m sharing a framework for the next several episodes of the podcast around decentralized science or DeSci.

I discuss the incentive system that drives publishing in science and how it constrains which breakthroughs make it to the world—and which ones do not.

Listen in for insight on the decline of institutional trust and learn about the rebel scientists who are defining the future of scientific innovation.

Topics Covered

Why Boost VC is known for supporting crypto startups

Find where talent escapes to earliest
Accelerate path to solve important problems

How we think about the growing distrust in institutions

Passed down to individual through P2P tech
Consider where applicable beyond finance

Why institutions governing science are ripe for disruption

Bottleneck for breakthrough tech to emerge
Constraints re: what innovations make it to world

What we will cover in the next 5 to 10 podcast episodes

Revolution of rebel scientists building DeSci
Future of breakthroughs in science

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

DeSci Ep. #1: Using Web3 Tech to Reward Good Science—with Chris Hill & Philipp Koellinger of DeSci Labs

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 17:15:00 +0000

The system for publishing scientific research is broken.

Academic success is measured by citations rather than scientific quality. And publishing companies have a monopoly on the knowledge scientists produce.

Can we use blockchain technology to promote the verifiability of scientific findings? And make science accessible to everyone?

Dr. Christopher Hill is an interdisciplinary scientist with a background in neuroeconomics and machine learning. Phillip Koellinger is Professor of Social Science Genetics in the Department of Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Together, Chris and Philipp are Cofounders of DeSci Labs, an initiative that aims to make science more replicable, accessible, transparent and fair by way of Web3 technologies.

On this episode of Boost VC, Chris and Philipp join us to explain what inspired their interest in decentralized science and explore what differentiates success for science versus individual scientists.

They walk us through the goals of the open science movement and weigh in on how DeSci tech provides new ways of funding research and makes scientific knowledge available to everyone.

Listen in for insight around the grassroots movement known as metascience and learn how DeSci is working to improve the quality of the scientific record and reward scientists for the value they create.

Topics Covered

What inspired Chris & Philipp’s interest in decentralized science

Bureaucracy and broken publishing system in academia
Passionate about open science, reproducibility
Improve durability and quality of scientific record
Uplift material conditions of early-career scientists

The goals of the open science movement

Make research more transparent, accessible to everyone
Better markers of scientific quality than impact factor
Improve and promote verifiability and reproducibility

What differentiates success for science vs. success for scientists

Scientific success = verifiable new knowledge
Success for scientist = prestige

How Chris & Philipp define decentralized science

Tech stack for true open access to research
Makes science more transparent and reproducible
Allows scientists to recapture value they create

The problem with measuring value by impact factor (IF)

Metric derived exclusively from citation rates
Publishers have monopoly on scientific knowledge

How DeSci technologies can benefit scientific research

Accelerate pace of knowledge progress and accessibility
Provide new ways of funding research
Business models that reward scientists for contributions
Potential for rapid experimentation at scale
Create accountability in peer review process

The interdisciplinary grassroots movement of metascience

Check work of other scientists through replications
Conduct basic hygiene of scientific ecosystem

The transition from scientific manuscripts to research objects

Store artifacts of journey, including peer review feedback
Permanent knowledge graphs to secure scientific record

Connect with Chris Hill & Philipp Koellinger

DeSci Labs https://www.desci.com/

DeSci Labs on Twitter https://twitter.com/descilabs

DeSci Foundation https://descifoundation.org/

DeSci Foundation on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeSciFoundation

Resources

David Deutsch https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/

‘Raise Standards for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research’ in Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/483531a

‘Why Most Published Research Findings Are False’ in PLOS Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182327/

Gitcoin https://gitcoin.co/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

The DotCom Boom And Bust with guests Marc Andreessen and Tim Draper

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

The media is filled with experts comparing today’s market with the dot-com crash of 2000. But few, if any, of these experts actually lived and worked through the dot-com boom and bust.

Marc Andreessen is Founder and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and Tim Draper is Founder and Managing Director at Draper VC. And both Marc and Tim were either running or investing in tech startups at the time.

So, what was it like to experience the dot-com crash? What did Marc and Tim learn that might give us clarity around how to navigate an uncertain economic future?

On this episode of Boost VC, Marc and Tim join us to explore the likelihood that we’re headed into a recession and explain what they’re encouraging founders to do right now.

Marc and Tim discuss the mistakes they made in the early 2000s and describe why a downturn can be good for the best companies.

Listen in for insight on retaining employees in a remote or hybrid setting and get Marc and Tim’s advice on contingency planning to survive an economic crisis—without losing your business.

Topics Covered

Where Marc and Tim go for their media

Timeless source of info = books prior to 1960
Direct conversations with founders
Science fiction to predict future

What Marc was doing in the early 2000s

Launch Netscape in 1999 at high point in market
Lifting weights to burn off stress

What Tim was doing in the early 2000s

Just raised $1.4B to bring VC to world
Hosted party ‘2001 Cyberspace Odyssey’

What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur

Smart, open to new ideas and determined
Social skills to build team, raise money, etc.
Disagreeable (think against the grain)

The likelihood that we’re headed into a recession

Good people laid off start own businesses
Economy too complex to predict future

What a16z is encouraging founders to do right now

Think in terms of scenarios and contingencies
Consider specific circumstances of your company
Cut deep enough that only do layoffs once

Tim's experience as an investor in the dot-com crash

Reactive approach, scrambled to raise money
Lost 4 businesses with $100M in revenues

The difference between the dot-com crash and 2008

2000 was equity-driven, credit crisis in 2008
Tech companies don’t run on debt

What Marc did right and wrong in the dot-com crash

Underestimated how bad things could get
IPO saved company from bankruptcy

Why a downturn can be good for the best companies

Eliminates competition
Easier to recruit, gain market share

How to retain employees in a hybrid/remote setting

Create intense social bonding experiences
Management training, employee development

How tech innovation is flowing out of the Bay Area

COVID as catalyst, other cities rise in importance
Texas and Florida are attracting entrepreneurs

How governments are in competition for entrepreneurs

Regulations push businesses out
US can remain #1 if allow startups to innovate

Marc and Tim’s greatest qualities + accomplishments

Tim fearless in engaging with boldest ideas
Marc transformed the VC business

Connect with Marc

Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/

Andreessen Horowitz on Twitter https://twitter.com/a16z

Marc on Twitter https://twitter.com/pmarca

Connect with Tim

Draper Associates https://www.draper.vc/

Tim on Twitter https://twitter.com/TimDraper

Draper University https://www.draperuniversity.com/

Meet the Drapers https://www.meetthedrapers.com/

Resources

Tom Swift Books https://tomswift.net

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

My Years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan https://www.amazon.com/Years-General-Motors-Alfred-Sloan/dp/0385042353

The a16z Podcast https://future.com/a16z-podcast/

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sarbanes-oxley_act

Draper Innovation Index https://index.draperhero.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.111 Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Ask an Astronaut—with Dr. Edward Lu of B612

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Edward Lu is an astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut who logged 200-plus days in space between 1995 and 2007. Today, he serves as the Cofounder and Executive Director of the Asteroid Institute at the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. On this episode of Boost VC, Ed joins us to discuss what makes space fun, describing what daily life is like in zero gravity and why he thinks we’ll colonize space within the next few decades.

Ed shares his experience training for a rescue mission to the International Space Station, weighing in on how spacecraft tech has (and has not) evolved and why we can’t stay in space for longer than six months at a time. Listen in for Ed’s insight on the likelihood that aliens exist and learn about the most recent advancements in asteroid tracking—and why it’s crucial to predict where they’re headed decades in advance.

Topics Covered

What makes being in space fun for Ed

Dream to fly, incredible ship made by people
Amazing view (new continent every 15 minutes)

Ed’s experience on a rescue mission to the space station

Supplies/transport cut off after Columbia crash
Trained to command Soyuz in just 9 weeks

What inspired Ed to become an astronaut

Worked as astrophysicist, became pilot for fun
Friend at work mentioned NASA application

Ed’s take on what it takes to be an astronaut

Ability to operate ALL systems of spacecraft
Pilot, scientist and submarine crew combined

How daily habits are different in zero gravity

Can’t put items down on table
No arc when passing objects

Why we can’t stay in space for long periods

6-month lifetime of spacecraft
Fuel decays, one-time use batteries for reentry

How spacecraft tech has evolved since the 1960’s

Style of rocket similar (dictated by physics)
Systems inside spacecraft ALL different

Ed’s work with the B612 Foundation

Protect Earth from asteroid impacts
Find and track path with telescopes

The greatest advancement in asteroid tracking

LSST opening in 2023 at Rubin Observatory
Collect more data than all telescopes combined

Why it’s crucial to track asteroids

Identify 1 to 2 near-Earth asteroids per week
Gives decades of notice to plan and deflect

The biggest change in space tech over the years

Reduction of cost in both launch and electronics
Allows for more small startups to innovate

Why Ed thinks we’ll colonize space in a few decades

Reduction in cost = cheap infrastructure
Recent compound growth in space sector

How Ed thinks about the likelihood that aliens exist

Hundreds of millions of planets in our galaxy
Shocked if there isn’t life somewhere

Connect with Ed

B612 Foundation https://b612foundation.org/

B612 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/b612foundation/

B612 on Twitter https://twitter.com/b612foundation

Ed on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-lu-3a997833/

Resources

James Randi https://web.randi.org/about-james-randi.html

Tunguska Event https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion/

Vera C. Rubin Observatory https://www.lsst.org/

LeoLabs https://www.leolabs.space/

Chess.com https://www.chess.com/

Kepler Space Telescope https://www.space.com/24903-kepler-space-telescope.html

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 110: Solving the $800M Problem of Apparel Returns—with Vadim Rogovskiy of 3DLOOK

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0000

A total of $2T in apparel is sold online each year. But 30% to 40% of that apparel is returned. So, what if consumers could snap a couple of photos with their smartphone camera and get clothes that are the right fit for their body?

Vadim Rogovskiy is the Cofounder and CEO of 3DLOOK, a deep tech startup solving the problem of apparel returns for retail. Vadim is an experienced entrepreneur, building and selling two companies in the adtech space before creating 3DLOOK. He also serves as an angel investor and mentor for the VC firm 500 Startups.

On this episode of Boost VC, Vadim joins us to explain how 3DLOOK helps consumers choose the right size for apparel and share the process he used to find the right market for his team’s software. He discusses his mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine, describing the developer ecosystem that exists there and the challenge of getting talented entrepreneurs to stay. Listen in for Vadim’s insight on deciding when to shift markets and learn about the fundraising process for a retail application like 3DLOOK.

Topics Covered

What problem Vadim is solving with 3DLOOK

Limit number of eCommerce apparel returns
Consumer snaps 2 photos to get right size

What inspired Vadim to become an entrepreneur

Work in variety of companies (business management)
Always thinking about how to make things better

Vadim’s shift from adtech to deep tech

Fascinated by apps powered by smartphone camera
More challenging to raise money with slides alone

The market for the service provided by 3DLOOK

30% to 40% of apparel sold online is returned
$2T apparel sold online/year

How Vadim’s digital body passport evolved into 3DLOOK

Start with avatar to dress up but no way to monetize
Shift to health and fitness, track body changes

Vadim’s process for deciding when to shift strategy

Interviews with 20 companies from each segment
Apparel needs tech to survive vs. nice-to-have

Why Vadim had to look for investors beyond Silicon Valley

3DLOOK tech too specific for Silicon Valley VCs
Boston, New York invest in retail and eCommerce

Vadim’s mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine

Entrepreneurship not popular and few success stories
Create accelerator, leverage developer ecosystem

Vadim’s experience with fundraising for 3DLOOK

$6.5M raise with 3 VCs, including Almaz Capital
Scramble to get paperwork to all 24 SAFE holders

Connect with Vadim

3DLOOK https://3dlook.me/

3DLOOK on Twitter https://twitter.com/3dlook_me

3DLOOK on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/3DLOOK.me/

3DLOOK on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/3dlook_me/

3DLOOK on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQIzvlU_Ht0b1g1oV7s3gQ

3DLOOK on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/3dlook/

Vadim on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadim-rogovskiy/

Resources

Dixit https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39856/dixit

Imaginarium https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218804/imaginarium

L’Oreal Virtual Makeup https://www.lorealparisusa.com/virtual-try-on/makeup.aspx

Almaz Capital https://almazcapital.com/

Marc Benioff at Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/company/leadership/bios/bio-benioff/

Life and Learning After One Hundred Years: Trust is the Coin of the Realm by George P. Shultz https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/shultz_finalfile_web-ready.pdf

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 109: Translating Complex Tech Through Design—with Daniel Scrivner of Flow

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Design is about much more than just making things look good. Design is valuable because it translates the complexities of technology to us mere mortals. It serves as a way to educate the market and make tech easy for everyday people to use. But what is the design process that gets us to that end?

Daniel Scrivner is the CEO & Chief Design Officer at Flow, the project management software used by teams at Apple, Shopify and TED. A leader in the fields of design and investing, he has been invited to speak at some of the world’s most innovative organizations, including Andreesen Horowitz and Designer Fund. Daniel has 15 years of design experience, serving as Head of Design at both Digit and Square and working on teams at Apple, Nike and Disney.

On this episode of Boost VC, Daniel joins us to share his take on what makes design valuable, explaining how the design process gets you to an end product the average person can use. He offers insight on what makes most crypto design hostile to everyday people, discussing what we can do to improve the user experience and give crypto mass appeal. Listen in to understand Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing and find out how he applies concepts learned in one discipline to other areas in his skill stack.

Topics Covered

What Daniel has built that he’s most proud of

Redesign of Flow over last two years
Growing investment portfolio

Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing

Qualitative vs. quantitative (early-stage companies)
Broad interest in investing in entrepreneurs at all stages

What inspired Daniel to start his own podcast

Conversations with people in top 1% across industries
Decode what they’ve mastered, what propelled to top

How Daniel thinks about optimizing his learning

Learn things and apply in other areas
Lean into growth curve in all areas

Daniel’s take on what makes design valuable

Interface between complexity of tech and humans
Fastest way to educate given market

Daniel’s insight around the design of crypto

Hostile to average people
Incompatible with being ‘future of money’

How to improve the crypto user experience

Simple explanation of terms
Get input from everyday people

What inspired Daniel to invest in Bitcoin

Bet on things probable to play out
Invest in multiple ways to win

What’s behind the rise of the operator-investor

Herding creatures
Lowering barriers to entry in all areas

Daniel’s definition of success

Work in service of others
Grow into best version of self

Connect with Daniel

Flow https://www.getflow.com/

Flow on Twitter https://twitter.com/flowapp

Flow on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/FlowApp

Daniel on Twitter https://twitter.com/danielscrivner

Outliers with Daniel Scrivner https://link.chtbl.com/_Ygn_FIY

Resources

Good Egg https://www.goodegg.io/

Stripe https://stripe.com/

Gusto https://gusto.com/

Superhuman https://superhuman.com/

Notion https://www.notion.so/

Bison Trails https://bisontrails.co/

Filecoin https://filecoin.io/

Verlyn Klinkenborg on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-show-notes

Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg

Scott Adams https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays

Scott Adams on Talent Stacking https://www.scottadamssays.com/2016/12/27/the-kristina-talent-stack/

Listen Notes https://www.listennotes.com/

Kevin Kelly https://kk.org/

Kevin Kelly on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly-outliers-transcript

Casa https://keys.casa/

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

CoinList https://coinlist.co/

TrustToken https://www.trusttoken.com/

TruFi https://truefi.io/

Robinhood https://robinhood.com/us/en/

Oculus https://www.oculus.com/

AngelList https://angellist.com/

EquityZen https://equityzen.com/

Fortnite https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home

Roblox https://www.roblox.com/

Unreal Tournament https://www.epicgames.com/unrealtournament/en-US/

Endel https://endel.io/

Tony Anderson https://www.tonyandersonmusic.com/

Focus on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/genre/focus-page

Richard Feynman http://www.feynman.com/

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-Character/dp/0393316041

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by It’s Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Six-Easy-Pieces-Essentials-Explained/dp/0465025277

Henry Ford’s Rouge https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/ford-rouge-factory-tour/history-and-timeline/fords-rouge/

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr-ebook/dp/B000XUDGHG

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 108: Designing the Test Flight of VR—with Orla Harris of SideQuest

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Orla Harris is the Cofounder and COO of SideQuest VR, an early-access testing platform for virtual reality with headquarters in Northern Ireland. Orla and her team provide tools that enable developers to grow a community around their app and solicit feedback from users in the early stages of development. Prior to SideQuest, Orla spent eight years working as a project manager in the construction industry and dabbling in virtual reality as a hobby.

On this episode of Boost VC, Orla joins us to share the origin story of SideQuest VR, explaining how it evolved from side project to startup and when she finally realized it was a business. She describes what it’s like to found a tech company in Ireland, discussing how SideQuest built a network of VCs beyond the borders of her home country and why she’s optimistic about the startup’s continued growth. Listen in for insight on the openness unique to the virtual reality developer community and get Orla’s perspective on what is special about the industry at this particular moment in time!

Topics Covered

The idea behind SideQuest VR

Enables developers to test product with consumers
Third-party app store for Quest, other VR devices

The origin story of SideQuest VR

Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given)
Create place for users to sideload and give feedback

Orla’s take on the VR developer community

Unique in willingness to help each other out
Openness feels different from other experiences

What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR

Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day)
Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic

How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry

2020 = transformative year
Informed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic

What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland

Daunting to look for investors beyond home country
Part of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost

Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs

Find person with connections, ask for introductions
One connection can change everything

When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business

Cofounder proposed quitting jobs
Decision based on site analytics, talking to VCs

What is special about VR right now

Small developer pool but large user pool
Users starved for content

Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR

Apps submitted to platform every day
Android mobile developers pivoting to VR

Orla’s definition of success

Wake up every morning feeling content
Clarity of mind, no stress or worry

Connect with Orla

SideQuest VR https://sidequestvr.com/

SideQuest on Twitter https://twitter.com/SideQuestVR

SideQuest on Discord https://discord.com/invite/r38T5rR

SideQuest on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/sidequest

SideQuest on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SideQuestVR

SideQuest on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidequestvr/

Orla on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlaharris/

Resources

Oculus Quest https://www.oculus.com/quest/

Oculus Quest 2 https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/

Facebook’s Developer Revenue Update https://uploadvr.com/oculus-quest-revenue-update/

Steam https://store.steampowered.com/vr/

Doodle Jump https://doodlejumpgame.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Topics Covered

The idea behind SideQuest VR

Enables developers to test product with consumers
Third-party app store for Quest, other VR devices

The origin story of SideQuest VR

Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given)
Create place for users to sideload and give feedback

Orla’s take on the VR developer community

Unique in willingness to help each other out
Openness feels different from other experiences

What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR

Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day)
Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic

How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry

2020 = transformative year
Informed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic

What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland

Daunting to look for investors beyond home country
Part of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost

Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs

Find person with connections, ask for introductions
One connection can change everything

When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business

Cofounder proposed quitting jobs
Decision based on site analytics, talking to VCs

What is special about VR right now

Small developer pool but large user pool
Users starved for content

Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR

Apps submitted to platform every day
Android mobile developers pivoting to VR

Orla’s definition of success

Wake up every morning feeling content
Clarity of mind, no stress or worry

Ep. 107: The Future of Fundraising—with Joris Delanoue & Thibauld Favre of Fairmint

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

When serial entrepreneurs Thibauld Favre and Joris Delanoue joined forces to build the future of fundraising, the Frenchmen chose San Francisco as their home base in large part because of its investor mindset. So, how do Silicon Valley VCs think differently from other investors around the globe?

Thibauld and Joris are the Cofounders of Fairmint, a continuous financing instrument that allows startups to raise money WHILE they build—rather than taking time away from business to pitch investors. The Fairmint model is built around community alignment, putting equity in the hands of a company’s employees, customers, partners and fans. Both Thibauld and Joris have ten-plus years of experience building successful tech companies, and they are on a mission to transition the world to stakeholder capitalism.

On this episode of Boost VC, Thibauld and Joris join us to explain what differentiates the Fairmint system from traditional fundraising and how the platform makes everyone their own exchange. They introduce us to the idea of a CrypTech company, describing the role the blockchain plays in Fairmint’s infrastructure and sharing their own personal evolution as Bitcoin enthusiasts. Listen in for insight around the Silicon Valley investor mindset and find out why Thibauld and Joris moved to California, where VCs will take a risk on ‘rational people doing irrational things.’

Topics Covered

What Joris & Thibauld do at Fairmint

Get equity into hands of stakeholders
Provide continuous financing instrument

How Fairmint differs from traditional fundraising

Raise money WHILE you build
Continuous Agreement of Future Equity (CAFE)

Joris & Thibauld’s shared vision for Fairmint

Democratize access to wealth
‘Everyone is their own exchange’

What makes Fairmint a CrypTech company

New financial instrument = FinTech
Benefit to using blockchain in stack

Why Joris & Thibauld ended up in Silicon Valley

Provides worldwide market
Affords company credibility

The potential digitization of Silicon Valley

Important for founders to spend time there
Team doesn’t have to be there (distributed execution)

The Silicon Valley investor mindset

Willing to take risks to find deal first
Accept rational people doing irrational things

Joris & Thibauld’s definition of success

Impact society by changing economy
Do work kids can be proud of

Connect with Joris & Thibauld

Fairmint https://fairmint.co/

Fairmint on Twitter https://twitter.com/fairmintCO

Fairmint on GitHub https://github.com/fairmint/

Fairmint on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairmint/

Thibauld on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibauld/

Joris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/delanoue/

Resources

Singularity University https://su.org/

Allmyapps https://www.linkedin.com/company/allmyapps/

Bitcoin Whitepaper https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

Nexteem https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexteem/

IDEO https://www.ideo.com/

Adam’s Post on Delaware C-Corps https://twitter.com/AdamDraper/status/1334702452684156934

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 106: A Migration Path from USD to Crypto—with Andy Bromberg of Eco

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

More and more people understand that crypto is going to be big. But they don’t really know why. And they don’t want to be forced to turn all of their money into cryptocurrency right off the bat. So, what if there was a way to demonstrate the benefits of the technology with US dollars and then migrate users to digital currency over time?

Andy Bromberg is the new CEO of Eco, a wallet designed to simplify everyday finances and maximize earning power. Andy began his career in startups as the CEO of political media platform Sidewire before cofounding CoinList in 2017, where he served as CEO for the last three years. Andy was also a member of the legendary Stanford Bitcoin Group from 2012 to 2014.

On this episode of Boost VC, Andy joins us to discuss his introduction to crypto at Stanford and explain his decision to transition from CoinList to Eco. He weighs in the challenges of onboarding remotely and describes the skill set he brings to the Eco team. Listen in for Andy’s insight around the benefits of the Eco app and learn how his team provides users with a migration path from USD to crypto.

Topics Covered

What got Andy into the crypto ecosystem

Part of Stanford Bitcoin Group
Cofounded CoinList in 2017

The challenges of onboarding remotely

Connect with team in Zoom setting
Encourage natural interaction

How Eco makes your money work for you

Put money in, earn up to 5% APY
5% cashback on purchases

Eco’s approach to broad crypto adoption

App based around US dollars
Educate on tech over time

What inspired Andy’s transition to Eco

Token design makes sense
Migration path (USD to crypto)

The skill set Andy brings to the Eco team

Build community/attention
Launch project successfully
Ability to scale organization

Andy’s definition of success

Things feel natural, peaceful
In flow state most of time

Connect with Andy

Eco https://eco.com/

Eco on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eco-pay/

Eco on Twitter https://twitter.com/eco

Andy on Twitter https://twitter.com/andy_bromberg

Resources

CoinList https://coinlist.co/

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

Earn https://www.coinbase.com/earn

Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/

Balaji Srinivasan https://balajis.com/

Bolt https://www.bolt.com/

Cognito https://cognitohq.com/

AngelList https://angel.co/

Protocol Labs https://protocol.ai/

MyCrypto https://mycrypto.com/account

Fidelity Digital Assets https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/overview

BlackRock https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan https://www.amazon.com/Barbarian-Days-Surfing-William-Finnegan/dp/0143109391

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 105: Get Uncle Sam to Invest in Your Startup—with Sedale Turbovsky of OpenGrants

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Most founders avoid dealing with Uncle Sam unless absolutely necessary. But what if you could engage the government as an investor in your startup?

Sedale Turbovsky is the Cofounder and CEO of OpenGrants, the most powerful grant search tool in the US. The OpenGrants team is on a mission to unlock billions of dollars in grant funding for the best startups in the world, providing entrepreneurs with a single platform where they can find, apply for and manage grants. Sedale is a three-time founder with a background in helping companies navigate the public funding space.

On this episode of Boost VC, Sedale joins us to explain how startups benefit from federal funding and who qualifies to receive grant money from the government. He weighs in on the culture of incumbency in the space, describing his vision to connect a diverse ecosystem of real innovators with the funding opportunities available. Listen in for insight around the government’s capacity to invest in breakthrough innovation and learn how OpenGrants can help you access the funding to get your startup on its feet!

Topics Covered

What the OpenGrants platform does

Connect companies to grant money (simplify process)
Enable startups to engage government as ally

The friction points OpenGrants solves for

Opportunities spread out over internet, poor UX
Direct matches for companies that set up profile

How startups benefit from federal funding

De-risk and develop tech for company
Don’t have to pay back (cheapest $ in market)

Who qualifies to receive federal grant funding

Innovators in science and technology
Programs that solve for social good

What inspired Sedale’s interest in the space

Government can invest in technically risky projects
Get more diverse ideas to government

How Sedale bridges the gap between government + startups

Bureaucracy has created ‘culture of incumbency’
Bring government to diverse ecosystem of innovators
Create tools for government to realize its policies

How Sedale’s background informs his work at OpenGrants

Operationalizing difficult-to-get data sets
Backward experience w/ grant funding at carbonBLU

Who Sedale’s team works with at OpenGrants

Early-stage science-based startups, nonprofits
Series A/B startups doing additional R&D

The culture of incumbency around federal funding

Can’t act on good intentions due to infrastructure
98% of 2018 NIH grants went to ‘old, white guys’

Sedale’s definition of success

Structure life around what makes you happy

Connect with Sedale

OpenGrants https://www.opengrants.io/

OpenGrants on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/opengrantsio/

OpenGrants on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/opengrants.io

OpenGrants on Twitter https://twitter.com/opengrants_io

Sedale on Twitter https://twitter.com/STurbovsky

Resources

Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/

beta.SAM.gov https://beta.sam.gov/

SBIR.gov https://www.sbir.gov/

California Grants Portal https://www.grants.ca.gov/

carbonBLU http://www.carbonblu.com/

FINRA https://www.finra.org/

SEC https://www.sec.gov/

Momentum https://buildmomentum.io/

NIH Grants https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm

Samuel Pierpont Langley https://www.sil.si.edu/ondisplay/langley/intro.htm

HHS’s VC Fund for MedTech https://medcitynews.com/2018/06/funding-healthcare-accelerators-an-hhs-unit-is-taking-a-vc-approach-to-innovation/

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Patrick-Rothfuss/dp/0756404746

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 104: Building Your Team & Product in Tandem—with Sam Cole & Sameer Baroova of FitXR

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:58:49 +0000

Here at Boost VC, we define a startup as an organism in which the founders work to attract the smartest, most dynamic people to solve the problem they believe is most important. Yes, their ultimate goal is to build a product. But more importantly, they are building a talented team that will actualize that product together.

CEO Sam Cole and CPO Sameer Baroova are the Cofounders of FitXR, a startup that is putting the fun back into fitness by way of award-winning virtual reality fitness experiences. In FitXR’s virtual gym, users have access to 20-plus hours of boxing and dance workouts choreographed by professional fitness instructors. Sam draws on his background in consulting and private equity to lead the FitXR team and Sameer’s experience in the gaming industry informs his work around product creation.

On this episode of Boost VC, Sam and Sameer join us to describe their dynamic as cofounders, discussing what they do to navigate disagreements and how brutal conversations early on served to strengthen their relationship. They explore their inherent drive to be entrepreneurs and share the lessons learned from their struggle to raise money for FitXR. Listen in to understand why fitness is the killer app of VR and learn how Sam and Sameer are building a dynamic team that makes progress—with or without their meddling!

Topics Covered

Why Sam & Sameer think fitness is the killer app of VR

Most fun way to work out at home
Transport self to completely different world

Public assumptions re: VR based on the hype of 2015

Cumbersome tech with lots of cables
For gaming only, doesn’t scale

How Sam & Sameer met and became cofounders

Discussed idea at business school interview
Founded FitXR 12 months after graduation

Why Sam & Sameer work well together as cofounders

Shared ideals and work ethic
Candid communication (brutal conversations)

How Sam & Sameer navigate disagreements

Listen to each other and respect expertise
Bring in data, ask team for input on decisions

How Sam & Sameer divide up responsibilities

Sameer responsible for product creation
Sam works with all department leads

The fundraising challenges Sam & Sameer faced

Lessons learned from struggle (be cockroach)
Easier as more understand + respect space

Sam & Sameer’s drive for entrepreneurship

Encouraged by parents, support of partners
Always entrepreneurial but risk averse

The most fun part of Sam & Sameer’s day-to-day

Build team and watch company grow
Progress made without their direct touch

Sam & Sameer’s definition of success

Goal-driven to accomplish mission
See work through to end (good or bad)

Connect with Sam & Sameer

FitXR https://fitxr.com/

FitXR on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WeAreFitXR/

FitXR on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wearefitxr/

FitXR on Twitter https://twitter.com/weareFitXR

FitXR on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5j5_pTobcYj50xfaxE68Ng

Resources

Beat Saber https://beatsaber.com/

Oculus Quest 2 https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/

Accepted https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384793/

Startup School https://www.startupschool.org/

Minecraft https://www.minecraft.net/en-us

FIFA 21 https://www.ea.com/games/fifa/fifa-21

Super Smash Bros. https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/

Planet Earth https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mywy

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 103: Why Now is the Right Time for Crypto—with Chris Dixon of a16z

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Ep. 102: The Next Big Idea in Crypto—with Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss of Gemini

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Wed, 2 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have been on the forefront of two internet revolutions, social networking and cryptocurrency. So, what do they think is the next big thing?

Cameron and Tyler are the Cofounders of Gemini, a next-generation cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that allows users to buy, sell and store digital assets. The brothers are famous for creating the precursor to Facebook (as portrayed in The Social Network) and owning 1% of the global Bitcoin. Cameron and Tyler are also the Cofounders of Winklevoss Capital Management, a firm that invests across multiple asset classes and provides seed funding to startups.

On this episode of Boost VC, Cameron and Tyler join us to explain why Bitcoin is still the next big thing, discussing what inspired them to build Gemini and why the best minds in finance are migrating to crypto. They describe how a founder’s role evolves as a startup scales, sharing what it takes to be a good leader as your team grows and offering insight into their working relationship as brothers and cofounders. Listen in for Cameron and Tyler’s advice on building a business and find out what resources they used to adapt as Gemini grew from a team of five to 50 to 350.

Topics Covered

Why Bitcoin is still the next big thing

Could easily hit $500K per coin
Still big opportunity to step in

How Tyler and Cameron got into Bitcoin

Introduced during 2012 vacation to Ibiza
Research led to form Bitcoin/Gold thesis
Early adopters = smartest people in room

The migration of smart people to crypto

More brilliant people in space now
Today people ‘fail into Wall Street’

Why Tyler and Cameron created Gemini

Mt. Gox not equipped to handle success of Bitcoin
Couldn’t find team solving problem right way
Decided to build regulated option themselves

How Tyler and Cameron work together on Gemini

Cameron more tactical, Tyler focuses on strategy
Fair amount of overlap (similar interests)

How a founder’s role evolves as a startup scales

Heavily involved in hiring early on
Empower team to make decisions as you grow
Shift focus to getting most out of team

The resources that helped Tyler and Cameron scale

Learn from books, Bezos shareholder letters
Talk to other founders + angel investors

What it takes to be a good leader

Serve as symphony conductor
Communicate mission, message

The relationship between Tyler and Cameron

Competitive but friendly and supportive
Shared values, on each other’s side

How Tyler and Cameron define success

Do work that is fulfilling, meaningful
High level of happiness

Connect with Tyler & Cameron

Gemini https://gemini.com/

Gemini on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GeminiTrust/

Gemini on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gemini/

Gemini on Twitter https://twitter.com/gemini

Tyler on Twitter https://twitter.com/tyler

Cameron on Twitter https://twitter.com/cameron

Winklevoss Capital https://winklevosscapital.com/

Resources

Bitcoin Conference https://b.tc/conference

The Case for $500K Bitcoin https://winklevosscapital.com/the-case-for-500k-bitcoin/

The Social Network https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

Tyler & Cameron’s Bitcoin is Better Than Gold Thesis https://www.ft.com/content/a9d4b73a-abdd-11e6-ba7d-76378e4fef24

Erik Voorhees https://twitter.com/ErikVoorhees

No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296

Jeff Bezos’ Shareholder Letters https://www.cbinsights.com/research/bezos-amazon-shareholder-letters/

Eric Schmidt, Larry Page & Sergey Brin at Google https://www.wired.com/story/at-google-eric-schmidt-wrote-the-book-on-adult-supervision/

Counter-Strike https://store.steampowered.com/app/730/CounterStrike_Global_Offensive/

Age of Empires https://www.ageofempires.com/

Settlers of CATAN https://www.catan.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 101: A Batwoman-Signal for Female Founders—with Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Despite being raised in the tech startup world, Jesse Draper didn’t believe she could BE that. Because she didn’t see women entrepreneurs, it didn’t seem like an option. So, Jesse started seeking out female founders—first to interview and later to invest in. And now, she runs a venture fund that is like the Batwoman-Signal for companies with female founders, attracting 4,972 deals last year alone.

Jesse is the Founder and Managing Director at Halogen Ventures, a VC fund focused on investing in early-stage consumer technology startups with a female in the founding team. She has dedicated her career to empowering women entrepreneurs, starting with the talk show and tech news site, The Valley Girl Show with Jesse Draper. Today, she manages a fund of 62 companies and serves on the board of Werk, Blue Fever and Preemadonna. Jesse is also making waves with her recent post, ‘Investing in Women Isn’t a Fucking Charity.’

On this episode of Boost VC, Jesse joins us to discuss what inspired her piece on investing in female founders and express her desire to make a shit-ton of money on the very best deals—as opposed to ‘giving money away.’ She explains the need for more capital run by women as well, challenging women to talk about money and invest in for-profit opportunities. Listen in for Jesse’s insight on how she spends her time as a fund manager, what the best founders have in common and where venture funds can go to find women entrepreneurs.

Topics Covered

Jesse’s commitment to empowering female entrepreneurs

Talk show/tech news site The Valley Girl with Jesse Draper
Fund invests in early-stage female founded consumer tech

What has changed for female founders in the last 15 years

Getting better but men still control majority of capital
Need for more capital run by women

The education problem Jesse sees around women and money

Afraid to talk about money, let alone invest
Created education track to help women investors learn

Jesse’s take on the momentum behind female founders

People look to diversity portfolios (e.g.: Yale endowment)
Women still underfunded, VCs stick with existing network

Where funds should be looking for female founders

Reach out to networks/accelerators like All Raise
Look at pitch competitions for women (i.e.: SoGal, P&G)

How Jesse spends her time as a fund manager

Focus on supporting top 10 companies in portfolio
Give founders two years to prove themselves

Jesse’s advice to founders on communicating with investors

Monthly until raise series A, quarterly moving forward
Best founders have heads-down mentality

Jesse’s definition of success

Freedom to do something you love
May change daily in pursuit of mission

Connect with Jesse

Halogen Ventures https://halogenvc.com/

Halogen on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/halogenvc/

Halogen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/halogenvc/

Halogen on Twitter https://twitter.com/halogenvc

Jesse on Twitter https://twitter.com/JesseDraper

Resources

Jesse on Boost VC EP065 https://theboostvcpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/57d367fa-bebb2890

Jesse’s Article on Investing in Women https://medium.com/@jessecdraper/investing-in-women-isnt-a-fucking-charity-ceabe8918b9c

The Skimm https://www.theskimm.com/

Carbon38 https://www.carbon38.com/

HopSkipDrive https://www.hopskipdrive.com/drive/

FLEX https://flexfits.com/?view=hello-flex

L. https://thisisl.com/

The Valley Girl Show with Jesse Draper https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3893996/

Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/

‘Mattel Sales Soar as Pandemic Spurs Demand for Toys’ in the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/ac59759a-d6c0-4ab4-9741-80b4ed5e3317

Billions https://www.sho.com/billions

Yellowstone https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4236770/

‘Yale’s David Swensen Puts Money Managers on Notice About Diversity’ in APK Metro Newshttps://apkmetro.com/yales-david-swensen-puts-money-managers-on-notice-about-diversity/

Maddie Callander https://www.maddiecallander.com/

All Raise https://www.allraise.org/

SoGal https://www.iamsogal.com/

P&G Ventures Pitch Competition https://pgventuresstudio.com/challenge/

Create & Cultivate https://www.createcultivate.com/

Jesse on Molly Sims’ Instagram Live https://www.instagram.com/tv/CG2-C8Jppry/

Las Vegas https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364828/

BlockCypher https://www.blockcypher.com/

Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Ep. 100: To Define Your Business Model, Follow the Money—with Emily Dong of Snout

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 8 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

A lot of founders are focused on making their solution accessible to everyone, so they offer it for free. But you’ve got to make money if you want to build and sustain a successful business. So, how do you identify who sees the most value from your product or service and design a business model accordingly?

Emily Dong is the Founder and CEO of SnoutID, a company working to improve the patient experience at veterinary practices through the centralization of data. Prior to Snout, she built and sold Pawprint Inc., a pet health app designed to digitize pet medical records. Emily earned her BS in Accounting Information Systems, Entrepreneurship and Math Finance from USC.

On this episode of the podcast, Emily joins us to share the personal experiences that inspired her to found first Pawprint and then Snout, discussing the need for preventative veterinary care and the rising popularity of pet insurance in the US market. She walks us through the three phases of a startup, explaining how her role evolved as buy-in for her company grew. Listen in for Emily’s insight on balancing idealism with sustainability as a startup founder and learn her follow-the-money approach to creating a business model around the value you provide.

Topics Covered

The experience that inspired Emily to start Pawprint

Needed vaccination records to board dog
Vet asked for fax number to send records

The need for preventative veterinary care in the pet market

Only 2% to 5% of pets insured in US
30% of pets have never been to vet

The rising popularity of pet insurance

Growing 20% year over year
Already common in Europe

What factors influence the cost of pet insurance

Zip code
Breed (e.g.: retrievers more prone to cancer)

Emily’s take on the biggest challenges of entrepreneurship

Finding business model
Balance idealism with sustainability

How Emily’s startup evolved from B2C to B2B

App popular with consumers but couldn’t make $
‘Follow the money’ to B2B (identify value to vets)

How Emily dealt with burnout as a startup founder

Track quality of sleep
Consistent workouts

Emily’s insight on the three phases of a startup

Existential crisis (Am I working on the right thing?)
Leverage personal conviction to generate buy-in
People and org problems

Emily’s definition of success

Availability of resources (money, network, etc.)
Solve any problem passionate about

Connect with Emily

SnoutID https://snoutid.com/

SnoutID on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/snoutid

SnoutID on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/snout

Emily on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dongemily

Emily on Twitter https://twitter.com/emiidee

Resources

Pawprint https://www.getpawprint.com/

Chewy https://www.chewy.com/

Trupanion https://trupanion.com/

Healthy Paws https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/

Petplan https://www.gopetplan.com/

Pet Insurance by Nationwide https://www.petinsurance.com/

Adam’s MONEY IS GOOD Post https://adamdraper.substack.com/p/money-is-good

Amplitude https://amplitude.com/

Oura Ring https://ouraring.com/

Threes http://play.threesgame.com/

2048 https://play2048.co/

Tetris https://tetris.com/

Spenser Skates on Boost VC Podcast EP98 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsIryDX8cI

JK Rowling https://www.jkrowling.com/

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Ender-Quintet-Orson-Scott/dp/0812550706

Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Shadow-Orson-Scott-Card/dp/0812575717

Bill Gates https://www.gatesnotes.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 99: Finding VC in an I-Don’t-Know Moment—with Dillon Liang

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 1 Oct 2020 16:32:41 +0000

Finding VC in an I-Don’t-Know Moment—with Dillon Liang

Are you curious about how different industries work? Would you like to learn something new every day? Then a career in venture capital might be a good fit.

Dillon Liang is a Junior VC at Bullpen Capital, an early-stage, post-seed venture fund based in Silicon Valley. His resume prior to Bullpen includes roles at M13, Techstars Cedars-Sinai, Core Innovation Capital and Uncharted Ventures. Dillon earned his BA from UCLA, where he cofounded a nonprofit that connected startups with student talent.

On this episode of the podcast, Dillon joins us to discuss the I-don’t-know moment that led to his career in VC, explaining what he loves about meeting and working with founders and other investors. He weighs in on what makes a great Bullpen investment and how he learned to identify what kind of deals he likes (and which ones he doesn’t). Listen in to understand why founders should talk to Junior VCs and find out if a career in venture capital is right for you.

Topics Covered

What made Dillon want to become a VC

Found internship at family office on UCLA job board
Liked meeting smart people inspired to change world

What makes a great Bullpen investment

Product in market with early signs of traction
Team of about 10 that’s raised up to $4M

What Dillon likes most about being a VC

Meeting and working with founders
Being part of effort to change world

How Dillon is finding deals in the COVID era

Lean on network of trusted sources
Go deep with relationships formed in last year

How we can inspire more people to be VCs

Broaden access to processes
Transparency around how it works

Dillon’s I-don’t-know moment at UCLA

Realized lack of conviction for medicine
Led to discovery of venture capital

Why founders should talk to Junior VCs

Junior team included in decision meetings
Rally more internal support

How Dillon builds internal conviction for a deal

Took every meeting in Year One to develop taste
Sit in on meetings to understand what partners like

What Dillon is most proud of in his VC career thus far

Deals that made it over line (e.g.: Honeybee Health)
Friendships with founders, other investors

Dillon’s definition of success

Content and fulfilled, happy in work
Continue to learn every day

Connect with Dillon

Bullpen Capital https://bullpencap.com/

Dillon at Bullpen https://bullpencap.com/team/dillon-liang

Dillon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillsl/

Dillon on Twitter https://twitter.com/dill_sl

Bullpen on Twitter https://twitter.com/BullpenCap

Resources

Techstars https://www.techstars.com/

Core Innovation Capital http://corevc.com/

Honeybee Health https://honeybeehealth.com/

Call of Duty: Warzone https://www.callofduty.com/warzone

Discord https://discord.com/

Telegram Messenger https://telegram.org/

Reddit Showerthoughts https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/

Fortnite https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home

Oculus Quest https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home

The Weekend Live Experience https://wavexr.com/theweekndexperience/

John Legend’s Virtual Concert https://go.wave.watch/johnlegend

Wave https://wavexr.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.98: The Evolution of a Founder as a Startup Scales—with Spenser Skates of Amplitude

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:00:23 +0000

In the early stages of building a startup, the founders are doing all the things—all by themselves. But as a company grows, the most successful founders evolve, taking on whatever role is necessary to move the business to the next level. So, what does that journey look like? And what do you need to know as a founder in the early stages of building a business?

Spenser Skates is the Cofounder and CEO of Amplitude Analytics, the leading product intelligence platform that helps companies leverage customer data to build better products. After graduating from MIT in 2010, Spenser spent a year working in finance and convincing his cofounder, Curtis Liu, to join him in building a business full-time. They launched a voice-recognition startup, Sonalight, in 2011 and pivoted to product analytics in 2014. Today, Amplitude generates $100M in annual revenue.

On this episode of the podcast, Spenser joins us to share his journey as a founder, explaining the decision to quit working on Sonalight and build Amplitude Analytics. He offers advice on finding the right cofounder, describing what makes his relationship with Curtis work and how his role as CEO has evolved as the company has grown. Listen in for Spenser’s insight on mastering sales and management (when engineering is your strength) and learn how to allocate your time as a startup founder in the early stages of building a business.

Topics Covered

How Spenser came to build Amplitude Analytics

Work on Sonalight voice recognition startup
Built analytics in-house for that company
Saw need for understanding user journey

Why Spenser made the decision to quit Sonalight

Not passionate about product ourselves
Product quality not enough to grow quickly
Tech still about five years out (too early)

Spenser’s advice on finding the right cofounder

Agree to give it two years minimum
Need deep trust + respect, both add value

What makes Spenser & Curtis’ relationship work

No ego around who calls shots
Confidence to keep going without external validation

How Spenser landed Amplitude’s first customers

Investor introduced to gaming company
Work with sales coach to improve skills
Ask for referrals from existing users

How startup founders should be using their time

50% building product
50% engaging with customers

How Spenser’s job has evolved as Amplitude grows

Find product people want to use
Focus on sales
Grow team (sales first, then executive)

Spenser’s insight on mastering management

Can’t really learn without doing and failing
Learn faster from experts with experience

When to hire someone vs. do a job yourself

Build product + talk to customers yourself early on
First hires should be engineers and sales team

Spenser’s personal definition of success

Pursue work with purpose beyond self
Make world better place

Connect with Spenser

Amplitude Analytics https://amplitude.com/

Amplitude on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AmplitudeAnalytics

Amplitude on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplitude-analytics

Amplitude on Twitter https://twitter.com/Amplitude_HQ

Spenser on Twitter https://twitter.com/spenserskates

Spenser on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/in/spenserskates

Resources

Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/

Curtis Liu https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtisliu

Airbnb Founder Story https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-inside-story-behind-the-unlikely-rise-of-airbnb/

Mitch Morando http://www.morandomethod.com/

Zynga https://www.zynga.com/

Eric Vishria https://twitter.com/ericvishria

VALORANT https://playvalorant.com/en-us/

Minecraft https://www.minecraft.net/en-us

UC Berkley Computer Science Association https://www.csua.berkeley.edu/

Xerox PARC https://web.stanford.edu/dept/SUL/sites/mac/parc.html

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.97: If You Can’t Be a Unicorn, Be a Workhorse—with Aleem Mawani of Streak

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 09:00:01 +0000

Boost VC S5EP4 Streak CRM

If You Can’t Be a Unicorn, Be a Workhorse—with Aleem Mawani

Not every startup can be the proverbial venture unicorn. But just because a company isn’t valued at $1B or more doesn’t mean it’s dead. So, how do you build a profitable, growing tech workhorse? And how might venture evolve a new model that supports these businesses?

Aleem Mawani is the Cofounder of Streak, a CRM for Gmail that helps small teams manage any workflow from their inbox, including sales, project management, fundraising, customer support, hiring and business development. Prior to Streak, Aleem served as a Program Manager at Microsoft and Product Manager at Google, and he earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.

Today, Aleem joins us to explain what inspired his team to build Streak, sharing their customer-centric process for adding new features and making pricing decisions. He discusses the concerns founders have around building on a centralized service like Gmail and how his team mitigated their risk simply by talking to the team at Google. Listen in for Aleem’s insight on building a profitable tech workhorse (as opposed to a unicorn) and learn how venture might innovate to accommodate growing companies like Streak.

Topics Covered

How Aleem came to build the Streak CRM for Gmail

Needed CRM for sales in work with previous startup
Realized Salesforce was overkill for small teams

The Streak team’s current process for adding features

Imbed selves with customers, listen to stories
Offer for free rather than upsell for retention

How Aleem’s team makes decisions around pricing

Find ‘point at which people start caring’
Negotiate with clients with 20+ users

How Aleem thinks about when to start charging customers

Enterprise software can charge from Day One
Consider risk won’t be able to charge later

How Aleem benefitted from work experience at Google

Background in free products, understand scale
Familiar with Gmail team and Google’s priorities

The top concerns for building on a centralized service

Platform risk (e.g.: What if Gmail builds this?)
Change product in way not aligned with yours

The benefits of being a profitable workhorse like Streak

Offer engineers stability but with startup feel
Not necessary to stop and raise money

Aleem’s insight on the need for innovation in venture

Model only appropriate for unicorns that scale fast
No mechanism for long-term investor relationship

The challenge around brainstorming during a pandemic

Remote works well for executing projects ‘in flight’
Much harder to launch new initiatives on Zoom

Aleem’s personal definition of success and fulfillment

Find something you enjoy, become masterful at it
Pursue purpose with time for human connection

Connect with Aleem

Streak https://www.streak.com/

Streak on Twitter https://twitter.com/streak

Streak on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/streakgmail/

Streak on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/streak-com/

Aleem on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleemmawani/

Aleem on Twitter https://twitter.com/aloo

Resources

Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/

Zynga https://www.zynga.com/

DocSend https://www.docsend.com/

Tempo https://www.yourtempo.co/

Books by Warren Buffett https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffett/e/B001IGFJO2

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep. 96: The Future of Education is VR—with Tom Impallomeni

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:00:13 +0000

We learn more through experience. And we experience more through VR. In fact, virtual reality solves for many of the limitations of in-person learning, allowing students to practice new skills through simulation. What if the future of education is VR?

Tom Impallomeni is the Cofounder and CEO of TribeXR, a startup that leverages VR to teach creative skills, with the ultimate goal of turning aspiring musicians into professionals and performers. Tom has an extensive background in building companies, and his resume includes tech startups like Virtually Live, SuperAwesome and Where Are You Now. Tom also serves as an advisor to the teams at Aflete, FireTech Camp and Pyramid.

Today, Tom joins us to explain why TribeXR decided to start with DJing and what makes learning that particular skill easier in VR than it is in real life. He describes his experiences as the founder of an early VR company, discussing what metrics his team uses to measure success and how they think about acquiring new customers. Listen in to understand what makes virtual reality the best medium for learning by doing and find out why the future of education is VR.

Topics Covered

What Tom’s team does at TribeXR

Harness VR to teach skills (focus on creatives)
Turn aspiring musicians into professionals

What makes learning to DJ in VR better than real life

Limitations to learning in classroom
Don’t need expensive equipment

Why Tom’s team decided to start with DJing

Vision to build community grouped around passions
Popular aspirational skill but inaccessible to most

The metrics TribeXR uses to measure success

Net promoter score, how much people use it
Accepted onto Oculus Quest Store

Tom’s experiences founding an early VR company

Travel with 100 lbs. of equipment (before headsets)
Share few sweaty headsets at conferences

How Tom thinks about the distribution of TribeXR

Build relationship with Oculus team
Encourage users to share performances on social

Why Facebook is critical to the VR market

Acquisition of Oculus starting to pay off
Funding development of VR content

Tom’s take on what problems VR is solving

Fantastic for simulation (learning by doing)
Best medium for full-body immersive games

Why Tom is particularly suited to founding startups

Enjoy building things that have direct impact
Build companies in areas of personal passion
Persistence (give self as many shots as can)

Connect with Tom

TribeXR https://www.tribexr.com/

TribeXR on Discord https://discord.com/invite/qdhNs2U

Resources

SuperAwesome https://www.superawesome.com/

Oculus Quest https://www.oculus.com/quest/

Oculus Quest Store https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/

Oculus Rift https://www.oculus.com/rift/

Viveport https://www.viveport.com/infinity

Steam https://store.steampowered.com/steamvr

PlayStation VR https://www.playstation.com/en-us/explore/playstation-vr/buy-now/

CES Conferences https://www.ces.tech/Conference/CES-Conferences.aspx

VRLA https://twitter.com/vrlosangeles

Adventure Lab https://www.adventurelab.fun/

AAA Game Studios https://www.aaagamestudios.com/

Space Pirate Trainer https://www.spacepiratetrainer.com/

Beat Saber https://beatsaber.com/

Half-Life: Alyx https://www.half-life.com/en/alyx/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.95: How dWeb Outdoes the Traditional Internet—with Matthew Gould & Brad Kam of Unstoppable Domains

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 3 Sep 2020 09:00:31 +0000

Most of us spend a significant amount of time cultivating our online assets. And yet, we don’t actually own our slice of the digital economy. Our social media accounts and even our personal websites can be censored or taken away from us at any time by the big companies that control them. But the decentralized web is different.

Matthew Gould and Bradley Kam are the cofounders of Unstoppable Domains, a crypto startup that builds censorship-resistant websites and sells blockchain domain names to fund the gateway to the decentralized web. Prior to Unstoppable, Matthew and Brad both served on the team at Talkable, the leading online platform for referrals and loyalty marketing.

Today, Matthew and Brad join us to discuss what differentiates blockchain startups from traditional internet companies, explaining how they knew Unstoppable could be sustainable business. They weigh in on the challenges of managing a remote work environment and describe their unique rapport as cofounders. Listen in for insight around what the decentralized web is trying to build and learn how dWeb facilitates freedom of speech and gives us ownership of our digital assets.

Topics Covered

How Matthew and Brad got into crypto

Exposure to crypto community in San Francisco
Solves some of world’s fundamental problems

What differentiates crypto from traditional internet businesses

Must invent business model, no experts
Important to tell story (market education)

How Matthew and Brad invest in their community

Product exploration, help companies build websites
Create community and share ideas on Telegram

What the dWeb is trying to build

Internet where users in control
Launch business or transact from anywhere

The benefits of the dWeb over the traditional internet

Prevents government or company censorship
Users own assets in digital economy

How Matthew and Brad knew Unstoppable was a viable company

Customers willing to buy NOW
Precedent for domain names as business
Potential to replace many parts of traditional web

The rapport between Matthew and Brad as cofounders

Matthew develops product, Brad handles BD + growth
Battle regularly over ideas but no ego involved

How Matthew and Brad think about remote work

Harder for managers, easier for individual contributors
Overhead higher as must invest heavily in tools

What Matthew and Brad are doing to prep for hiring remotely

Make sure standardized process in place
Invest more time (15 hours per week)

Matthew and Brad’s personal definitions of success

World changed because of something we did
Use of blockchain domains in everyday life

Topics Covered

How Matthew and Brad got into crypto

Exposure to crypto community in San Francisco
Solves some of world’s fundamental problems

What differentiates crypto from traditional internet businesses

Must invent business model, no experts
Important to tell story (market education)

How Matthew and Brad invest in their community

Product exploration, help companies build websites
Create community and share ideas on Telegram

What the dWeb is trying to build

Internet where users in control
Launch business or transact from anywhere

The benefits of the dWeb over the traditional internet

Prevents government or company censorship
Users own assets in digital economy

How Matthew and Brad knew Unstoppable was a viable company

Customers willing to buy NOW
Precedent for domain names as business
Potential to replace many parts of traditional web

The rapport between Matthew and Brad as cofounders

Matthew develops product, Brad handles BD + growth
Battle regularly over ideas but no ego involved

How Matthew and Brad think about remote work

Harder for managers, easier for individual contributors
Overhead higher as must invest heavily in tools

What Matthew and Brad are doing to prep for hiring remotely

Make sure standardized process in place
Invest more time (15 hours per week)

Matthew and Brad’s personal definitions of success

World changed because of something we did
Use of blockchain domains in everyday life

Connect with Matthew & Brad

Unstoppable Domains https://unstoppabledomains.com/

Unstoppable on Telegram https://t.me/unstoppabledomains

Resources

20 Mission http://www.20mission.com/

Jered Kenna https://twitter.com/jeredkenna

Talkable https://www.talkable.com/

Kyber Network https://kyber.network/

Switcheo https://switcheo.network/

GitLab https://about.gitlab.com/

GitLab’s Remote Playbook https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/all-remote/

WordPress https://wordpress.com/

Automattic’s Blog on Remote Work https://wordpress.com/blog/2020/03/20/remote-work-reader/

InVision https://www.invisionapp.com/

InVision’s Remote Culture https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/build-remote-culture-bonusly/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.94: Funding Biotech with Conscious Capitalism (to Save the World)—with Arvind Gupta

Maddie@boost.vc (Maddie Callander) — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 09:00:10 +0000

The old way of doing capitalism is about making money in the short term, and that way of thinking has caused a lot of destruction. But some venture funds are taking a new approach and deploying capital in a way that is net beneficial for society in the long term. So, how do we leverage this new kind of conscious capitalism to support the biotech companies that are making the world a better, more sustainable place?

Arvind Gupta is a Partner and at Mayfield Fund, a venture capital firm that operates under a framework of conscious capitalism. Arvind is also the Founder and Venture Advisor at IndieBio, the world’s largest biotech accelerator, where he invested in 136 companies in five years and grew a portfolio worth $3.2B. Arvind has been a guest lecturer at UCSF, MIT and Harvard, and he is the coauthor of the forthcoming book, Decoding the World: A Roadmap for the Questioner.

Today, Arvind joins us to share his mission to help scientists create companies, explaining why access to equity is more important than capital and what we can do to address the trending economic inequality. He discusses the connection between social revolution and new technologies, introducing us to the idea of conscious capitalism as a way to make an impact AND create better returns. Listen in for insight around the challenges of scaling a bio-related startup and learn how Arvind is working to deploy the capital necessary to build the technology that will save the world.

Arvind’s work as the founder of IndieBio

Help scientists become entrepreneurs
136 companies valued at $3.2B

The connection between revolutions and new technology

Social shift demands new way of doing things
Gen Z, millennials willing to pay to affect change

Arvind’s philosophy on the way we view animals

See as living thing or disposable product
Reflects way we treat each other

The benefits of replacing meat with lab-grown food

Subtract moral cost of meat
Remove carbon from supply chain

Why Arvind sees COVID as the Great Accelerator

Speeding up every trend
Includes biology, neo-feudalism

What we can do to correct neo-feudalism

Reinvent education to create mobility
Create jobs that provide access to equity

How Arvind is engaging in conscious capitalism

Deploy capital for things feel important + make money
Create better returns by changing way things done

Arvind’s insight on the idea of designed humans

Ability to make compounds by delivering RNA/DNA (but not keep)
Editing DNA too dangerous for future generations

What’s different about funding a bio-related startup

Tech is alive under hood and living things don’t always behave
Challenge to ensure production platforms repeatable at scale

What inspired Arvind’s transition to Mayfield

Bio companies need support in series A/B for movement to grow
Learn from world-class team devoted to conscious capitalism

Connect with Arvind

IndieBio https://indiebio.co/

Mayfield Fund https://www.mayfield.com/

Arvind on Twitter https://twitter.com/arvndgpta

Resources

Arvind on Boost VC Podcast EP034 https://theboostvcpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/f2db5d9c-d3c4f571

Decoding the World: A Roadmap for the Questioner by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311

IDEO https://www.ideo.com/

Memphis Meats https://www.memphismeats.com/

Finless Foods https://finlessfoods.com/

New Age Meats https://www.newagemeats.com/

George Church’s Woolly Mammoth Revival https://reviverestore.org/projects/woolly-mammoth/

Khan Lab School https://www.khanlabschool.org/

Navin Chaddha’s Post on Conscious Capitalism https://www.mayfield.com/conscious-capital/

‘China’s CRISPR Babies’ in the MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/12/03/131752/chinas-crispr-babies-read-exclusive-excerpts-he-jiankui-paper/

The Martian by Andy Weir https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History https://www.dancarlin.com/

Yik Yak https://www.linkedin.com/company/yik-yak-inc-

Tim Chang at Mayfield https://www.mayfield.com/team-member/tim-chang/

Ursheet Parikh at Mayfield https://www.mayfield.com/team-member/ursheet-parikh/

Mammoth Biosciences https://mammoth.bio/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Ep.93: Leveraging VR to Revolutionize Healthcare Education & Training—with Brian Conyer of GIBLIB

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 09:58:00 +0000

A whole lot of founders make the mistake of undervaluing their product. Some even give it away for free, not realizing that generating revenue is critical to proving out a business model and attracting venture investors. Healthcare education startup GIBLIB struggled to gain traction until the team shifted to a subscription-based platform, and now they are thriving in their mission to leverage virtual reality to revolutionize medical training.

Ep. 92: The VC’s Role as the Sixth Man—with FinTech Investor Michael Sidgmore of Broadhaven Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 4 Apr 2019 09:06:00 +0000

How is an early-stage VC a lot like Shane Battier or Andre Iguodala? When they are on the court, they make the players around them better. That’s how Michael Sidgmore sees his role as a pre-seed and seed round FinTech investor: He’s the sixth man, coming off the bench to serve as the glue that helps his team get to the next level. He may not be in the trenches on a daily basis, but when he does get in the game, good things happen.

Michael is a Partner at Broadhaven Ventures, an independent investment bank serving the financial services industry. In his role at Broadhaven, Michael focuses on sourcing, investing and managing investments in early-stage FinTech startups. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a pre-product employee at iCapital Network and the first sales hire at Mosaic. Michael is also the founder of Let’s Humanize Finance, an interview series with FinTech entrepreneurs and innovators who are changing the way we interact with money.

Today, Michael joins us to share his unique path from semi-pro soccer player to Broadhaven Ventures, explaining how reading Leaving Microsoft to Change the World changed his life. He offers insight around how to measure impact in a nonprofit organization and how FinTech companies can make both a profit and an impact. Michael also gives us his take on the evolution of FinTech and the way cryptocurrency might fit into the larger picture of financial services in general. Listen in for Michael’s top four opportunities in the FinTech space and learn how he sees the role of an early-stage VC as that of the sixth man.

Topics Covered

Michael’s path from semi-pro soccer to Broadhaven Ventures
Interned for Room to Read during accidental gap year in UK
Transfer from Middlebury to London School of Economics
Work at Goldman Sachs before shift to FinTech startups

The key to running a successful conference
Engaging content (e.g.: Shark Tank for trade ideas)
Interesting people

How to measure impact as a nonprofit organization
KPIs specific to goals (i.e.: # of students with library access)
View donors as investors expecting social return

Michael’s definition of success in business
Do something you love, doesn’t feel like work
Help entrepreneurs realize dreams + make impact

FinTech’s ability to make a profit AND an impact
Access to credit for unbanked individuals, small businesses
Facilitate growth of middle class in emerging markets

Michael’s take on the evolution of FinTech
From $3B of VC in 2012 to $16B in 2016
Challenge for disruptors to create standalone brand
Bring enabling tech to traditional financial institutions

Michael’s insight around the opportunities in FinTech
Emerging markets (Asia, Latin America)
Big brands become FinTech companies
Banking the SMB
Collaborations (e.g.: Goldman + Apple)

Michael’s thoughts on how crypto fits into the FinTech picture
Irony of centralized organizations in decentralized framework
Interesting use cases in tokenization of assets

How Michael sees his role as an early-stage VC
Serve as sixth man (critical player off bench)
Get companies ready to graduate to series A

How Broadhaven is building out their team
Institutionalizing processes
Adding skill sets like culture, HR

Connect with Michael

Broadhaven Ventures https://www.broadhaven.com/

Broadhaven on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/broadhaven/

Michael on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsidgmore/

Michael on Twitter https://twitter.com/michaelsidgmore

Let’s Humanize Finance http://www.letshumanizefinance.com/

Resources

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood http://www.leavingmicrosoftbook.com/

Room to Read https://www.roomtoread.org/

LSE Alternative Investments Conference https://www.lseaic.com/

David Rubenstein at The Carlyle Group https://www.carlyle.com/about-carlyle/team/david-m-rubenstein

Silver Lake https://www.silverlake.com/

Glenn Hutchins http://www.hamiltonproject.org/people/glenn_h._hutchins

Man Group https://www.man.com/

Lord Stanley Fink https://www.crunchbase.com/person/stanley-fink#section-overview

Mosaic https://www.joinmosaic.com/

iCapital https://www.icapitalnetwork.com/

QED Investors https://qedinvestors.com/

Gusto https://gusto.com/

Chime https://www.chimebank.com/

MoneyLion https://www.moneylion.com/

SoFi https://www.sofi.com/

Michael Gilroy https://www.canaan.com/team/michael-gilroy

Canaan Partners https://www.canaan.com/

ScaleFactor https://scalefactor.com/

Greg Phillips https://www.broadhaven.com/greg-phillips

Guissu Raafat Baier https://www.linkedin.com/in/guissu/

The Third Door by Alex Banayan https://thirddoorbook.com/

Keith Rabois on Boost VC EP090 https://theboostvcpodcast.simplecast.fm/rabois

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep.91: Filling the Voids in the Crypto Market—with Joey Krug of Pantera Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 09:23:00 +0000

An Amazon study revealed that 100ms in latency cost them 1% in sales. Meanwhile in crypto, it can take as long as a week to set up a CoinBase account! Imagine how conversion rates would skyrocket if the industry tackled latency and solved for the two greatest voids in the market: fiat on-ramping and scalability. So, what blockchain startups are making progress toward these goals? And how is the blockchain landscape likely to shift in the next few years as we work toward large-scale adoption?

Joey Krug is the CIO of Pantera Capital, an investment firm focused exclusively on digital currency and ventures in the blockchain space. Prior to Pantera, Joey cofounded the Forecast Foundation, an organization that contributes to the Augur Project, a decentralized prediction market protocol owned and operated by the people that use it. He also started an AngelList syndicate that backed the popular 0x protocol.

Today, Joey joins us to explain how he balances his work for Pantera with his ongoing involvement in Augur. He offers insight around the early days of the Augur Project, discussing the decision to pursue an ICO, his method for building the team, and the hurdles he faced developing Augur on Ethereum. Joey also shares why he took on the oracle problem at Augur and gives advice on building for chains other than Ethereum. Listen in to find out what recent investments Joey is most excited about and how those companies address the current voids in the market, fiat on-ramping and scalability.

Topics Covered

Joey’s path to Augur and Pantera Capital
Came across Bitcoin in 2011 on Overclock
Started Augur to disrupt financial system
Joined Pantera as technical partner in 2017

The Augur reporting system
Designated reporter selected to submit answer
Stake tokens (reputation) on real winner
Disputes end OR split into two universes

Why Joey financed Augur through a crowd sale
Project rather than company (no equity to sell)
Needed own token due to forking concept

Joey’s take on how the market has changed
Pendulum swing from ICOs to equity deals

The voids in the market Joey is looking to fill
Fiat on-ramping
Scalability problem

NFT ideas Joey finds interesting
NFTs with video games
Buy electronic artwork

How Joey balances work between Pantera and Augur
Most of time at VC firm
Oversee that Augur running smoothly

Joey’s advice to his younger self at Augur
Fully think through what you’re building

How Joey built the Augur team
Skype crypto discussion groups
Open communication on Reddit, Discord
No org chart but defined responsibilities

Joey’s thoughts around building for future chains
Likely compatibility with EVM, WebAssembly
Build on Ethereum now (high odds of porting code over)

Recent investments Joey is most excited about
Wyre likely to increase conversion rates exponentially
Bakkt (institutional grade exchange for crypto)
Synthetic Minds makes secure smart contracts easier

The hurdles Joey faced in developing Augur on Ethereum
Making smart contracts secure
Writing decentralized UIs

Joey’s insight on the oracle problem
Design for incentive compatibility
Still slow (takes one week to resolve markets)

Joey’s thoughts on the scalability timeline
2K transactions/second in next 18 months
10K TPS in 4 years (many sidechains necessary)

The difference between fiat and Dai stable coins
Fiat = same drawbacks as existing system
Dai backed by Ether as collateral (fewer limitations)

Why Joey took on the oracle problem with Augur
Maintain decentralization, remain P2P

Connect with Joey

Pantera Capital https://www.panteracapital.com/

Pantera on Twitter https://twitter.com/PanteraCapital

Augur https://www.augur.net/

Augur on Twitter https://twitter.com/AugurProject

Augur on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Augur

Augur on GitHub https://github.com/AugurProject

Joey on Twitter https://twitter.com/joeykrug

Resources

Overclock https://www.overclock.net/

Zeppelin https://zeppelin.solutions/

0x https://0x.org/

MakerDAO https://makerdao.com/en/

MetaMask https://metamask.io/

Cosmos https://cosmos.network/

Polkadot https://polkadot.network/

Guesser https://www.guesser.io/

Discord https://discordapp.com/

StarkWare https://www.starkware.co/

zk-SNARKs https://z.cash/technology/zksnarks/

EVM https://www.mycryptopedia.com/ethereum-virtual-machine-explained/

WebAssembly https://webassembly.org/

Wyre https://www.sendwyre.com/

Amazon Latency Study https://blog.gigaspaces.com/amazon-found-every-100ms-of-latency-cost-them-1-in-sales/

Bakkt https://www.bakkt.com/index

Synthetic Minds https://synthetic-minds.com/

IPFS https://ipfs.io/

Oraclize https://provable.xyz/

Chainlink https://chain.link/

TLSNotary https://tlsnotary.org/

Gnosis https://gnosis.pm/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 90: Sparking Great Companies—with Keith Rabois of Founders Fund

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:00:00 +0000

The best venture investors bring more to the table than capital. The most successful venture investors serve as active advisors, mentoring unproven entrepreneurs and propelling startups forward. So, what do such founder-driven investors look for in emerging talent? How do they teach the fundamentals of operating a business? How do they identify and then cultivate the SPARK it takes to build a company with the potential to change the world?

Keith Rabois is General Partner at Founders Fund, a VC firm focused on supporting entrepreneurs building revolutionary technologies. Keith is known for guiding early-stage startups to become successful businesses, and his impressive resume includes executive positions at PayPal, LinkedIn and Square. After 13 years in the C-suite at high-growth companies, Keith transitioned to venture capital, joining Khosla Ventures in 2013 and moving to Founders Fund in February of this year. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School.

Today, Keith joins us to share his approach to identifying unproven talent and mentoring young founders in ‘Rabois Bootcamp.’ He offers advice on building a team around the most difficult challenges and biggest risks the business is likely to face and explains the difference between hiring for value protection versus value creation. Keith also shares his uncommon insight on how Bitcoin adoption correlates with the rule of law and discusses the true measure of success in VC. Listen in to understand why Keith is more successful than the average venture investor and learn how he avoids mediocre returns by investing only when he has an unusual advantage.

Topics Covered

Keith’s path to VC
Entrepreneur, executive in high-growth companies
Active angel investor (i.e.: Airbnb, YouTube, etc.)

Keith’s definition of success
Identify undervalued people and propel forward
Iconic companies with potential to change world

Keith’s insight on identifying talent
Meet and assess large number of people
Look for irrational confidence, unreasonable tenacity + skill

Keith’s approach to mentoring unproven talent
Osmosis-like learning (build, run + operate business)
Direct feedback on performance

Who Keith goes to for support
Peter Thiel, close friends (feedback on big decisions)
Young people most important in shaping views

Keith’s advice on building a team
Identify most difficult challenges, biggest risks
Find world-class to run point on each

Keith’s paradigm for risk reduction
Value creation = raw ability
Value protection = experience

Keith’s take on Bitcoin
Adoption inversely correlated with rule of law
Value prop in speculation

How Keith leverages his background in law as a VC
Look for legal, regulatory risk
Asymmetrical ability affords advantage

Why Keith focuses on $1M to $3M seed investments
Invest early (team is only data point)
Noncompetitive part of capital stack

Keith’s insight on measuring success in VC
Smart decision based on available info
Adjust returns based on risk

The most impactful thing Keith has accomplished
Hire people with no entry point in industry
Introduce to mainstream ethos of Silicon Valley

Connect with Keith

Founders Fund https://foundersfund.com/

Founders Fund on Twitter https://twitter.com/foundersfund

Keith on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith/

Keith on Twitter https://twitter.com/rabois

Resources

Jeff Jordan at a16z https://a16z.com/author/jeff-jordan/

Opendoor https://www.opendoor.com/

Peter Thiel at Founders Fund https://foundersfund.com/team/peter-thiel/

‘How to Operate with Keith Rabois’ on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w19IBxDu2Y4

Stellar https://www.stellar.org/

Keith’s Investment Criteria https://twitter.com/rabois/status/934099022603747329

ForwardHealth https://www.forwardhealth.wi.gov/WIPortal/

Michael Moritz at Sequoia Capital https://www.sequoiacap.com/people/michael-moritz/

Stratechery https://stratechery.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 89: Inspiring Deep Tech Founders to Invest in Sales & Marketing—with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000

CEOs in the deep tech space are deeply passionate about what they are building. But these brilliant technical minds tend to be less passionate about sales and marketing. So, how can a VC with a background in branding inspire his founders to invest in marketing material that reflects the power and beauty of what they’re building technically?

Greg Castle is the Founder and Managing Director of Anorak Ventures, a fund dedicated to early-stage, disruptive technologies like virtual reality, robotics, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, computer vision and internet of things. Greg believes that the next decade will be defined by the emerging technology of today, and he is passionate about investing in teams with the right mix of intellect, experience and integrity to succeed. Prior to Anorak, Greg worked in corporate marketing and served as the cofounder of Pure Food, a UK startup of fast casual restaurants.

Today, Greg joins us to share his experience as a seed investor in Oculus, explaining how the experience inspired him to become a VC. He describes his value-add for the companies he works with in the realm of sales and marketing and discusses the importance branding that reflects the work you’ve put in on the technical side. Listen in to find out how Anorak has evolved since its inception in 2016 and learn why Greg is looking for founders who understand the ‘illogical’ nature of running a venture-backed business.

Topics Covered

Greg’s path to Anorak Ventures
Sales and marketing at Bloomberg out of college
Moved to UK to become restaurant entrepreneur
Returned to States to work in video game tech
Seed capital to Oculus, interest in investing

Greg’s value-add for the companies he works with
Background in gaming tech + Oculus experience
Inspire CEOs to invest in marketing and sales

The evolution of Anorak in the last 2½ years
Opportunities outside Bay (capital efficiency + focus)
More valuation sensitive, comfortable saying no

What Greg looks for in a founder
Repeat founders/early employees in venture-backed co.
‘Unsexy businesses’ causing disruption (e.g.: Orderful)

Connect with Greg

Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/

Anorak Ventures on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/anorak-ventures/

Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycastle/

Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12

Resources

Greg on Boost VCC EP001 https://simplecast.com/s/3a5f6c48

Oculus https://www.oculus.com/

Flexport https://www.flexport.com/

Autodesk https://www.autodesk.com/

Mass Effect https://www.masseffect.com/

‘AR Will Spark the Next Big Tech Platform—Call it Mirrorworld’ in Wired https://www.wired.com/story/mirrorworld-ar-next-big-tech-platform/

Oculus Kickstarter Campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1523379957/oculus-rift-step-into-the-game

CB Insights https://www.cbinsights.com/

Kobie Fuller https://www.linkedin.com/in/kobiefuller/

Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/

Alchemist Accelerator https://alchemistaccelerator.com/

Orderful EDI Solution https://www.orderful.com/

Tekken https://tk7.tekken.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 88: Building the Superpower of Personal Flight—with David Mayman of JetPack Aviation

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 7 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever wished you could fly, your dream is within reach. The jetpack industry, though still small, has developed to a point where a handful of startups are consistently carrying out safe flights and building businesses around the superpower most of us have daydreamed about, but never recognized as a realistic possibility.

David Mayman is the founder, CEO and Chief Test Pilot of JetPack Aviation, the undisputed leader in turbine-powered, VTOL aircraft. With more than a decade of experience refining its technology, JetPack is the first company to design and manufacture a true jetpack for personal flight, creating an entirely new aviation market for individuals, corporations and military clients.

Today, David joins us to discuss the business case for personal flight via jetpack. He speaks to the other players in the space, explaining why the industry is slow to grow and how to get into the business through partnerships with manufacturers. Listen in for David’s insight into the chief consumer fears around flying jetpacks and learn how close we are to engineering completely safe, autonomous machines for use by the general public!

Topics Covered

David’s path to JetPack Aviation
Flew plane before drove, dreams of personal flight
Career in commerce and investments in tech space
Capital to further flight education

The bureaucratic process to do a proper test flight
6 months of negotiation to fly around Statue of Liberty
Much easier after establish track record

The other players in the personal flight space
Richard at Gravity Industries
Franky at Flyboard Air
Yves Rossy

Why the jetpack space is slow to grow
Expensive hardware ($12K to $60K/engine)
Time consuming to build on own

How to hack the space without capital
Build relationships with manufacturers
Vision of your ability to innovate

The business case for jetpacks
Education and entertainment (i.e.: Red Bull events)
Experience Center training facility

The chief consumer fears around flying jetpacks
Heat of engines and flight safety
Falling out of sky

What needs to happen for jetpacks to be commonplace
Completely safe, autonomous machines
Use to commute and transport items

David’s definition of success
Change status quo
Motivated when told can’t be done

Connect with David

JetPack Aviation https://jetpackaviation.com/

JetPack on Twitter https://twitter.com/jetpackaviation

JetPack on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jetpackaviation

JetPack on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/jetpackaviation

JetPack on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jetpackaviation/

David on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmayman/

Resources

1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WWDnOiQR7A

AJ Forsythe https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajforsythe

Gravity Industries https://gravity.co/

Zapata Flyboard Air https://zapata.com/air-products/flyboardair

Yves Rossy http://www.jetman.com/loft/

Own the Sky Documentary http://paperbarkfilms.com/films/own-the-sky/

‘What Crossing the Arctic Taught This VC About Entrepreneurship’ by Collin West https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288830

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 87: Opportunities in Ocean Tech—with Liané Thompson of Aquaai

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Prior to 2016, no proper study had been done around the economics of the ocean. At the time, the ocean economy was estimated at $1.5 trillion and expected to reach $3 trillion by 2030. In fact, the ocean has the potential to solve several of humanity’s biggest problems, and the opportunities in ocean tech are as vast and deep as the ocean itself.
Liané Thompson is the cofounder and CEO of Aquaai, a B2B startup using AI, computer vision, machine learning and biomimicry to create ecofriendly robotic fish to monitor below the surface and gather sophisticated data from the ocean. Prior to Aquaai, Liané spent 20 years in media, serving as a radio reporter, video journalist, TV producer and media executive.

Today, Liané joins us to explain the work they do at Aquaai, sharing how she made the jump from journalist to ocean tech entrepreneur. She shares her approach to climate deniers and walks us through Aquaii’s evolution as a business. Liané also discusses the team’s decision to form a company rather than a nonprofit and what differentiates Aquaai from the traditional Silicon Valley startup. Listen in for insight around the economics of the ocean and learn about the vast opportunities in the ocean tech space.

Topics Covered

The work Aquaai does
Robotic fish gather data from ocean
‘Intelligence below the surface’

How Liané got into the ocean tech space
Met Simeon (‘Q’ of Israel) as journalist
Promise to his daughter to save seas

The evolution of the Aquaai clownfish
First iteration 12 inches long (auto Tweet photos)
Current 1.5-meter fish gathers sophisticated data
Swim in fish farms supplying salmon to Whole Foods

Liané’s transition from journalist to entrepreneur
Desire to keep learning after return to US
Idea to turn promise to Emily into business

Liané’s response to climate deniers
Encourage to read, observe extreme weather
More concerned with educating people on fence

The Aquaai trajectory as a company
Early interest from global reinsurers
Reached out to fish farmers (pilot partners)

The greatest challenges in the ocean tech space
Underwater conditions (salty, cold + can’t see)
Technology unbelievably expensive

How Aquaai differs from a typical Silicon Valley startup
Not MIT or Stanford scientists
Tough and experienced

Aquaai’s decision to form a company rather than a nonprofit
No desire to ask for money entire career
Found their people in B2B aquaculture

The economics of the ocean
At least $1.5T in 2016, $3T by 2030
Solve food, water and energy problems

Liané’s 10-year vision for Aquaai
Key in changing perception and behavior
Channel to show ‘good, bad and ugly’

Connect with Liané

Aquaai https://www.aquaai.com/

Aquaai on Twitter https://twitter.com/aquaaicorp

Aquaai on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Aquaai/

Aquaai on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/aquaai-corp/

Liané on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianethompson/

Liané on Twitter https://twitter.com/lianethompson

Resources

The Fish on My Plate Documentary http://pbsinternational.org/programs/fish-on-my-plate-the/

‘The Ocean Economy in 2030’ by Claire Jolly https://www.oecd.org/sti/ind/Session%201_b%20-%20Claire%20Jolly%20-%20Web.pdf

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 86: The Tipping Point of VR Mass Adoption—with Tipatat Chennavasin of Venture Reality Fund

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:00:00 +0000

If you look at the numbers, VR appears to be on the precipice of mass adoption. 60 virtual reality titles have generated more than $1M in revenue, with the top-grossing games making $10M-plus. Millions of headsets are in circulation, and we’re seeing 3K to 5K concurrent users per popular title. Governments are investing billions to develop VR technology and $3.4B in VC money was invested in the ecosystem last year alone. So, what will it take for VR to take off around the world?
Tipatat Chennavasin is the cofounder and General Partner with The Venture Reality Fund, a VC firm that invests in early-stage AR, VR and AI startups in an effort to power the future of computing. Tipatat is a thought leader in the AR/VR space, mentoring companies, incubators and accelerators around the world. Prior to The VR Fund, he served as cofounder and CEO of Big Head Mode, a mobile gaming startup acquired by PlayFirst in 2013. Tipatat earned his BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford.

Today, Tipatat joins us to explain what first drew him into the world of virtual reality. He describes the consumer appetite for VR in Asia and the incredible Chinese city dedicated to the space. Tipatat also shares detailed metrics around VR adoption and VC investment in the industry. Listen in for Tipatat’s insight on the tipping point for global acceptance of virtual and augmented reality—and learn about his vision of the role VR will play in the future of work.

Topics Covered

What inspired Tipatat to invest in VR
Cured real life fear of heights
Change way we learn, heal and communicate

The consumer appetite for VR in Asia
Gaming ingrained in culture
Chinese government investment

How the numbers differ from perceived investor sentiment
$3.4B invested in ecosystem during trough
$3.2B invested during height of hype

The data around VR adoption
3M PlayStation VR, 4M NVIDIA headsets
60 titles made $1M+ in revenue (top-grossing $10M)

Tipatat’s take on the most surprising VR use case
Virtual influencers

What’s preventing mass adoption of VR
Alignment of hardware and software
Underestimate impact of Oculus Quest

How Tipatat spends his time in VR
2.5 hours/day
VRChat, Rec Room and art programs

Tipatat’s insight on the current gaps in VR
Use digital skills to make living in VR
Enable non-IT workers to do IT work

Resources

Tipatat on Boost VC S2EP03 https://simplecast.com/s/28858f9c

John Carmack https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Carmack

CES https://www.ces.tech/

VRST in Tokyo https://vrst.acm.org/vrst2018/

Nordic VR Forum https://vrforum.no/

Road to VR https://www.roadtovr.com/

VRChat https://www.vrchat.net/

SteamDB https://steamdb.info/

Oculus Quest https://www.oculus.com/quest/

Beat Saber http://beatsaber.com/

Rec Room https://www.againstgrav.com/rec-room/

Job Simulator https://jobsimulatorgame.com/

FitXR https://fitxr.com/

Space Pirate Trainer https://www.spacepiratetrainer.com/

Future Present by Michael Pinsky https://www.amazon.com/Future-Present-Ethics-Science-Fiction/dp/0838639240

Tilt Brush https://www.tiltbrush.com/

Oculus Quill https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1118609381580656/

Goro Fujita https://twitter.com/gorosart?lang=en

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 85: Solving for Shared Experiences in XR—with Anjney Midha CEO of Ubiquity6

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:00:00 +0000

“Clearly, the killer use case, the most valuable thing 6DoF can do is allow two or more humans to interact—just be with each other from wherever they are.”
The internet has succeeded in connecting people to machines and information. So, what’s missing? Anjney Midha argues that the element of human interaction is what the web lacks, and he is on a mission to develop the tools creators can use to design shared experiences online through XR.
Anjney Midha is the cofounder and CEO of Ubiquity6, a startup using computer vision to create multiplayer experiences for augmented and virtual reality. Founded by alums from Metamind, Facebook, Tesla, Twitter and Stanford, the Ubiquity team is leveraging spatial computing to bring people together in valuable new ways. Anjney began his career in venture as Founding Partner of KPCB Edge, a Kleiner Perkins fund formed to support founders in AR, VR and computer vision.
Today, Anjney joins us to share his background in frontier tech and explain how his experience in VC led to the creation of Ubiquity6. He offers insight on the problems in venture capital, describing how good and bad investors can impact a startup. Anjney also discusses the particular challenges of the deep tech space and the futility of the AR versus VR debate. Listen in to understand the tech advancements that have facilitated networked capabilities and learn how Ubiquity6 is solving for shared experiences—at six degrees of freedom.

Topics Covered

Anjney’s background in frontier tech
Formed fund within Kleiner (AR, VR + computer vision)
Influenced by Bing Gordon, Mike Abbott
Time spent investing AND building software
Founded Ubiquity6 to solve for shared experiences

Anjney’s take on good vs. bad investors
Great investors = 100X or more
Bad investors destroy value
More pretenders than ever
Look at track record of success, failure

How Anjney communicates with investors
Text message, reply within 10 minutes
Best investors view as service industry

The role of Ubiquity6 in solving for shared experiences
Serve creators with tools
Launch own experiences
‘Shared AR in persistent way’

Anjney’s insight around the challenges of deep tech
Timing (invest in real tech that doesn’t exist)
Bring research to market in compelling way

How Anjney built a tribe of support
Early-stage founders vocal about problems
Obvious from listening to early adopters

Why Anjney is excited about audio
As powerful, immersive as visual AR
Shared audio channels for consumers

Why Anjney believes AR vs. VR is a false debate
Different viewing modes of same experience
High level of abstraction = unproductive debate

The positive mass market signals for Anjney and his company
ARKit, ARCore (networked AR)
On-device capabilities to shared capabilities

Connect with Anjney

Ubiquity6 https://ubiquity6.com/

Ubiquity6 on Medium https://medium.com/ubiquity6

Ubiquity6 on Twitter https://twitter.com/ubiquity_6

Ubiquity6 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ubiquity6/

Anjney on Medium https://medium.com/@anjneymidha

Anjney on Twitter https://twitter.com/anjneymidha

Anjney on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjney/

Resources

Kleiner Perkins https://www.kleinerperkins.com/

Bing Gordon https://www.kleinerperkins.com/people/bing-gordon/

Mike Abbott https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelabbott/

Virtual Human Interaction Lab https://vhil.stanford.edu/

Jeremy Bailenson https://vhil.stanford.edu/faculty-and-staff/

Adam Arrigo https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-arrigo-b4637620/

TheWaveVR http://thewavevr.com/

LYNX Capital https://www.lynxtrading.com/

Benchmark Capital http://www.benchmark.com/

Index Ventures https://www.indexventures.com/

Vinod Khosla Interview https://blog.ycombinator.com/vinod-khosla-on-how-to-build-the-future/

John Doerr https://www.kleinerperkins.com/people/john-doerr

Marc Andreessen on a16z Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91S1NL-B0Q&t=14m34s

ARKit https://developer.apple.com/arkit/

ARCore https://developers.google.com/ar/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 84: Media in Crypto with Mike Dudas of The Block

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:00:00 +0000

The world of cryptocurrency is fascinating. It is also noisy. And if you are trying to learn more about digital currency or blockchain technology, it’s necessary to sift through a lot of misinformation to get to the good stuff. So, how do you know who to listen to in a space where everyone seems to be shouting from the rooftops? Is there a media outlet you can trust to deliver the truth in an otherwise LOUD ecosystem?
Mike Dudas is the founder and CEO of The Block, the most reliable source of information for all things crypto. The media startup aims to cut through the noise, making the blockchain and cryptoassets accessible by way of social engagement and discourse, market information and education. Prior to founding The Block, Mike worked in business development for Google, PayPal and Venmo, and he cofounded Button, Inc., the premiere partnerships platform for mobile commerce.
Today, Mike joins us to share his background in media and technology, discussing how to gain credibility in what he calls frontier tech—with or without business school credentials. He explains how The Block was born on Twitter and what it takes to build a media company in the modern era. Listen in for Mike’s insight on building a trusted brand and learn how he is working to amplify the best information, in an effort to influence what gets built in the blockchain space.

Topics Covered

Mike’s background in media and technology
Degree from Stanford (tech bug)
Google, PayPal and Venmo

How to gain credibility in frontier tech
Accomplishments, network
Publish thoughts online
Business school less important

Mike’s inspiration for The Block
Crypto research took months (misinformation)
Strength in amplifying ideas, attracting experts

Mike’s insight on building a trusted brand
Approachable, willing to experiment with topics
Diversity of perspectives

How The Block raised capital
Traditional venture startup
Variety of investors

What’s different about building a media company today
Reporters/journalists brands themselves
All writing consistent with mission of company
Reach people in channels where spend time

How The Block is working to empower citizen journalists
Desire to develop social element
Facilitate pseudonymous sources

Mike’s definition of success
Happy with accomplishments in all facets of life
Balance business, family and health

Connect with Mike

The Block https://www.theblockcrypto.com/

The Block on Twitter https://twitter.com/theblock__

The Block on Medium https://medium.com/the-block-crypto

The Block on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/theblockcrypto/

Mike on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdudas/

Mike on Twitter https://twitter.com/mdudas

Resources

Vitalik Buterin https://vitalik.ca/

Fred Wilson on AVC https://avc.com/author/fred8784/

Frank Chaparro’s Fidelity Article https://www.theblockcrypto.com/2018/10/15/fidelity-the-2-5-trillion-wall-street-giant-is-launching-a-brand-new-institutional-brokerage-and-custody-business-for-crypto/

Bakkt https://www.bakkt.com/index

ErisX https://erisx.com/

Skift https://skift.com/

The Infatuation https://www.theinfatuation.com/

theSkimm https://www.theskimm.com/

Sriram Krishnan https://sriramk.com/

Felix Salmon http://www.felixsalmon.com/

Taylor Lorenz https://www.theatlantic.com/author/taylor-lorenz/

Mike Isaac https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-isaac

Lopp’s Resources Page https://lopp.net/bitcoin.html

Satoshi Nakamoto Institute https://nakamotoinstitute.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 83: Solving for Volatility in Crypto with a Decentralized Stablecoin—with Steven Becker of MakerDAO

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 8 Nov 2018 15:47:00 +0000

The most popular criticism of the crypto space is its lack of stability. What if you could solve for volatility, leveraging a decentralized stablecoin to mitigate the risk associated with a cryptocurrency portfolio? And how would a market risk manager from the traditional finance and investment industry assess the current risk profile of the blockchain space?
Steven Becker is the President and COO of MakerDAO, a decentralized, autonomous organization on the Ethereum blockchain. Based in Santa Cruz, California, Maker seeks to realize the potential of cryptocurrency through its Dai stablecoin, collateral loans and decentralized governance. Steven spent two decades doing market risk assessment in the traditional finance and investment space prior to joining MakerDAO.
Today, Steven joins us to discuss the current risk profile for cryptocurrency and the benefits of MakerDAO’s decentralized model. He shares some of the differences between traditional financial services and the crypto space and offers insight around his decision to transition to the blockchain ecosystem. Listen in for Steven’s take on the development of digital cultures and learn how technology, philosophy and economics inform crypto governance dynamics.

Topics Covered

Steven’s background in risk management
Traditional finance, investment space
Identify weakest point in mechanism

The current risk profile for cryptocurrency
Perception as brand-new industry
Disruption to change to adoption

The idea behind MakerDAO
Provides digital cash
Decentralized stablecoin
Solves for volatility in portfolio

Steven’s experience working in a distributed team
Structured meetings (Google Hangouts)
20 hours of ‘open space of operations’

How MakerDAO assesses opportunities
Weigh against country, jurisdiction and community
Top-down approach (i.e.: crypto adoption, ROI)

Steven’s introduction to the crypto space
Inquiry around what stablecoin looks like
MakerDAO closest to idea of ideal stablecoin

Steven’s philosophical approach to the blockchain
Concept of distributed trust
Stablecoin answer to volatility

Steven’s favorite part of the crypto space
Governing dynamics that make it work
Intersection of tech, philosophy and economics

Steven’s insight on the blockchain’s cultural value
Granular categorizations of corporate structure
Develop value system that aligns with cultural beliefs

Connect with Steven

MakeDAO https://makerdao.com/

MakerDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/MakerDAO

MakerDAO on Medium https://medium.com/makerdao

MakerDAO on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/MakerDAO/

Steven on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-becker/

Resources

Rehive https://rehive.com/

The Sun Exchange https://thesunexchange.com/

Google Hangouts https://hangouts.google.com/

Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Office-Required-Jason-Fried/dp/0804137501

MyCrypto https://mycrypto.com/

Taylor Monahan on Boost VC S2EP19 https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-boost-vc-podcast/season-2-ep-19-distributed-KnJjPs_iqRu/

The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando de Soto https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Capital-Capitalism-Triumphs-Everywhere/dp/0465016154

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 82: The New Frontier of Marketing in the Crypto Space—with Jordan Spence of MyCrypto

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 18:27:00 +0000

While the rules of traditional marketing are clearly defined, marketing in the cryptocurrency space is a whole new ballgame. How do you approach promotion in a decentralized market? What are the best strategies for driving traffic to your site and building a strong community around your brand?
Jordan Spence is the CMO of MyCrypto, an open-source, client-side tool for interacting with the blockchain. The Ethereum interface provides a suite of tools the community can use to generate a wallet on the Ethereum blockchain, access the addresses they currently own, and even swap tokens. In his role as CMO, Jordan is responsible for bringing users to the site and elevating the MyCrypto brand identity. Prior to his work in the blockchain space, Jordan served as Marketing Coordinator for AZUBU and Marketing Manager for Legendary Entertainment.
Today, Jordan joins us to discuss how marketing for cryptocurrency and the blockchain differs from marketing in a traditional setting. He shares his experience with the rebrand as MyEtherWallet became MyCrypto, describing the challenges as well as the benefits of the shift. Listen in for Jordan’s insight on working in a distributed team and learn how he is selling trust and transparency in his role at MyCrypto.

Topics Covered

Jordan’s definition of marketing
Bring users to site
Elevate brand

The most effective marketing tactics
Communicating, being honest
Build strong community

The fundamentals of MyCrypto
Ethereum interface
Suite of tools

MyCrypto’s end users
Daily users of cryptocurrency
Breaking into new user space

Jordan’s experience with the rebrand
From established brand to zero
Opportunity to make sure ready

Jordan’s biggest surprises
Importance of security in space
People losing money

The benefits of doing a rebrand
Think hard about who want to be
Start off on right foot

Jordan’s approach to marketing
Run-and-gun + thought-out tactics
Track success on social (responses)

Jordan’s insight on marketing for crypto
No defined tactics
Sell trust through transparency

The blockchain vs. traditional marketing
Can’t treat users like numbers
Share plans with customers

Jordan’s take on distributed teams
New challenge every day
Online tools (e.g.: Slack)

What Jordan is excited about
Low prices change community
‘Back to what matters’

Jordan’s definition of success
Always growing AND failing

Connect with Jordan

MyCrypto https://mycrypto.com/account

MyCrypto on Twitter https://twitter.com/mycrypto?lang=en

MyCrypto on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mycryptoHQ/

MyCrypto on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mycrypto/

MyCrypto on Medium https://medium.com/@mycrypto

MyCrypto on GitHub https://github.com/MyCryptoHQ

MyCrypto on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/mycrypto/

Jordan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanspence/

Jordan on Twitter https://twitter.com/spencecoin?lang=en

Resources

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

Slack https://www.udemy.com/blockchain-and-healthcare/

Confluence https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence

Google Hangouts https://hangouts.google.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Ep. 81: Healthcare Innovation, Data Access & the Blockchain —with Kat Kuzmeskas of SimplyVital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Building a blockchain startup is hard enough. How do you educate the market around the technology itself? How do you communicate the business case for your product? But if you’re really looking for a challenge, build a company with a focus on innovation in the healthcare space—an industry notoriously slow to adopt advanced technology!
Katherine Kuzmeskas is the founder and CEO of SimplyVital Health, a startup building the blockchain infrastructure for healthcare. By way of open source and proprietary software, SimplyVital leverages the blockchain as a tool to increase data access and decrease the cost of healthcare, globally. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Kat cut her teeth in hospital administration, serving as Program Manager and Strategic Planner for the Yale New Haven Health system.
Today, Kat joins us to discuss the challenges of innovating in the healthcare space, describing the market’s slow adoption of advanced technology and the reteaching necessary around the role of the blockchain. She shares her interest in healthcare administration and explains how a year with Teach for America led to her idea for SimplyVital Health. Listen in for Kat’s insight on leading a global company and learn how persistence, organization and the will to win lend to her success as a startup founder.

Topics Covered

The function of SimplyVital
Blockchain infrastructure for healthcare
Proprietary and open-source software
Data access to decrease costs globally

Kat’s insight on leadership
Solo musician/athlete vs. band/team
Compare to CEO of global company

The challenges of innovating in healthcare
Slow to adopt advanced technology
Must understand business perspective

Kat’s advice for startups in the healthcare space
Identify customers, run product by them first
Remember that healthcare is business (ROI)

Kat’s path to founding SimplyVital Health
Clinical rotations in Ecuador
Interest in operations, administration
Teach for America student dashboard
Apply data-driven decision-making to healthcare

Kat’s strengths as a startup founder
Persistence (outwork others)
Extremely organized
Competitive, curious

How Kat educates the healthcare market on blockchain
Recognize long sales cycle
Reteach as necessary
Consulting arm, course on Udemy

How Kat financed SimplyVital
Self-funded first year
Equity round with venture investors
Revenue from purchase of tokens

Kat’s definition of success
Personal fulfillment
Doing good in world

Connect with Kat

SimplyVital Health https://www.simplyvitalhealth.com/

SimplyVital on Twitter https://twitter.com/SimplyVitalHQ

SimplyVital on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SimplyVitalHealth/

SimplyVital on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplyvital-health/

Kat on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinekuzmeskas/

Kat on Twitter https://twitter.com/kkuzmesk?lang=en

Resources

Blockchain and Healthcare on Udemy https://www.udemy.com/blockchain-and-healthcare/

Chuck Klosterman X: A Highly Specific, Defiantly Incomplete History of the Early 21st Century by Chuck Klosterman

http://chuckklostermanauthor.com/books/chuck-klosterman-x-tr/chuck-klosterman-x-hc

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 80: Pen Testing, Persistence & Product/Market Fit—with Jacob Hansen of Cobalt

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 4 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0000

When you’re building a startup, it is easy to get caught up in creating the product itself and assume that the technology is the most important thing. But Jacob Hansen argues that an early focus on users is necessary in finding product/market fit. And as your company grows, attracting the right talent becomes just as important as the technology itself.
Jacob is the co-founder and CEO of Cobalt, a security platform that is reinventing the pen test for web applications, mobile apps and APIs. An advocate of crowdsourcing and cybersecurity, Jacob has been featured in Forbes and The Verge, and he has delivered keynotes at OWASP AppSec USA and O’Reilly Security NYC, among other international conferences. Prior to his work with Cobalt, Jacob served as a consultant with Accenture, delivering Enterprise IT Solutions for Fortune 100 clients.
Today, Jacob joins us to discuss the need for cybersecurity and explain the concept of pen testing. He speaks to the growth of Cobalt, describing the company’s milestones, the scaling of its values, and his evolving role as CEO. Listen in for Jacob’s insight around product/market fit, the importance of attracting talent, and why persistence is key in building a company!

Topics Covered

The need for online security
Bad actors try to get something of value
Access to bank account, cryptocurrency
Damage reputation or influence election

The definition of pen testing
‘Good hackers’ test security of apps
Blend art and science to find issues

How Jacob got interested in security
Background in finance and business
Lost Bitcoin in hack of large exchange
Learned key management

How to scale values as your startup grows
Live values every day
Transparency, openness and hard work

How Jacob and his co-founders got to the US
Start company in Buenos Aires
Accepted to Boost VC Tribe 3

The advantages of being in Silicon Valley
Makes fundraising easier
Learn to build, scale faster

The big milestones for Cobalt they scale up
Move to Silicon Valley
$1M raise in angel round
Finding product/market fit
Hit $1M in revenue
Learn to manage team of 50

Jacob’s insight on product/market fit
Mistake to build product first
Focus on sales early on

The top themes in the security space
Developers/engineers responsible for fixing issues
Collaboration between developers and engineers

Jacob’s assumptions on how to start a company
Thought all about technology
Realizes importance of sales, hiring

Jacob’s role as a ‘decentralist’
Central institution storing data bound to go wrong
Cobalt empowers talent to work directly with clients

How to evaluate security testing talent
Rating system
Find exploits and explain potential damage

Jacob’s advice around fundraising
Celebrate the NO
Persistence is key

How Jacob grows with his shifting role at Cobalt
Read several books on each new function
Listen to podcasts and reach out on LinkedIn

Jacob’s definition of success
Respected by friends, peers
Accomplish something of value

Ep. 79: {Rebroadcast}: Returning the Power of the Internet to Its Users—Via Cryptocurrency with a16z VC Chris Dixon

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 12:00:00 +0000

‘Who has the power of the internet? Does the power lie in the hands of a few centralized companies? Or does it lie in the hands of users and communities?’
We all know the answer here. Though the web initially gave authority to its users, the pendulum has swung the other way. Now there are four companies with all the data and all the power, and many would argue that they are using it in questionable ways. Chris Dixon believes that there is still a chance we can shift the power dynamics back to users and communities, and the answer lies in cryptocurrency.
Chris is a general partner with VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. He has made several seed- and venture-stage investments for a16z, including BuzzFeed, Coinbase, Dispatch.ai, Oculus and Skydio. Chris is also an active angel investor, having made personal investments in tech companies like Foursquare, Kickstarter and Pinterest, among others. He has a background in programming and entrepreneurship, serving as the co-founder and CEO of SiteAdvisor, an internet security startup acquired by McAfee in 2006, as well as Hunch, a recommendation technology company acquired by eBay in 2011. Chris has an MBA from Harvard University.

Chris joins us today to discuss the megatrends in technology of the last 15 and next 15 years, explaining how the current controversy around cryptocurrency stems from a dramatic misunderstanding of the space. He shares his insight on how blockchain technology has evolved and the ongoing work involving data ownership. Listen in for Chris’ profound take on our transition from the physical to the digital world and learn why cryptocurrency is a political movement intent on shifting the power of the internet back to users and communities.

Topics Covered

Chris’ background
Early interest in computers
Entrepreneur (securities, machine learning)
Active angel investor

The megatrends of the last 15 years
Mobile
Social
Cloud

Chris’ insight on future megatrends
Crypto
AI
New computing platforms

The controversy around crypto
Stems from dramatic misunderstanding of space
Early negative press (nefarious behavior, extremist views)

What crypto is really about
User controls own data
Breaking of monopolies

Chris’ take on private blockchains
Taking people away removes value
Useful in interorganizational use cases

Chris’ insight on how the space has evolved
Outperformed expectations, high level of innovation
Small blockers won block size debate
Wrong about ‘one crypto to rule them all’

Chris’ take on next steps
Core scaling work
Application layer (i.e.: non-fungible tokens, crypto-goods)

The laws of physics of the internet
Remixing culture

The work around data ownership in the crypto space
Use crypto networks to create marketplaces
Gives user control of own speech, health data

Why crypto is a political movement
Shift power of internet back to users, communities
Facilitate golden age, unlock economics of creativity
Architectural power of Web 2, but decentralized

The Andreessen Horowitz approach to investing in crypto
Buy and hold (five to ten years)
ICO = new way for modern VC

The transition from the physical to the digital world
Language assumes subordinance of digital world
Digital world matters (affected election outcome)
Digital is less tangible, but far more impactful

Chris’ definition of success
Personal—driven by desire to create
Societal—contribute to human welfare

Ep. 78: {Rebroadcast}: Olaf Carlson-Wee, Founder of Polychain Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Do you know how a former lumberjack becomes the founder of and leader of the largest crypto hedge fund? Listen to this episode of The Boost VC podcast where Adam Draper talks to Olaf Carlson-Wee the founder of Polychain and one of Boost VC's portfolio companies, about starting the first ever crypto hedge fund, and how he now manages more than $250m in assets.

Ep. 77: {Rebroadcast}: Freedom, Global Entrepreneurship and the Possibilities of Cryptocurrency with VC Tim Draper

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

“Venture capital, to me, is a way that we can raise money to help entrepreneurs who can go out there and do something for the world that just opens it up. I am always pushing for freedom, and I think it’s great to see venture capital be able to support entrepreneurs—wherever they are—to go out there and do something extraordinary for freedom.”

Tim Draper is the founding partner of Draper Associates as well as Draper Fischer Jurvetson (DFJ). His gift for assessing the fastest way to get a service to its users was instrumental in the success of viral communication networks like Hotmail and Skype. He has been an early investor in several wildly successful startups including Baidu, Tesla and Cruise Automation. Tim is recognized as a leading supporter of global entrepreneurship, and he was named #7 on the Forbes Midas List, #1 Most Networked Venture Capitalists by Always On, and World Entrepreneurship Forum’s 2015 ‘Entrepreneur for the World.’ In 2011, he created Draper University, a residential and online school that seeks to help talented young people meet their entrepreneurial goals.

Today Tim offers his definition of entrepreneurship and his journey from aspiring entrepreneur to venture capitalist. He shares his take on the ideal relationship between VC and founder and the sectors he is looking to invest in right now. We explore the world of cryptocurrency, discussing its potential to transform governance, how innovative VCs are trying new things with Bitcoin, and what the industry can learn from the P2P music and media revolution. Listen in to understand why Tim equates freedom with wealth and how to leverage the ripple effect of optimism.

Topics Covered

Tim’s definition of VC
Give entrepreneurs the means to ‘do something extraordinary for freedom’
Draper Venture Network is taking best practices global

Tim’s entrepreneurial evolution
VC affords opportunity to dabble

The relationship between a VC and founder
Look for a fit, VC that can bring something interesting to the table
Tim’s strengths lie in designing business models and networking

The sectors Tim is looking to invest in right now
Anything blockchain has to offer
Cryptocurrency has ability to transform real estate, insurance, banking and government

Tim’s take on how cryptocurrency will transform governance
World more elastic, flexible
Functions of government done more efficiently on blockchain

How innovative VCs are trying new things with Bitcoin
Tim was first to invest in company with cryptocurrency, use smart contract

The best advice Tim got from his VC dad
Personal connection matters

What cryptocurrency can learn from peer-to-peer music/media revolution
When status quo threatened, they will retaliate (e.g.: lawsuits, government intervention, competitive threat)
‘Technology wins all the wars’

Control vs. technological advancements
Countries relying on own currency lose out
Entrepreneurs, money go elsewhere

The ripple effect of optimism
Fear keeps people in boxes
Accomplish much more if you ‘just go’

Connect with Tim

Draper Associates http://www.draper.vc/
Draper Associates on Twitter https://twitter.com/drapervc
DFJ http://dfj.com/index.php
Draper University http://www.draperuniversity.com/
The Startup Hero on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUrqcWVF3uelGlK-6sXGjLgKu_JlhW_3l
Tim Draper on Medium https://medium.com/@TimDraper/the-pledge-f18e12013785
Meet the Drapers https://republic.co/meet-the-drapers

Resources Mentioned

The Startup Game: Inside the Partnership between Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs by William H. Draper III https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Game-Partnership-Capitalists-Entrepreneurs/dp/0230339948
Bionomics: Economy as Ecosystem by Michael Rothschild https://www.amazon.com/Bionomics-Economy-Ecosystem-Michael-Rothschild/dp/0805019790

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 76: {Rebroadcast}: Sidechains, Stable Coins, and What’s Wrong with the ICO with Charlie Lee of Litecoin

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 6 Sep 2018 16:54:00 +0000

‘There’s definitely some teams that are using [ICOs] and are able to fund their ideas better and more easily than the traditional VC way of doing things, but there’s just too many bad actors that just want a get rich quick scheme.’
Charlie Lee created Litecoin in 2011 while he was working as software engineer for Google. Litecoin is ‘the silver to Bitcoin’s gold,’ functioning as a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that complements Bitcoin. In the long-term, Charlie sees Litecoin becoming a payment currency used at both physical and online stores, and he is currently working to promote widespread merchant adoption.
Charlie also spent four years with Coinbase, serving as the Director of Engineering for the digital currency platform. Today Charlie explains why he is not a fan of the ICO, discussing why it’s ripe for bad actors. We cover the future of cryptocurrency and the major debates in the ecosystem, including hard forks and Bitcoin Gold. Charlie shares his inspiration for dedicating his career to cryptocurrency as well as his ambitions for Litecoin. Listen in for Charlie’s insight around sidechains, stable coins, and the value of CryptoKitties.

Topics Covered

Chalie’s background
Encrypted chat startup in 1999
Created Litecoin while working for Google
Last four years at Coinbase

Charlie’s take on the rise of the ICO
Incentives not in line, receive money before product is built
Too many bad actors
Tack on token functionality as afterthought

The future of the cryptocurrency space
ICO regulations to reduce fraud

Charlie’s ambitions for Litecoin
Become payment currency (physical, online stores)
Widespread merchant adoption
Listed on exchanges

Chalie’s insight around stable coins
Crypto must be tied back to real world somehow
Governments will eventually release cryptocurrencies (i.e.: crypto-USD)

The deployment of sidechains
Litecoin is decentralized, secured by miners
Value of sidechain in smart contracts

Why Charlie is excited about Monero
Coin doing the right thing
100% private

Charlie’s take on the major debates in the ecosystem
Bitcoin Gold
Hard forks

What inspired Charlie to enter the crypto space
Bitcoin as better version of gold
Easy to transfer, store for nothing

How CryptoKitties create value
Limited supply of digital resource (scarcity)
Concern lies in scaling

Connect with Charlie

Litecoin https://litecoin.org/

Litecoin on Twitter https://twitter.com/litecoin

Charlie on Twitter https://twitter.com/SatoshiLite

Resources Mentioned

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/?locale=en-US

Aragon https://aragon.one/

Monero https://getmonero.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 75: Solving Big Problems with the Power of VR—with Morgan Mercer of Vantage Point

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

When problems don’t affect us directly, they are easy to ignore. But if we create a connection with the people who ARE impacted and truly understand the consequences of our own action (or inaction), that’s when we start to care. What if we leveraged the immersive experience of virtual reality to establish empathy for marginalized groups? What if VR could give people the agency to take action and solve the world’s biggest problems?
Morgan Mercer is the founder and CEO of Vantage Point, a startup that offers a cutting-edge, fully immersive sexual harassment training program experienced in virtual reality. Vantage Point’s B2B product focuses on identifying sexual harassment and assault, bystander intervention, response training, and societal stigma and bias. Prior to Vantage Point, Morgan served as the Head of Digital Marketing for the online designer consignment platform LePrix.
Today, Morgan joins us to discuss her inspiration to change the world of human resources by way of VR. She offers insight around what it’s like to be a female founder and how women can arm themselves to better navigate life as an entrepreneur. Listen in as Morgan describes the parallels between entrepreneurs and athletes and learn how VR can empower us to solve big problems with thoughtfulness and compassion.

Topics Covered

Morgan’s inspiration to transform HR
Year abroad revealed own biases, ignorance
VR has power to create connection

Why virtual reality is ideal for HR training
Form relationships and empathy
See outcome of actions

The barriers for female founders
Avoid events because only woman in room
Create environments, processes more inviting to women

How female entrepreneurs can arm themselves
Learn to negotiate, stand ground
Get comfortable in uncomfortable situations

Morgan’s insight around VC fundraising
Investors are partners, allies
Work together to get to next stage

What the world looks like if Vantage Point succeeds
More thoughtfulness and compassion
Run toward problems, empowered to act

Morgan’s moratorium on social media
Who are you living for?
How does that influence actions?

Morgan’s take on asking good questions
Inspired by friend Samier Mansur
Questions influence information uncovered

The parallels between working out and entrepreneurship
40% rule
Requires long-term commitment
Push limits to gain strength

Morgan’s definition of success
Go beyond what believe can achieve
Pursue something meaningful

Connect with Morgan:

Vantage Point https://www.tryvantagepoint.com/

Morgan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganrmercer/

Morgan on Twitter https://twitter.com/themorganmercer?lang=en

Resources:

Halogen Ventures http://halogenvc.com/

LiveSafe https://www.livesafemobile.com/

The Art of Being and Becoming by Hazrat Inayat Khan https://www.amazon.com/Being-Becoming-Hazrat-Inayat-Khan/dp/093087241X

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho https://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0061122416

Evan Spiegel at Code 2018 https://www.recode.net/2018/5/30/17397120/snap-ceo-evan-spiegel-transcript-code-2018

The Little Prince Animated Film https://www.amazon.com/Little-Prince-James-Franco/dp/B01F8505M4

Connect with Boost VC:

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 74: Fintech Applications & Cryptocurrency in Emerging Markets with Helghardt Avenant of REHIVE

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

If you want to work in the cryptocurrency or fintech space, there is no doubt that Silicon Valley is the place to be in terms of access to opportunity, financing and a network of peers. But what if your home country happens to be an emerging market like South Africa? What is it like to be part of a foreign national startup in the San Francisco Bay Area? And how do you effectively manage a distributed team working from a different time zone?

Helghardt Avenant is the co-founder and CEO of Rehive, a platform working to help founders and businesses rapidly build, launch and scale fintech products by providing the necessary building blocks. Users mix and match a core set of features to their specific fintech use case, much the same way Shopify serves the eCommerce industry. Though Helghardt is based in Silicon Valley, 80% of Rehive’s engineering team works from his home country of South Africa.

Today, Helghardt joins us to share the idea behind Rehive and discuss the startup’s many iterations as well as its ideal customer. He offers insight around emerging markets like South Africa, explaining the country’s current crypto economy and what is necessary to inspire widespread adoption. Listen in as Helghardt describes the draw of Silicon Valley for aspiring engineers in the cryptocurrency space and learn how Rehive is streamlining communication among its distributed team!

Topics Covered

The idea behind Rehive
WordPress for fintech applications
Use available building blocks

Helghardt’s introduction to the crypto space
South Africa had limited online payment options
First experience moving money online = Bitcoin
Fascinated by promise of ‘better money’

Helghardt’s insight around emerging markets
Immediate needs don’t require advanced tech
Hard to generate interest without clear idea of value-add

South Africa’s crypto economy
Run by mining or traditional retail, banking
Success stories = EC2 and Naspers

Helghardt’s take on the draw of Silicon Valley
Access to opportunity, deal flow
Requires mental shift (cultural differences)

What South Africa needs to promote widespread adoption
Educate potential crypto distributors on volatility
Begin in areas where end-consumer comfortable

How to get people away from traditional currency
Enterprise tools for banks, governments and retailers
Issue digital denominations (bring into operational flow)

The ideal customer for Rehive
Brands with established user base
Retailers who want to play in financial space

Helghardt’s advice for aspiring crypto startup founders
Get to Silicon Valley for immediate support network
Find token sale, blockchain foundation looking for talent

The many iterations of Rehive
Stable wallet (hedging mechanism)
Bitcoin, Coinbase for South Africa

Helghardt’s tips for distributed teams
Establish guidelines for communicating on Slack
Work in sprints (3 months together for alignment)

Helghardt’s definition of success
Freedom to cross borders easily
Tap into other’s time and energy
Achieve things can’t do yourself

Connect with Helghardt

Rehive https://rehive.com/
Rehive on Twitter https://twitter.com/rehivehq?lang=en

Rehive on GitHub https://github.com/rehive

Helghardt on Medium https://medium.com/rehive-blog/fintech-platforms-b8b0238427ee

Helghardt on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/helghardt/

Resources

Amazon EC2 https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/

Naspers https://www.naspers.com/

Tencent https://www.tencent.com/en-us/

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400077303
Slack https://slack.com/

The Settlers of Catan https://www.catan.com/game/catan

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts https://www.amazon.com/Shantaram-Novel-Gregory-David-Roberts/dp/0312330537

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 73: Designing AI, VR and AR for Social Good with Sean White of Mozilla

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

We’re familiar with product/market fit, but have you ever considered product/person fit? Having empathy for the end user is what differentiates the companies that design technology for the benefit of humans from those that are simply out to make a profit. So, how do we design AI, VR and AR products that promote social good—and truly change people’s lives?

Sean White is the Chief R&D Officer for Mozilla, the non-profit company behind the Firefox browser. Sean also serves as a visiting lecturer at Stanford University as well as a judge for the environmental category of the International Tech Awards. An entrepreneur and inventor, Sean is dedicated to leading the development of the technologies that enable creative expression, connect us to each other, and enhance our understanding of the world around us.

Today, Sean joins us to share his background in academia and startups as well as his experience in the early days of mixed reality. He explains what is necessary to promote the widespread adoption of VR, how to identify your personal mission, and the value in asking questions about emerging technology through art. Listen in for insight around Mozilla’s role as a ‘trusted personal agent’ and learn how the company works to create product/person fit!

Topics Covered

Sean’s background in academia and startups
Grew up in San Antonio, TX
Silicon Valley in 1988 to attend Stanford

Mozilla’s take on their role in advancing technology
Internet is public good
View selves as ‘trusted personal agent’

Sean’s experience in VR, AR and MR
PhD in mixed reality
Cost $1M to drive each eye in early days

Sean’s favorite recent AR experience
Laurie Anderson, Tribeca Film Festival
Reveals poem, song ‘inside her mind’

How to promote the wide adoption of VR/AR
Normalization of hardware platform
Less expensive, more ergonomic

Mozilla’s view of user identity in VR
Ability to control identity is vital

Sean’s involvement with The Tech
Promote innovation, change people’s lives
Smithsonian AR project to identify plant species

Sean’s insight on finding your mission
Worked with Professor Terry Winograd (inventor of AI)
Learned about social responsibility, heart
Aligns with Mozilla mission to benefit humans with tech

Sean’s take on asking questions through art
Explore hopes, fears around new technologies in film
‘Art is good at asking questions’

How Mozilla tracks success and progress
Measure by people using (where and how)
Product/market AND product/person fit

Connect with Sean

Mozilla https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/

Mozilla on Twitter https://twitter.com/mozilla

Sean on Twitter https://twitter.com/seanwhite?lang=en

Sean on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwhite/

Sean on Medium https://medium.com/@seanwhite

Resources

Favor https://favordelivery.com/

VIVE https://www.vive.com/us/product/vive-virtual-reality-system/

Oculus Go https://www.oculus.com/go/

Tribeca Film Festival https://www.tribecafilm.com/immersive

Fortnite https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/buy-now/battle-royale

The Tech Museum of Innovation https://www.thetech.org/

Crisis Text Line https://www.crisistextline.org/

FirefoxReality https://mixedreality.mozilla.org/

Mozilla ‘Hubs’ https://hubs.mozilla.com/

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448

The Lawnmower Man https://www.amazon.com/Lawnmower-Man-New-Line-Platinum/dp/6304604572

Ep. 72: 'Hell yes' hiring for Coinbase, building on decentralized protocols with John Yi, Group Product Manager

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 9 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

What’s different about the decentralized business model of a company like Coinbase? Why do they measure success based on customer experience? And how do they find the best talent with the right mindset to join the Coinbase team?

John Yi is the Group Product Manager for Services at Coinbase, a digital currency platform where merchants and consumers can transact with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Based in San Francisco, Coinbase is on a mission to champion economic freedom through innovation in digital currency. John’s role is to manage the teams that build the infrastructure for consumer products.

Today, John joins us to explain how a conversation at Occupy Wall Street sparked his interest in cryptocurrency. He shares Coinbase’s ‘hell yes’ hiring policy, describing the entrepreneurial mindset of the company’s team. John speaks to what’s different about a decentralized business model and the challenge of building interoperable products and scalable infrastructure. Listen in for John’s insight on the concept of non-fungible tokens and learn about Coinbase’s focus on customer experience!

Topics Covered

What sparked John’s interest in cryptocurrency
2011 at Occupy Wall Street rally in NYC
Conversation on transcending centralized money

Coinbase’s transparent hiring policy
‘If you’re not a hell yes, you’re a no’
Bias toward entrepreneurial mindset

What’s different about the decentralized business model
Build trust to keep people coming back (don’t hoard value)
Products interoperable with any number of others

How Coinbase employees get up to speed on the industry
Bias toward raw intellect and curiosity
Learn by nature of work, Coinbase University

What has surprised John about the crypto industry
Wrong about payments as main use case
Concept of non-fungible tokens (NFT)

John’s role at Coinbase
Build infrastructure behind consumer products
Work with consumer team on NPS

John’s definition of success
Work on stuff you enjoy with people you admire

Connect with John

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

Coinbase on Twitter https://twitter.com/coinbase

Coinbase on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Coinbase/

John on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnyi/

John on Medium https://medium.com/@johnyi275

John on Twitter https://twitter.com/johnyi275

Resources

‘Bar Raisers at Coinbase: If You’re Not a Hell Yes, You’re a No’ on The Coinbase Blog https://blog.coinbase.com/bar-raisers-at-coinbase-if-youre-not-a-hell-yes-you-re-a-no-68145c6fbe60

Ethmoji https://ethmoji.io/

CryptoKitties https://www.cryptokitties.co/

True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer https://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 71: Branding, Booty Calls & Banking on the Blockchain with Ameen Soleimani of SpankChain

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 2 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

‘The closer you get to 50/50 polarizing, the more viral you’re likely to go.’

Ameen Soleimani is the master of branding, coining terms for his blockchain startup like SpankBank and Booty call. Working with the porn industry lends itself to polarizing branding, but why does Ameen think porn also happens to be the most practical application of crypto technology?
Ameen is the co-founder and CEO of SpankChain, a startup set to revolutionize the adult film industry using blockchain technology. The team has launched its Camsite Beta program and is working to ship SpankBank and SpankPay in the very near future. Prior to SpankChain, Ameen served as Decentralization Lazer Gun for ConsenSys and co-founder of Filter, a Twitter news aggregator.

Today, Ameen sits down with us to explain why the porn industry is a good application for crypto. He shares his surprise at being embraced by the greater Ethereum community and speaks to how he attracts top engineering talent. Ameen discusses the challenges of communicating with a distributed team and the current initiatives they are working on in SpankBank and SpankPay. Listen in for Ameen’s insight on viral branding and the power of polarization.

Topics Covered

What has surprised Ameen in working on SpankChain
Embraced by greater Ethereum community
Porn drives innovation as early adopter

Why the porn industry is a good fit for crypto
Censored by existing financial system
Motivated to adopt new one

Ameen’s introduction to cryptocurrency
Topic in news aggregator
Built arbitrage bot between exchanges

How the SpankChain distributed team communicates
Weekly team meeting, daily dev standup and Slack
Over-document

SpankChain’s current priorities
Launched Camsite Beta program
SpankBank, SpankPay initiatives

How to attract talent to a project
Solve hard problems
Track record of shipping

Ameen’s advice around branding
50/50 polarizing = likely to go viral
‘Stickiness of words matters’

Connect with Ameen

SpankChain https://spankchain.com/
SpankChain on GitHub https://github.com/spankchain
SpankChain on Medium https://medium.com/@spankchain
SpankChain on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpankChain
Ameen on Twitter https://twitter.com/ameensol
Ameen on Medium https://medium.com/@ameensol
Ameen on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameen-soleimani-97181942/

Resources

Ameen’s Reddit Pitch Deck https://www.reddit.com/r/ethtrader/comments/6g9rzq/nsfw_spankchain_im_about_to_betamax_bitcoin/
ConsenSys https://new.consensys.net/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 70: Leveraging Social Networks to Make Everyone a VC with Dan Finlay of MetaMask

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 12:00:00 +0000

What if every individual had the ability to invest in their community? Dan Finlay sees a future in which the blockchain allows us all to function as venture capitalists, investing in the people we trust in our social networks, using our social collateral to back the things we truly believe in.

Dan is a software developer and product lead at MetaMask, a bridge to the distributed web. The platform allows users to run Ethereum dApps (without running a full Ethereum node) and provides a user interface to facilitate private key management. Dan and the MetaMask team are passionate about making new technologies accessible to everyone.

Today, Dan sits down with us to explain how the CryptoKitties phenomenon fit his theory around the first viral crypto application. He speaks to his entry into the blockchain space as a natural extension of his interests in technology and governance. Dan describes the genesis of MetaMask and its aim to provide a gateway to P2P technology and provide the tools necessary to make usable apps. Listen in for Dan’s insight on social collateral and learn how social networks could be leveraged to make everyone a VC.

Topics Covered

Dan’s take on CrytoKitties

Personal theory that first viral thing would be trivial
New mechanics, too much on line in serious contexts

Dan’s introduction to cryptocurrency

Always into tech, politics (governance platforms)
Shared passion with founder to make tech accessible

The genesis of MetaMask

Attempt to make app on Ethereum blockchain
Set out to solve for identity, key management
Provide gateway to peer-to-peer technology

The long-term vision of MetaMask

Individual holds own keys and decides where to store
Stay ahead of what ecosystem needs, tools to make apps

Dan’s strength as an improviser

Building otamatone instrument
Listen, react and collaborate

Dan’s insight on the concept of social collateral

Multiply spending power of social networks
Monetize following by investing in beliefs

Dan’s greatest accomplishments at MetaMask

Surviving crypto-mania
Building talented team

Dan’s definition of success

Expand opportunities for others

Connect with Dan

MetaMask https://metamask.io/
MetaMask on Twitter https://twitter.com/metamask_io
MetaMask on GitHub https://github.com/MetaMask/metamask-extension
Dan on Twitter https://twitter.com/danfinlay
Dan on Medium https://medium.com/@danfinlay

Resources

CryptoKitties https://www.cryptokitties.co/
BitTorrent https://www.bittorrent.com/
Dark Tower Book Series https://www.stephenking.com/darktower/book/
Reddit Showerthoughts https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 69: The Intersection of VR & Cryptocurrency with Esteban Ordano of Decentraland

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Esteban Ordano believes that decentralization is key to mitigating the risk that comes with digital communication, and his work uses VR to return our sense of immediacy, to recreate the personal connections that will lead to what he calls a ͚Renaissance of humanity.͛ So, what does the world look like at this intersection of virtual reality and cryptocurrency?

Esteban is the founder and CTO of Decentraland, a virtual reality platform powered by the Ethereum blockchain where users can purchase land and build on it, limited only by their imaginations. Using a VR headset or web browser, Decentraland users become completely immersed in a 3D, interactive world where they can watch live music, shop with friends or even visit an underwater resort. Prior to Decentraland, Esteban worked as a software engineer at Google and BitPay.

Today, Esteban joins us to explain how the economic chaos in Argentina inspired his interest in the cryptocurrency space. He discusses the role decentralization plays in mitigating the risk of sharing information online and the way cryptographic systems facilitate radical governance. Esteban offers insight around Decentralands place at the intersection of virtual reality and cryptocurrency and how the platform enables the management of digital scarcity. Listen in to understand the major challenges of adoption in the VR and crypto space and learn how Decentraland is testing concepts of governance before they are applied in real life!

Topics Covered

Esteban’s introduction to the blockchain

Article in Hacker News (2011)
Meetup in Argentina (2013)

What sparked Esteban’s interest in Bitcoin

Economic disaster in Argentina
Opportunity to be game-changer

The most important role of decentralization

Mitigate risk of sharing information
One-on-one connections = Renaissance of humanity
Efficient way to transmit info and measure impacts

How cryptographic systems facilitate radical governance

Peer-to-peer way to make decisions
Creates consequences (money where mouth is)

The intersection of VR and cryptocurrency

Decentraland allows for testing concepts
Missing link to creating free society

The significance of digital scarcity

Virtual currencies enable scarcity, ownership
Until now items on database modified by single entity

What the world might look like in 10 years if Decentraland succeeds

Vitual economies, shopping and bars
Send kids to Decentraland University

The major challenges of crypto and VR adoption

Security, efficiency on through-put (crypto)
Hand-tracking and affordability (VR)

Esteban’s definition of success

‘Surprised a little every day’

Connect with Esteban

Decentraland https://decentraland.org/
Decentraland on Twitter https://twitter.com/decentraland
Decentraland on GitHub https://github.com/decentraland
Esteban on Twitter https://twitter.com/eordano
Esteban on Medium https://medium.com/@eordano

Resources

Streamium https://streamium.io/
Livepeer https://livepeer.org/
SpankChain https://spankchain.com/
Hacker News https://news.ycombinator.com/
Peter Rubin on Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/podcast-archive/2018/5/24/season-3-ep-8-unlocking-the-intimacy-between-people-through-vr-with-peter-rubin-of-wired
Beat Saber http://www.beatsaber.com/
Echo Arena https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1369078409873402/
Oculus Go https://www.oculus.com/go/
CRISPR https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 68: Using Decentralized Tech to Mobilize Unused Resources with Julian Zawistowski of Golem Network

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 12:00:00 +0000

So many ICOs, so few products on the market. One of the rare startups that has managed to launch a decentralized product is Golem Network.

Golem runs on the same principle as Airbnb, leveraging the sharing economy of decentralized tech to connect many computers in a peer-to-peer network. The same way that Airbnb hosts mobilize their unused resources (i.e.: spare bedrooms) to generate income, Golem users lend out their available computing power, giving software developers the ability to distribute tasks that are too heavy to be computed on a single node. The result is a global, open-source supercomputer powered by the blockchain.

Julian Zawistowski is the Founder and CEO of Golem Factory, the company behind the Golem distributed network. An economist by trade, Julian is fascinated by blockchain technology and the economics of decentralized systems. Prior to his work with Golem, Julian served as a consultant and public policy researcher and that experience frames his understanding of the transformative potential of decentralized technology.

Today, Julian joins us to explain why Golem was the right kind of project for a token sale. He covers the evolution of Golem, from its inception to the current use case in CGI rendering. Julian offers insight around delivering a decentralized product, and we talk scalability—the biggest problem in the token space. Listen in as Julian shares how Golem might expand to include other use cases and learn about the blockchain’s potential to solve for the crisis of trust.

Topics Covered

Julian’s introduction to the crypto space

Background in economics, consulting
Created own software house
One of first projects in blockchain space
Learned about Ethereum in 2014

The idea behind Golem’s decentralized technology

Connect nodes in peer-to-peer network
Distribute tasks too heavy for single node

The current use case for Golem

CGI rendering (animation, 3D scenes)

Julian’s approach to fundraising for Golem

Initially considered venture funding
Shift as token economy emerged

Julian’s take the types of projects that work for tokens

Natural market within product
Strong network effect

What Golem looks like today

Went live in April 2018
30+ team members
Up to 1K users per day

Julian’s insight on delivering a decentralized product

Launch NOW but consider security issues
Tech you depend on defines product

The future of Golem

Move into realm of machine learning, financial analysis

The biggest problems in the token space

Scalability is #1
UX considerations

How the world will change if decentralized systems succeed

Eliminate dependence on institutions for trust
Solve for problems in politics, financial sectors

Connect with Julian

Golem Network https://golem.network/
Golem on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/GolemProject/
Golem Blog https://blog.golemproject.net/
Golem on Twitter https://twitter.com/golemproject
Julian on Twitter https://twitter.com/julianzawist?lang=en
Julian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-zawistowski-352478

Resources

SETI@home https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 67: Pioneering Blockchain Investment with Paul Veradittakit of Pantera Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 5 Jul 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Only a handful of investment firms were brave enough to enter the crypto space back in the early 2010’s. Those pioneers have witnessed quite an evolution in the blockchain space, and they have gone from being the black sheep of venture capital to enjoying a red-carpet experience with every hedge fund manager on Wall Street.

Paul Veradittakit is a Partner with Pantera Capital, a leading investment firm focused exclusively on projects related to blockchain technology, digital currency and crypto assets. Paul helped launch the firm’s second venture fund, and he sits on the boards of OpenToken and BitOasis. Prior to joining Pantera in 2014, Paul worked at Strive Capital, where he focused on investments in the mobile space.

Today, Paul sits down with us to share his Bitcoin origin story and discuss the evolution of the market since 2014. He offers his take on how the crypto market is changing, explaining why the best talent is coming into the space right now. Listen in as Paul speaks to the tokens that get him up in the morning and addresses the lack of standardization around how entrepreneurs utilize capital.

Topics Covered

How Paul got into the Bitcoin space

Worked for startup in daily deal space
Joined VC in late 2010 (focus on mobile)
Considered working for Coinbase
Ran across Pantera Capital

Paul’s take on the evolution of crypto

20 companies in 2014 (easy to pick winners)
Polychain opened eyes to new sector in 2017
Worldwide adoption of tokens for fundraising

Paul’s insight on the future of the blockchain

Same number of deals, higher quality
Shift in focus to building product
Best talent coming into space

The tokens that get Paul up in the morning

Infrastructure, ways to scale blockchain
Use cases where decentralization enables new markets
Marketplaces where intermediaries take large fees

What surprises Paul about the current market

Companies able to raise capital ‘without legs’
Need for transparency, education (best practices)

Paul’s definition of success

Make world better
Social impact

Connect with Paul

Pantera Capital https://www.panteracapital.com/
Pantera on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/panteracapital/
Pantera on Twitter https://twitter.com/PanteraCapital?lang=en
Paul on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/veradittakit/
Paul on Twitter https://twitter.com/veradittakit?lang=en

Resources

App Annie https://www.appannie.com/en/
Adam’s Quora List https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-hottest-Bitcoin-startups-e-g-crypto-currency-startups-such-as-Ripple-also-count
Polychain Capital http://polychain.capital/
Augur https://www.augur.net/
Beam Capital Management https://www.beamcap.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 66: Investing in Thunder Lizards to Build Compounding Luck with VC Mike Maples of Floodgate

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The startups that become really big, really fast are capitalist mutations or ‘Thunder Lizards’ that force the world to react to their agenda. Their founders refuse to accept the world as is and write their own rules, rather than conforming to the systems in place. This is how VC Mike Maples identifies the entrepreneurs he wants to support, the Prime Movers he can serve as not just an investor but a coconspirator.

Mike is the founding partner at Floodgate, a venture capital fund focused on backing Prime Movers before others believe. Mike has been on the Forbes Midas List since 2010, and his investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, ngmoco, Weebly, and Lyft, among many others. Prior to his career in VC, Mike founded two successful startups of his own, Tivoli Systems and Motive. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Today, Mike joins us at Boost to share the concept of the ‘Thunder Lizard,’ and explain why he prefers to work with Prime Movers. He discusses how he got involved with venture capital, who he goes to for advice, and his approach to cultivating humility. Mike offers insight around the time value to decision-making and the idea of progress by way of competing alternatives. Listen in to understand cryptocurrency’s potential to make trust free and get Mike’s advice for aspiring VCs.

Topics Covered

The concept of the ‘Thunder Lizard’

Great startups = capitalist mutation
Force world to react to their agenda

Why Mike prefers to work with Prime Movers

Don’t accept world as is
Serve as coconspirator (vs. investor)

Mike’s path to venture capital

First job as professional calligrapher
Involved in two successful startups
Visit to Sequoia Capital inspired move to Silicon Valley

Who Mike goes to for advice

Father (think big, create value)
David Marquardt, Kevin Compton, Bruce Dunlevie & Mike Moritz

Mike’s approach to decision-making

Two kinds: 51/49 and 70/30
See as product with ship date

Mike’s advice for aspiring VCs

Must find top 10 companies in given year, add value
Put self in places with high probability of getting lucky
Adopt emergent strategy as opposed to deliberate

How Mike cultivates humility

Pass on company that succeeds, take founder to lunch
Seek opportunities not to ‘breathe own fumes’

Mike’s take on the crypto space

Potential to make trust free (vs. expensive intermediary)
Decentralized business creates ‘wealth of the commons’

Mike’s insight on the job of technology

Bring ‘undecideds’ forward
Make case for abundance

The current problem with currencies

Manipulated for political reasons
No ability to exit = no power/voice
‘Forward progress involves choice among competitors’

Connect with Mike

Floodgate http://floodgate.com/
Floodgate on Twitter https://twitter.com/floodgatefund
Mike on Twitter https://twitter.com/m2jr
Mike on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maples

Resources

Mike on The Tim Ferriss Show https://tim.blog/2017/12/16/the-man-who-taught-me-how-to-invest/
Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States by Albert O. Hirschman https://www.amazon.com/Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Responses-Organizations/dp/0674276604

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 65: Princesses Who Smash Computers & Women in VC with Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

‘I wanted to play with Barbies, but I also loved smashing up a computer and learning about silicon chips.’

Despite growing up in a tech savvy, entrepreneurial family, Jesse Draper didn’t see herself as a venture capitalist for a long time because ‘that’s not what women do.’ So, how do we level the playing field and get girls to see themselves in roles as startup founders, investors and board members?

Jesse is the founding partner of Halogen Ventures, a VC firm focused on early-stage investing in female-founded consumer technology startups. Her portfolio includes Laurel & Wolf, Carbon38, the Skimm, HopSkipDrive and Sugarfina, among many others. Jesse is also the creator and host of 2015 Emmy-nominated series The Valley Girl Show, producing and distributing 500 interviews with some of the greatest minds in technology and entrepreneurship. She has been a contributor to Marie Claire, Mashable and Forbes, and Jesse serves on the board of Werk, SurfAir and nonprofit Bizworld.

Today, Jesse joins us at Boost to share her path to becoming a venture capitalist and offer insight around women in VC. She explains the impetus behind The Valley Girl Show, discussing the hustle required to launch and sustain a long-running tech talk show in the broken media industry. Listen in to understand how Jesse eventually came to see herself as a capable VC and learn how to raise girls who aren’t afraid to build jetpacks or take apart computers.

Connect with Jesse

Halogen Ventures http://halogenvc.com/
Halogen on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/halogenvc/
Halogen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/halogenvc/
Jesse on Twitter https://twitter.com/JesseDraper

Resources

Steam https://store.steampowered.com/
Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Phil-Knight/dp/1508211809

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 64: Using AI to Redefine the Way We Experience Music with Ryan Groves of Melodrive

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Imagine having a private band or orchestra talented enough to extemporaneously compose, orchestrate and perform the soundtrack to your life, adjusting to the environment or your emotions in real time? Better yet, what if YOU had the ability to create audio content that would adapt to any given situation in an immersive space?

Ryan Groves is an award-winning music researcher and veteran developer of intelligent music systems. He also serves as the President and CPO of Melodrive, an adaptive music generation mechanism that uses artificial intelligence to create and integrate original music on any digital platform, be it a video game, virtual world or augmented reality system.

Today, Ryan sits down with us at Boost VC to offer his insight on the future of music and explain how Melodrive is working to change the way we consume it. He also explains the concept of ‘uncanny valley’ and shares his take on how long we have before AI takes over the world. Listen in to understand how Melodrive allows users to create audio content that adapts to its interactive environment in real time and learn how this technology might redefine the way we experience music.

Connect with Ryan

Melodrive http://melodrive.com/
Melodrive on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Melodrive-1002985873155277/?view_public_for=1002985873155277
Melodrive on Twitter https://twitter.com/melodrivemusic
Ryan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-groves-0540b08/

Resources

Roblox https://www.roblox.com/
ToeJam & Earl https://www.giantbomb.com/toejam-and-earl/3030-13306/
The Battle of Polytopia https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-battle-of-polytopia/id1006393168?ls=1&mt=8
Ryan in WhiteSnake LA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JD8SsNEHUI

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 63: Launching a Successful Career by Way of the Third Door with Alex Banayan

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 7 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

How did the top icons in science, technology, entrepreneurship, entertainment, literature, and business launch their careers? What qualities do people like Maya Angelou, Warren Buffet and Pitbull have in common that helped them overcome immense challenges and rise to the top of their respective fields? The answer lies in gaining access through ‘the third door.’

As a freshman in college, Alex Banayan was searching for a book that would explain how high achievers got past rejection and obstacles to reach the upper echelons of success. When he couldn’t find one, Alex set out on a quest to interview several of his heroes and write the book himself. Though it took a little longer than expected, Alex did succeed in scoring interviews with a number of celebrated icons and publishing The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers. Along the way, Alex has been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and contributed to major publications including Fast Company, The Washington Post, and TechCrunch.

Today, Alex joins us on the Boost VC podcast to share his journey to becoming a published author, discussing the highly unconventional way he funded the writing of his book. Alex offers insight around what he learned in the process of interviewing the highly successful, how the idea of ‘the third door’ plays into all their stories, and why his personal priorities have changed as a result of recent experience. Listen in for his epic story of chasing Larry King through Whole Foods and learn how Alex’s definition of success has evolved—with a little help from Steve Wozniak.

Connect with Alex

The Third Door http://thirddoorbook.com/
Alex on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlexBanayan/
Alex on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alexbanayan/
Alex on Twitter https://twitter.com/AlexBanayan
Alex on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/alexbanayan

Resources

The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers by Alex Banayan https://www.amazon.com/Third-Door-Successful-Launched-TheirCareers-ebook/dp/B076NS2JSW

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 62: Pitching the Story of Your Startup to the Media with Teddy Schleifer of Recode

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 31 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Sending a cold email to a reporter who has never heard of you is not the best way to get media coverage for your startup. But how do we figure out which publication is the best fit for the story we have to tell? How do we play the game of relationships that leads to positive press? How do we pinpoint and pitch a story worth telling—one that is bigger than ourselves?

Teddy Schleifer is a Senior Reporter for Recode, covering venture capital, finance and influence in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining the tech news team, he spent two years in Washington, DC, writing about money and politics for CNN during the presidential campaign. In short, Teddy covers how people of means shape the world in which we live.

Today, Teddy joins us to discuss his transition from DC to Silicon Valley, sharing the similarities and differences between politics and venture capital. He offers insight around how entrepreneurs should approach the media, describing how relationships and referrals drive the stories he tells. Listen in for Teddy’s approach to identifying the macro trends behind the ‘bread and butter’ stories and learn how to go about pitching your story to the right journalist.

Connect with Teddy

Teddy in Recode https://www.recode.net/authors/theodore-schleifer
Teddy on Twitter https://twitter.com/teddyschleifer?lang=en

Resources

Recode https://www.recode.net/
TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/
VentureBeat https://venturebeat.com/
Teddy’s Story on Lightspeed https://www.recode.net/2018/5/17/17359394/lightspeed-cryptocurrency-investing-fund-aaron-batalion
Teddy’s Story on Andreesson Horowitz https://www.recode.net/2018/4/23/17273766/andreessen-horowitz-separate-crypto-fund
‘Silicon Valley’ in Business Insider http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/crypto-insider-we-got-gilfoyles-ico-deck-from-silicon-valley-2018-5-1024588525
Teddy’s Story on SoftBank & DoorDash https://www.recode.net/2018/3/1/17065928/doordash-softbank-gic-funding

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 61: Unlocking the Intimacy Between People Through VR with Peter Rubin of WIRED

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 24 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

While the internet has been ground-breaking in terms of connecting people to information, it has done a poor job of connecting us to each other. Stories of fake news and harassment are widespread, and the anonymity of the platform allows individuals to curate a persona very different from who they are in real life. By contrast, virtual reality translates our mannerisms and voices, providing a shared experience in which we sound and act like ourselves. The unique property of VR is in its ability to unlock—accelerate, even—the intimacy between people that we rarely experience in real life anymore.

Peter Rubin oversees WIRED’s cultural coverage and serves as editorial lead on its digital platforms. In 2014, his cover story on Oculus introduced readers to the rebirth of virtual reality, and he has since written extensively about the evolution of VR and its applications. Peter has ten-plus years of experience as a journalist, writing for GQ, Details, and Good, among many other publications. His book, Future Presence: How Virtual Reality is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of Ordinary Life, was published in April of 2018.

Peter sits down with us to share his long-time interest in VR that began with watching films like The Lawnmower Man and reading Snow Crash as a teen. He discusses the theme of his book, Future Presence, describing VR’s unique ability to facilitate connection among people. We cover the differences between the internet and virtual reality, why people feel more accountable in the VR space, and how regulation might work in virtual communities. Listen in for Peter’s insight on the future of XR and learn how virtual experiences can change our lives in the world outside the headset.

Connect with Peter

Peter in WIRED https://www.wired.com/author/peter-rubin/
Peter on Twitter https://twitter.com/provenself
Future Presence: How Virtual Reality is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of Ordinary Life by Peter Rubin https://www.amazon.com/Future-Presence-Changing-Connection-Intimacy/dp/0062566695

Resources

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Neal-Stephenson/dp/1491515058
‘The Inside Story of Oculus Rift and How Virtual Reality Became Reality’ in WIRED https://www.wired.com/2014/05/oculus-rift-4/
Rainbows End: A Novel with One Foot in the Future by Vernor Vinge https://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-End-Novel-Foot-Future/dp/0812536363
Where Thoughts Go https://wherethoughtsgo.me/
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff https://www.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Country-Novel-Matt-Ruff/dp/0062292072

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 60: Leveraging VR to Get People in a Room Together with Philip Rosedale of High Fidelity

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 17 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Philip Rosedale believes that virtual reality is a world-saving undertaking, but its current single-player use cases separate us from each other rather than bringing us together. And he is on a mission to develop the VR technology that will create shared spaces where people connect in real-time, to ‘get people in a room together.’

Philip is the Co-Founder and CEO of High Fidelity, a San Francisco-based software company designing social virtual reality technology with the goal of deploying an open source, flexible platform for a variety of VR applications. Philip is best known for creating a 3D virtual civilization called Second Life as part of Linden Lab. Second Life fulfilled his lifelong dream of an open-ended, Internet-connected virtual world where users create, connect and interact with others from around the world.

Philip joins us to discuss opportunities in the VR ecosystem and share his vision for shared spaces. He discusses the intersection of cryptocurrency and virtual reality, explaining how High Fidelity is using the blockchain to hold currency, store asset certificates and secure digital identity. Listen in for Philip’s insight around the value of synchronous communication in VR to ‘get people in a room together’ and learn how the blockchain would allow people to meet in a virtual world—without surrendering their data to a centralized repository.

Connect with Philip

High Fidelity https://highfidelity.com/
High Fidelity on Twitter https://twitter.com/highfidelityinc
Philip on Twitter https://twitter.com/philiprosedale?lang=en
Philip on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiprosedale/

Resources

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448
Ready Player One Film http://readyplayeronemovie.com/
Magic Leap https://www.magicleap.com/
EOS https://eos.io/
DFINITY https://dfinity.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 59: Pro-Blockchain Policy on Capitol Hill with Perianne Boring of the Chamber of Digital Commerce

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 10 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Crypto is no longer a dirty word in DC, and we have the Chamber of Digital Commerce to thank for that shift in sentiment. Established in 2014, this nonprofit represents companies in the blockchain space, fighting on Capitol Hill for a better regulatory framework that will allow innovation to thrive in this country.

Perianne Boring is the Founder and President of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s largest trade association for the blockchain industry. The Chamber’s mission is to promote the acceptance and use of digital assets and blockchain-based technologies, working with policymakers, government agencies and industry players to educate and advocate for a pro-growth policy environment.

Perianne joins us to discuss the Chamber’s work in shifting the rhetoric around digital currency in Washington, explaining how sentiment has changed in DC over the last four years. She walks us through the conflicting views of cryptocurrency established by FinCEN versus the IRS and the challenge in complying with tax law as it is currently written. Listen in for insight on how the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s current policy proposal would treat digital currency as an alternative to the US dollar and how that would impact the way crypto is taxed.

Connect with Perianne

Chamber of Digital Commerce https://digitalchamber.org/
Chamber of Digital Commerce on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chamberdigital/
Chamber of Digital Commerce on Twitter https://twitter.com/chamberdigital
Chamber of Digital Commerce on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChwEyC2QsQCztk2qGzm1b6Q
Chamber of Digital Commerce on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/chamber-of-digital-commerce/
Perianne on Twitter https://twitter.com/PerianneDC
Perianne on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/perianne-boring-43363991/

Resources

The Treasury Inspector General’s 2016 Report https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2016reports/201630083fr.pdf

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 58: Solving for Crypto Security Through Hardware Wallets with Thomas France of Ledger

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 3 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

As the blockchain ecosystem shifted from a Bitcoin-centric world to one that welcomed multiple coins, the demand for a hardware wallet that allows users to secure and manage crypto assets grew exponentially. Ledger became the go-to solution, and the startup scaled to sell 1M units in the last year.

Thomas France is the co-founder of Ledger, the leading security and infrastructure solution for cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications. He is also the co-founder of La Maison du Bitcoin (The Bitcoin Center), the first physical space dedicated to Bitcoin in Europe. Prior to his work in the crypto space, Thomas served as co-founder and COO of Prixing, a mobile shopping app sold to HighCo in 2013. He holds a Master of Science from Ecole National des Ponts et Chaussées.

Thomas sits down with us to explain why he was drawn to solving for Bitcoin security via crypto hardware wallets and how his startup grew out of The Bitcoin Center in Paris. He shares the basics of Ledger, discussing how its tools secure crypto assets in an offline environment. Thomas speaks to his initial interest in Bitcoin’s resistance to censorship and offers an overview of the crypto environment in France, the US and hubs around the world. Listen in as Thomas describes how Ledger exceeded expectations in 2017 as part of the toolkit in the cryptocurrency gold rush.

Connect with Thomas

Ledger https://www.ledgerwallet.com/
Ledger on Twitter https://twitter.com/ledgerhq
The Bitcoin Center https://lamaisondubitcoin.fr/
Thomas on Twitter https://twitter.com/totofrance
Thomas on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfrance/

Resources

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton https://www.amazon.com/American-Kingpin-Criminal-Mastermind-Behind/dp/1591848148

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
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Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 57: Open-Source Blockchain Technology, Private Ledgers and the Right to Fork with Brian Behlendorf of Hyperledger

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The beauty of open-source software lies in its efficiency. If two companies, building different solutions, work together on the parts of the projects that overlap, they accomplish more in less time. The Hyperledger Project is an open-source collaboration working to build a set of blockchain technologies that can be used in a variety of industries and embedded in the emerging internet technology stack.

Brian Behlendorf is the Executive Director of the Hyperledger Project for The Linux Foundation. Brian has dedicated his career to connecting and empowering the free and open-source software community to solve difficult problems. Early in his career, Brian was a primary developer of the Apache Web server and a founding member of the Apache Software Foundation. He was also the founding CTO of CollabNet and CTO of the World Economic Forum. Today, Brian serves on the board of the Mozilla Foundation as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Prior to joining Hyperledger, Brian was a managing director at Mithril Capital Management, a global technology investment firm.

Brian joins us to explain the relationship between the Linux Foundation and Hyperledger, describing the venture’s subscription-based business model and several of the projects being built with its open-source blockchain technology. He walks us through the benefits of Hyperledger over public blockchains, discussing the business community’s preference for anonymity and the right to fork if data is misused. Listen in for Brian’s insight around measuring the progress of community-building and learn how open-source software helps us go further, faster.

Connect with Brian

Hyperledger https://www.hyperledger.org/
Hyperledger on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_X0WkMtkWzaVUKF-PRBNQ
Hyperledger on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hyperledger
Hyperledger on Twitter https://twitter.com/hyperledger
Brian on Twitter https://twitter.com/brianbehlendorf
Brian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbehlendorf/
Brian’s Website http://brian.behlendorf.com/

Resources

Netcraft https://www.netcraft.com/
‘Fighting the Seed Monopoly’ in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/seed-monopoly-free-seeds-farm-monsanto-dupont
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami https://www.amazon.com/Wind-Up-Bird-Chronicle-Novel/dp/0679775439
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter https://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 56: Leveraging VR for Product Design and Marketing with Tony Parisi of Unity Technologies

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 12:00:00 +0000

VR is not just for gaming anymore. Other industries are starting to take advantage of immersive technologies for applications like product design and experiential marketing. Ford is using the technology to create virtual prototypes of new vehicles and Lionsgate is experimenting with VR experiences to promote movies. When Unity Technologies realized their platform was already being used by the auto and film industries—among many others—they brought in Tony Parisi to help the company expand its reach far beyond gaming.

Tony is a virtual reality pioneer, serial entrepreneur, author and angel investor. He currently serves as Head of VR and AR at Unity Technologies, where he is responsible for designing the company’s strategy for extended reality. Prior to joining Unity, Tony mentored VR and AR startups and worked as a consultant developing solutions for WebGL, virtual and augmented reality. He co-created the VRML and X3D ISO standards for networked 3D graphics and did the specification editing for the new 3D file format standard, glTF.

Tony joins us to discuss Unity’s storied background in extended reality and how the company is expanding beyond gaming to support product design, medical and data visualization and non-gaming entertainment applications. He shares his interest in AR and VR that touches the consumer, the factors that have made immersive marketing scalable, and how Unity is working with brands to explore possibilities in the space. Listen in as Tony speaks to Unity’s potential collaborations with developers as well as the company’s current work on a lightweight playback system and scriptable render pipeline.

Connect with Tony

Unity Technologies https://unity3d.com/
Unity on Twitter https://twitter.com/unity3d
Tony on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tparisi/
Tony on Twitter https://twitter.com/auradeluxe
Tony on Medium https://medium.com/@tonyparisi

Resources

‘VR Ads Are Almost Here’ in Wired https://www.wired.com/story/vr-ads-are-almost-here/
Interactive Ad Bureau https://www.iab.com/
W3C https://www.w3.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 55: Building the Future with Venture Capital with Kira Noodleman of Bee Partners

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:00:00 +0000

What gets Kira Noodleman excited about her job as an investor with VC firm Bee Partners? The opportunity to paint a picture of what the future looks like—and then back it up with money and resources for startups in the early stages.

Kira is a fan of tackling problems in disruptive industries and across cultures. With a background in product and program management, Kira has an appreciation of the skillful risk-taking that fuels successful entrepreneurship. She was a part of Google’s Project Ara as well as LAUNCH, the University of California’s leading startup accelerator. Kira did an internship with Bee Partners while earning her MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and she joined the team as an investor in August of 2017. With a special focus on space, cryptocurrency, and climate change innovation, Bee Partners’ portfolio includes companies like Tradesy, TubeMogul and StatMuse.

Kira sits down with us today to share her passion for building things that matter. She discusses the Big Hairy Audacious Goals that VC should support, from efficiency in the food value chain to clean meat. Kira walks us through the work Bee Partners is doing in the blockchain space, and we debate the impact of crypto mining on the environment. Listen in for Kira’s insight on what VCs look for in an entrepreneur and learn how to build a ‘board of mentors’ in venture capital.

Connect with Kira

Bee Partners http://beepartners.vc/
Kira on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-noodleman-48ab1210/
Kira on Twitter https://twitter.com/kiranoodleman

Resources

Memphis Meats http://www.memphismeats.com/
Arvind of IndieBio on Boost VC https://www.boost.vc/podcast-archive?tag=Biology
Ocean Protocol https://oceanprotocol.com/
Chia Network https://chia.net/
Forbes Cover Story ‘Venture Catalysts’ https://www.forbes.com/midas/#35cda95c5650
All Raise https://www.allraise.org/
FoundHer http://www.foundherfest.com/
Charles Keeling and NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD3-_5_Y1RA

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC
Watch this episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MeeOxSoUt0

Ep. 54: Returning the Power of the Internet to Its Users—Via Cryptocurrency with a16z VC Chris Dixon

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 5 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

‘Who has the power of the internet? Does the power lie in the hands of a few centralized companies? Or does it lie in the hands of users and communities?’

We all know the answer here. Though the web initially gave authority to its users, the pendulum has swung the other way. Now there are four companies with all the data and all the power, and many would argue that they are using it in questionable ways. Chris Dixon believes that there is still a chance we can shift the power dynamics back to users and communities, and the answer lies in cryptocurrency.

Chris is a general partner with VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. He has made several seed- and venture-stage investments for a16z, including BuzzFeed, Coinbase, Dispatch.ai, Oculus and Skydio. Chris is also an active angel investor, having made personal investments in tech companies like Foursquare, Kickstarter and Pinterest, among others. He has a background in programming and entrepreneurship, serving as the co-founder and CEO of SiteAdvisor, an internet security startup acquired by McAfee in 2006, as well as Hunch, a recommendation technology company acquired by eBay in 2011. Chris has an MBA from Harvard University.

Connect with Chris

Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/
Chris on Medium https://medium.com/@cdixon
Chris on Twitter https://twitter.com/cdixon?lang=en

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 53: Earning Cryptocurrency Through a Microtask Marketplace with Simon Yu of StormX

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000

There are plenty of people who work full-time, yet still don’t make enough to get by. What if there was an app that would allow individuals to earn income in the form of cryptocurrency from anywhere, at any time, with any device?

Simon Yu had to drop out of college when his parents declared bankruptcy. He got a full-time job as a bank teller but was still struggling to make ends meet. In fact, Simon was sleeping through lunch so he wouldn’t have to eat another peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He eventually started a Korean taco business as a side hustle, and with the help of Facebook, Bomba Fusion went viral. Simon was able to finish school and get a job as a Senior Credit Risk Analyst, where he started thinking about the potential of Bitcoin. Now Simon serves as the CEO of StormX, a microtask marketplace that allows people all over the world to earn STORM tokens for things like playing videos, trying new products, and P2P freelancing gigs.

He sits down with us today to tell his story, explaining his path from Food Truck to crypto startup. Simon walks us through the intense process of a crowd sale, discussing the long hours he spent in preparation and offering his advice for entrepreneurs considering an ICO. Listen in for Simon’s insight around the shift in his business now that cryptocurrency has become mainstream and how Storm Play helps individuals enter the space without risking their own money to buy tokens through an exchange.

Connect with Simon

StormX https://stormtoken.com/
Storm Token on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stormtoken
Storm Token on Twitter https://twitter.com/Storm_Token
Storm Token on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/stormtoken/
Simon on LinkedIn https://twitter.com/simonyusea?lang=en
Simon on Twitter https://twitter.com/simonyusea?lang=en

Resources

Bomba Fusion http://www.bombafusion.com/
Storm Play https://bitmaker.cakecodes.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 52: Entrepreneurs in Space with Max Haot of Launcher

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000

“From my point of view, yes, we need to be multiplanetary, and one of the big motivators … is really the desire to spend the rest of my career to make whatever big or small contribution—but a contribution—towards advancing Earth-escape technology as a category.”

Max Haot is the founder and CEO of Launcher, a team on a ten-year journey to advance launch technology and deliver small satellites to orbit. Max came to the US in 2005 when the company he was working for in the UK was sold to Verizon. He served as the VP of Digital Media for Verizon Business for two years before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship and founding Livestream, the platform that democratized livestream video capability. Vimeo acquired Livestream last September, giving Max the opportunity to pursue his passion for space.

Max is joining us today to share the inspiration behind Launcher, discussing how SpaceX shifted the perception that only governments could achieve orbital flight. He walks us through the timeline of space technology to date and explains how the miniaturization of satellites, growing connectivity and decrease in the cost of launch is further opening space to entrepreneurs. We talk about the feasibility of Earth-escape technology, and Max shares his take on humanity’s need to become multiplanetary if we want to survive long-term. Listen in for insight into the opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in the satellite space and how community-building impacts the longevity of a startup.

Connect with Max

Launcher https://launcherspace.com/
Launcher on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/launcherspace/
Launcher on Twitter https://twitter.com/launcherspace
Max on Twitter https://twitter.com/maxhaot
Max on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhaot/

Resources

Livestream https://livestream.com/
SpaceX http://www.spacex.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep 51: Investing Nerdy and Early in Smart Hardware with VC Sunil Nagaraj of Ubiquity Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The beauty of smart hardware lies in its agility. With a recurrent feedback loop and regular software updates, products can be improved over time. Ubiquity Ventures is focused on funding startups that pursue this continuous refinement, investing in a feature trajectory rather than physical product.

Sunil Nagaraj is the managing partner of Ubiquity, a seed-stage venture capital firm interested in smart hardware and machine intelligence. Prior to starting his own fund in 2017, Sunil spent six years as VP with Bessemer Venture Partners, where his focus involved IoT, developer tools, space and security companies.

Sunil sits down with us today to share his background as an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He explains the idea behind his startup, Triangulate, discussing the challenges he faced in A/B testing and why he ultimately decided to shut the company down. We discuss the benefits of smart hardware and its ability to ‘increase the velocity of the scientific method.’ Listen in for Sunil’s insight on understanding the world through the lens of a coder and his meaningful definition of success.

Connect with Sunil

Sunil’s Website http://www.sunilnagaraj.com/
Sunil on Twitter https://twitter.com/sunilnagaraj
Sunil on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagarajs/
Ubiquity on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ubiquityvc/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 50: The Basics of Bitcoin Mining with Chris Shepherd of HashRabbit

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 8 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Bitcoin mining is tough to explain to Muggles outside the ecosystem, but Chris Shepherd is up for the task. Chris was a part of Tribe 4 here at Boost, and he also happens to be the face of the illustrious Boost VC Mural. Who better to take us through the basics of mining?

Chris is the co-founder and CEO of HashRabbit, a startup that builds software for large-scale mining facilities. Chris was introduced to mining as a designer and frontend developer for LaunchKey. From there, he made his own mining rigs and set up shop in his apartment as well as his parents’ garage. When his co-founder pointed out that the code was easy to hack, HashRabbit was born.

Today Chris joins us to share his journey into the world of cryptocurrency. He walks us through the basics of Bitcoin mining, explaining how the computers involved process transactions—without bias. Chris offers his insight around the biggest opportunity in mining today, and we look at the longevity of the blockchain.

Connect with Chris

HashRabbit: https://hashrabbit.co/#
HashRabbit: on Twitter https://twitter.com/hashrabbitco
Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cshphrd
Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shphrd/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website: https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 49: Leveraging VR to Make Ads an Experience with Ara Parikh and Michael Rucker of OmniVirt

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 1 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

VR is about immersion. Rather than simply witnessing an experience, we become a part of it. Imagine the advantage for brands and publishers if their content could leverage that same kind of engagement, creating ads that include us in an immersive media experience.

OmniVirt is a VR and AR advertising platform for brands and publishers with the capacity to distribute 360° video content that audiences can view with one tap—no app installation or headset required. The company seeks to help creators monetize their videos on the web, and they serve high-profile clients like The New York Times, Universal Pictures and VICE, among many others. COO Michael Rucker spent seven years at YouTube before co-founding OmniVirt, and Ara Parikh served as an emerging media analyst at Innosight before becoming the head of product marketing.

Ara and Michael join us today to explain how OmniVirt helps brands and publishers distribute and monetize immersive media experiences. We discuss the OmniVirt’s competitive advantage, exploring the reasons why publishers are increasingly investing in their own sites. Ara and Michael share their first VR experiences and explore the significance of creating compelling VR content. Listen in to understand the top use cases for VR in advertising and learn the value in making ads an experience.

Ep. 48: Design Thinking for the Blockchain with Dan Elitzer of IDEO CoLab

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000

How can the crypto community embrace design thinking? By thinking in terms of prototypes. Rather than waiting until a product is perfect, develop a test version and let it out into the wild. Allowing the community to engage is the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t—and work up to your vision.

Dan Elitzer is the Blockchain and Digital Identity Lead at IDEO CoLab, IDEO’s research and design network tasked with shaping how emerging technologies will affect our world. Dan has spent his career immersed in entrepreneurship, serving as a consultant to organizations like Community Wealth Partners and KickStart International before becoming the Finance & Operations Officer for the Grameen Foundation. While earning his MBA, Dan co-founded the MIT Bitcoin Club and MIT Bitcoin Project, an initiative to establish MIT as a center of digital currency innovation.

Today Dan joins us to share how IDEO came to explore emerging technology in the blockchain space. We discuss his introduction to cryptocurrency as well as IDEO CoLab’s current projects. Listen in for Dan’s advice around the application of design thinking to blockchain technology and his definition of success in his role at IDEO.

Ep. 47: The Drone Market, Future Thinking, and Candy for Fat Kids with Jonathan Nutzati of Mothership

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Up until 18 months ago, there was ‘one drone to rule them all.’ But that stopped working as the consumer began to demand specialization. Different industries have different needs, and the drone market has begun to drill down and solve the problems specific to fields like construction and agriculture. Some problems remain unsolved, and that’s where Mothership Aeronautics comes in.

Jonathan Nutzati is an aerospace engineer, entrepreneur and future-thinker with a passion for solving mankind’s greatest problems. He earned his master’s from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2012 and went on to design electric motors for Tesla. In 2016, he founded Mothership, a startup that develops high endurance aircraft with applications in energy pipeline inspection, mineral exploration and security.

Today Jonathan joins us to explain what sets Mothership apart from other drone technologies. We discuss the lessons Jonathan has learned as an entrepreneur and the challenges around communicating with investors when your market size is somewhat intangible. Listen in for Jonathan’s insight around the evolution of the drone market and the value of future-thinking.

Ep. 46: VR Voice Interaction and Developer Advocacy with Michael Ludden of IBM Watso

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 8 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000

What if you could talk directly to a VR experience, accessing the menu or a particular tool simply by asking for it? Michael Ludden argues that voice interaction makes sense for every virtual reality application as a method of control, and in his role as Director of Product with IBM Watson, he is committed to building a toolkit for developers that allows them to incorporate services like Speech to Text and Watson Conversation into their own products.

Michael began working with the developer community as a tech evangelist for HTC before getting into developer marketing in his roles with Samsung and Google. He shifted to building products for developers when he moved to IBM Watson in 2015, and his team there functions to solve problems for developers with initiatives in Developer Incentivization, Developer Marketplaces and VR/AR Labs.

Today Michael joins us to share IBM Watson’s utility as an AI platform, explaining how its VR Speech Sandbox provides a toolkit for developers to build products that incorporate Watson’s services. We discuss the best methods to incentivize developers, and Michael offers insight around converting developers into advocates. Listen in to understand how IBM Watson plays into the rise of digital assistants like Alexa and Siri, and learn how you might use its services to build your own custom VR and AR experiences.

Ep. 45: The Evolution of the Crypto Ecosystem with Sebastian Serrano of Ripio Credit Network

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 1 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Relentless.
When we met Sebastian Serrano in 2013, he was the quintessential tenacious founder, attending any and every industry event and becoming a part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem—before it was called the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Sebastian’s interest in the space began in 2012. Inflation in Argentina was on the rise, and the government was making it more and more difficult to move money. Bitcoin appeared to be the answer, and Sebastian set out to help build the infrastructure necessary to give people access to the network. He created a payment processor called Bitpagos and had success in bringing Bitcoin to Argentina.

The problem was that people were not buying that Bitcoin, so Sebastian built an exchange called Ripio. As he got more interested in the consumer side of cryptocurrency, he developed a passion for banking the unbanked, providing a full suite of financial services to users in established and emerging markets. Ripio evolved to become Ripio Credit Network, a peer-to-peer global credit network protocol.

Today Sebastian joins us to share his journey down the crypto rabbit hole, explaining how his background in programming and computer science led to an interest in the space. We discuss the evolution of the ecosystem from 2012 to 2018, and Sebastian offers insight on the legitimization of Bitcoin via government regulation. Listen in and learn Sebastian’s take on current needs in the cryptocurrency space and how RCN built a community through its token sale.

Ep. 44: Design Tools, Standalone Headsets and the Future of VR with Peter Le Bek of Sketchbox

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:00:00 +0000

"The first generation of headsets has proved that VR is going to be a thing, but it’s not going to be a thing on that generation of headsets."

2017 was a reality check for the VR industry. The market size continues to be limited by barriers like setup time and the fact that it’s a pain in the ass to take anywhere. So what is the key to mass adoption? Peter Le Bek argues that standalone will be the game changer the space needs to get people in headsets.

Peter is the co-founder and CEO of Sketchbox, the number one prototyping tool for augmented and virtual reality. The application allows designers to share their ideas through a VR storyboard—without writing code. Peter fell in love with design working as the CTO for a startup in Toronto. That also happens to be where he met Joe Connolly, his co-founder at Sketchbox. Peter has been programming since he was 12, and he holds a degree in computer science from the University of Glasgow.

Today Peter joins us to share his initial skepticism toward VR, explaining how live motion controllers made him a believer. He offers his best advice for VR designers and shares some of his favorite experiences. We discuss the value in finding a co-founder with a complementary personality and what sets Sketchbox apart from competing design tools. Listen in and learn why Peter believes that standalone headsets will eliminate the barriers to entry and usher in a new era inVR.

Ep. 43: Distributed Teams, Crypto Product Design and Bad Decisions with MyEtherWallet Founder Taylor Monahan

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 13:00:00 +0000

What is Taylor Monahans greatest challenge in managing a distributed team? They are TOO efficient!

Technology has given rise to more and more distributed teams who work remotely from all over the world, especially in the cryptocurrency space. As the founder of a crypto technology startup, Taylor considers her ability to jump on a call and stir the pot—forcing the team to get to know each other and develop a strong culture—as one of her greatest strengths.

Taylor created MyEtherWallet in 2015. The company is an open-source, client-side interface for generating Ethereum wallets. MyEtherWallets global collaboration of talented developers thrive on building intuitive products that easily and securely interact with the Ethereum blockchain. Prior to founding MyEtherWallet, Taylor worked as a front-end developer for Mangrove Web and digital producer for Americhip. She is also a proud NYU film school dropout.

Today Taylor shares how she fell into the crypto rabbit hole and the experience that inspired MyEtherWallet. We discuss ICOs, the potential for bad decisions in the emerging crypto tech space, and the value of struggle—for individuals and companies. Listen in for Taylors insight around managing a remote team and keeping your team happy when money doesn't matter!

Connect with Taylor:

MyEtherWallet https://www.myetherwallet.com/
MyEtherWallet on Medium https://medium.com/@myetherwallet
MyEtherWallet on Twitter https://twitter.com/myetherwallet
MyEtherWallet on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/MyEtherWallet/

Resources Mentioned:

CoinMarketCap https://coinmarketcap.com/

Connect with Boost VC:

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 42: {Rebroadcast} Kathleen Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:00:00 +0000

{Rebroadcast} Season 1, Ep. 19: Kathleen Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos
The people have spoken and they want more crypto! The rise of the prices in the industry have led us to interview someone who has an upcoming ICO, Kathleen Breitman with Tezos. We challenge other currencies and discuss governance structures.

https://www.tezos.com/
https://twitter.com/tez0s

Ep 41: {Rebroadcast} Investing in Early-Stage Frontier Technologies with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 4 Jan 2018 17:20:00 +0000

{Rebroadcast of our very first episode with Greg Castle from July 22, 2016}

Part of what makes a good venture capitalist is a knack for predicting the future, and a big part of that future includes what we call frontier technologies like VR, AR, autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Truly visionary VCs will have a front row seat as these new industries emerge.

Bay Area VC Greg Castle is the managing partner of Anorak Ventures. An early-stage investor in frontier technologies, Greg was a seed investor in Oculus, and that experience afforded him a deep knowledge and a strong network in the VR space.

Today Greg shares his favorite virtual reality experiences, his take on how VR might shape the entertainment industry moving forward, and why he sees relationships as the ultimate wealth. Listen in as we discuss his approach to early-stage investing and the relative virtue of Pokémon Go!

Connect with Greg

Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/
Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12

Resources Mentioned

Oculus https://www.oculus.com
Toybox https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1083042371786607/
Hover Junkers http://www.hoverjunkers.com/
Rec Room https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1257029974329451/
Space Pirate Trainer https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1195983747083203/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 40: 3D Data Analytics for Virtual Reality with ObserVR CEO, Lucas Toohey

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000

The data analytics benchmarks and standards for web and mobile applications simply cannot be applied to virtual reality; the linear tracking of clicks doesn’t give VR developers a clear understanding of how users are interacting with their product. Rather, a 3D data set that analyzes several metrics together affords developers with a clear picture of what features and functions users love and what they’re missing.

Lucas Toohey is the CEO of ObserVR, an analytics platform for virtual reality that tracks user actions throughout their experience to identify patterns over time, giving developers data-driven insights around user engagement with their VR products. Lucas founded the company with fellow California Polytechnic students Jacob Copus and Justin Cellona, and together they are intent on helping to define the standards and benchmarks for VR as the technology gains traction.

Today Lucas shares the story of ObserVR, explaining how the startup was conceived and the team dynamic among the three co-founders. He offers his insight around the value of analytics in VR development, the data benchmarks for gaming, and the most engaging VR content on the market. Listen in for an overview of the market for high-end headsets and Lucas’ take on the value of AR companion apps.

Connect with Lucas

ObserVR https://www.observr.tech/
ObserVR on Medium https://medium.com/@ObserVRtech
ObserVR on Twitter https://twitter.com/ObserVRtech
Lucas on Twitter https://twitter.com/lucas_toohey

Resources Mentioned

Arthur http://arthur.digital/
Vive https://www.vive.com/us/
Oculus Rift https://www.oculus.com/
Windows Headsets https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/collections/vrandmixedrealityheadsets
Space Pirate Trainer http://www.spacepiratetrainer.com/
Sketchbox http://store.steampowered.com/app/568640/Sketchbox/
Moment Labs http://mntlabs.com/
Adam’s Blog on Medium https://medium.com/boost-vc
Casino VR Poker http://www.casino-vr.com/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 39: Venture Capital in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem with Bart Stephens of Blockchain Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 13:31:00 +0000

“[The crypto space has] got its own special culture. The folks that populate our industry are free-thinkers and renegades, and they have interesting ideas about changing the financial system as we know it.”

Bart Stephens has always been on the cutting edge of new technologies. He began his career with E*TRADE, pioneering online stock trading in the early 1990’s. Bart went on to become an entrepreneur, founding Oncology.com, the internet’s largest cancer-related website, before selling it to Pfizer in 2001. Then he joined forces with his brother to form Stephens Investment Management, a hedge fund and VC firm that broke new ground in the area of Nanocap investing.

Bart’s background as both an operating entrepreneur and venture capitalist led to the creation of Blockchain Capital in 2013. He serves as managing partner of the VC firm which focuses on the blockchain technology sector and cryptocurrency ecosystem. Today Bart shares his experience as a venture capitalist in the blockchain era, discussing the dual role of the VC and the incredible pace of the crypto industry. We talk about Blockchain Capital’s successful ICO, exploring the concept of a VC token and the value of raising capital via blockchain technology.

Bart offers his insight around explaining Bitcoin to those new to the space and gives his best advice for traditional VCs considering crypto. Listen in to understand Blockchain Capital’s agnostic approach to investment and the advancements in counterparty risk that Bart is following in 2018.

Connect with Bart

Blockchain Capital http://blockchain.capital/
Email Blockchain Capital contact@blockchain.capital
Blockchain Capital on Twitter https://twitter.com/blockchaincap
Bart on Twitter https://twitter.com/pbartstephens

Resources Mentioned

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/?locale=en-US
Ripple https://ripple.com/
0x Protocol https://0xproject.com/
Radar Relay https://radarrelay.com/
Will Warren on Boost VC Podcast https://theboostvcpodcast.simplecast.fm/bce18564

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 38: Sidechains, Stable Coins, and What’s Wrong with the ICO with Charlie Lee of Litecoin

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Connect with Charlie

Litecoin https://litecoin.org/
Litecoin on Twitter https://twitter.com/litecoin
Charlie on Twitter https://twitter.com/SatoshiLite

Resources Mentioned

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/?locale=en-US
Aragon https://aragon.one/
Monero https://getmonero.org/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 37: Privacy, Security and Selective Transparency on the Blockchain with Linda Xie of Cryptoasset Fund Scalar Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 7 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Most people don’t realize just how transparent the blockchain is, but every transaction that happens on Bitcoin is public. None of us wants to have our net worth on display, leaving us vulnerable to fishing attacks and allowing others to see what we spend our money on. So how do we approach privacy in the cryptocurrency space? Where should we be storing our Bitcoin to keep it safe? And how can we be selectively transparent, choosing what information we want to reveal—and to whom?

Linda Xie was working as a portfolio risk manager for AIG when Coinbase onboarded Overstock in January of 2014. Inspired by the move, Linda sent a cold email to Coinbase offering to work for the company in any capacity. By June, she was employed as a regulatory compliance investigator for the digital currency platform, working with law enforcement to conduct blockchain investigations and track down cybercriminals. Eventually Linda was promoted to Product Manager, and she continued at Coinbase until September of this year when became an entrepreneur in the cryptocurrency space.

Linda currently serves as the co-founder and managing director of Scalar Capital, a cryptocurrency hedge fund. An expert in the areas of privacy and security, she is passionate about crypto as an ‘unseizable asset’ that governments cannot control. Today Linda shares her take on where we should be storing our Bitcoin and what is stopping cryptocurrency from mass adoption. We discuss the introduction of Coinbase Custody, exploring why the fees are so high and the potential for competition in the space. Linda offers her definition of crypto privacy, explaining the concept of ‘selective transparency.’ Listen in to understand what projects and tokens she is excited about and the impact of crypto as an asset that governments cannot seize or control.

Connect with Linda

Linda’s Blog https://medium.com/@linda.xie
Linda on Twitter https://twitter.com/ljxie?lang=en
Scalar Capital http://scalar.capital/
Scalar Capital on Twitter https://twitter.com/ScalarCapital

Resources Mentioned

Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/?locale=en-US
Coinbase Custody https://custody.coinbase.com/
Monero https://getmonero.org/
Zcash https://z.cash/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 36: Governance, Decentralized Organizations and Valuing Blockchain Technology with Aragon Co-Founder Luis Cuende

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 13:00:00 +0000

‘What’s crazy for me is that for the first time in history we can actually try out new governance mechanisms without people dying in the streets.’ The beauty of blockchain technology is in its ability to facilitate ‘bloodless wars’ in which opposing sides compete without bloodshed and ultimately build a borderless world that is fair and free.

Luis Cuende’s interest in the blockchain began in 2011 when he was only 16 years old. After reading the Bitcoin white paper, Luis connected with others drawn to the idealistic implications of cryptocurrency and started working on blockchain pioneer Stampery, a service providing secure and decentralized proof of existence and ownership. In October of 2016, Luis co-founded Aragon, a governance platform for decentralized organizations. The project allows users to manage organizations via the blockchain with the intent of creating a fair, efficient world.

It’s no surprise that Luis is on the Forbes 30 Under 30 as well as MIT Technology Review’s Spanish Innovators Under 35. Today Luis gets into the details of a decentralized organization, explaining its basic framework and how the governance mechanism works. We look at Aragon’s IPO and discuss what other token sales can learn about transparency from the company’s success. Luis offers his advice to future founders around cultivating community and his take on how a VR startup might use a decentralized organization to create a virtual world valued in tokens. We cover the valuation of crypto projects and the significance of sound technology over a curated marketing campaign. Listen in as Luis offers his profound insight on the growing popularity of cryptocurrency in Spain, fueled in part by the push for Catalonian independence.

Connect with Luis

Aragon https://aragon.one/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/AragonProject

Resources Mentioned

Bitcoin White Paper https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
Aragon’s Transparency Model http://transparency.aragon.one/#/
Chris Burniske on Twitter https://twitter.com/cburniske?lang=en
Luis’ Utopian Blog Post https://blog.luisivan.net/not-earth-not-mars-no-planet-will-be-our-home-7f310de93c53

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 35: Freedom, Global Entrepreneurship and the Possibilities of Cryptocurrency with VC Tim Draper

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Connect with Tim

Draper Associates http://www.draper.vc/
Draper Associates on Twitter https://twitter.com/drapervc
Draper University http://www.draperuniversity.com/
Tim Draper on Medium https://medium.com/@TimDraper
Meet the Drapers https://republic.co/meet-the-drapers

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 34: Helping Scientists Become Entrepreneurs with Arvind Gupta of IndieBio

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:02:00 +0000

What happens when you marry a background in genetic engineering with extensive experience in design? A unique skill set that supports life scientists in becoming entrepreneurs, helping PhDs turn benchtop science into applied products with the potential to change lives.

Arvind Gupta is the co-founder of IndieBio, the world’s largest seed biotech accelerator. He has over a decade of experience helping startups and Fortune 50 companies launch new tech products, and his thought-leadership has been published in Time, Design Observer, and Rotman Management Magazine, among others. Arvind has received a number of international awards for design and innovation, and he is a frequent speaker at events like SFMOMA and TEDx New Silk Road.

Today Arvind shares his take on how the future of humanity rests in biology, explaining how advances in technology have facilitated better, faster results in scientific research. We discuss how the IndieBio approach takes capital expenditure out of the system and coverts it into operating expenses for biotech startups. We cover the current trends in biotechnology, where to go for information about the industry, and the types of companies Arvind is looking for right now. Listen and learn what the term CRISPR really means and how this powerful technology will eventually allow us to “design ourselves.”

Connect with Arvind

IndieBio http://indiebio.co/
Twitter https://twitter.com/arvndgpta

Resources Mentioned

SynBioBeta https://synbiobeta.com/
LifeSciVC https://lifescivc.com/
MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/
Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/
New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/
The History of Money by Jack Weatherford https://www.amazon.com/History-Money-Jack-Weatherford/dp/0609801724

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep.32: State of Crypto & VR with Adam Draper

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Fri, 3 Nov 2017 22:40:00 +0000

Disruptive ideas are the ones that go viral, and the two hottest ideas in VC right now are cryptocurrency and VR. Today we’re taking a step back to articulate the major themes in both ecosystems, discussing Bitcoin’s exponential growth, the current FOMO among investors when it comes to cryptocurrency, and the debate around tokens as securities.

We’re also exploring what the best first use case of virtual reality might be, looking at B2B applications like collaboration and business training as well as fitness applications such as FITXR. Listen in to understand the debate around the correct distribution vehicle for VR and what the industry is doing to address its major problems.

Follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamDraper

Resources:
Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/

Ep. 31: Investing in Talent and Drive with VC Semil Shah of Haystack

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 16:30:00 +0000

“I’m obsessive by nature … and when I meet someone that’s 100X of that in their own thing, but they’re also good at what they do, I feel very lucky.” Venture capitalist Semil Shah is looking for entrepreneurs with a combination of talent and drive, who out-class others in what they do and prioritize their obsession with building an enterprise.

Semil is an investor and writer based in Silicon Valley who created a small fund called Haystack. He has been an early investor in 70-plus companies such as Instacart, DoorDash, Hired, and OpenDoor. Semil is also Venture Partner with GGV Capital, and he was named to the 2017 Midas Brink List by Forbes. He fell into venture capital through his work as a writer and consultant to several firms on Sand Hill Road, including General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins and GGV Capital.

Today we discuss the attributes of Semil’s writing that led VCs to utilize his work as a resource and current themes in the world of venture capital and entrepreneurship. Semil shares his early investing experience, what gets him pumped about financing a project, and how he applies the Saturday 2pm Test to potential investments. Listen in to understand Semil’s take on the role of seed capital versus series A money and his advice for up-and-coming VCs.

Resources:
Semil's Blog: http://blog.semilshah.com/
SoftBank Vision Fund: https://softbank-ia.com/node/8
Fred Wilson's Blog: http://avc.com/
Sequoia Scouts: https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/scouts/
Andy Johns on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic

Ep. 30: Using VR to Reverse Alzheimer’s with Jacob Hamman, Founder of Zenjoi

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 18:40:00 +0000

In the US, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease every 66 seconds. Of the estimated 5.5 million Americans suffering from the disease in 2017, approximately 5.3 million are over the age of 65, while 200,000 have developed early-onset Alzheimer’s. In fact, this insidious disease in the sixth leading cause of death in the US. Without intervention, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s is projected to grow to 16 million by the year 2050. But today’s guest is not about to let things progress without intervention.

Jacob Hamman graduated from USC with a degree in architecture, where he honed his aptitude for design thinking and creative problem-solving. After seven years with the prestigious Los Angeles firm, Gehry Partners, Jacob pursued a master’s in design studies and technology with a focus on virtual reality from Harvard.

Jacob’s mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s three years ago. Caught off guard by the diagnosis, he set out to find a way to use VR to reverse the disease. Jacob founded the health technology company Zenjoi a year and a half ago with an intention to create peace of mind and improve quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients through dementia-based assistive technologies and a therapeutic VR experience.

As part of Boost VC Tribe 10, Jacob is working to bring the virtual reality that is helping his mom to the world, with the goal of eradicating Alzheimer’s in the next decade. We discuss how his design background lends itself to his work around virtual reality and what he came to understand about Alzheimer’s as he developed Zenjoi. Listen in to and learn what Jacob considers the key metric of success and why VR is the ideal medium for people experiencing cognitive decline.

Jacob’s background in design and technology
• Grew up in Phoenix with interest in design
• Degree in architecture from USC
• Seven years at Gehry Partners in LA
• Foundation in creative problem-solving
• Master’s in design studies and technology from Harvard

Why VR serves as the best medium for Alzheimer’s patients
• Touch screens foreign to aging population
• VR puts inside experience, allows to act intuitively
• Uses hand tracking, user can interact with elements

http://www.zenjoi.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobhamman/

Ep. 29: Exoskeleton Robots for Real People with Tim Swift, Founder & CEO of ROAM

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 12:04:00 +0000

What if you could hit up Foot Locker for a pair of shoes that would allow you to dunk a basketball? Or stop by Walgreens to pick up a robot that would give your grandparents the mobility to continue living at home rather than moving to an assisted living facility? A startup called ROAM is working to create exoskeletons that would afford everyday people the ability to overcome their physical limitations, solving problems around mobility and capability. It may not be the Ironman suit you’ve been dreaming of, but the robotic exoskeletons in development at ROAM would put this groundbreaking human augmentation technology in the hands of everyday people.

ROAM Founder and CEO, Tim Swift, earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, where he developed the technical foundations for many of the commercial exoskeletons in use today. An early employee at Ekso Bionics, Tim spent six years building robots with medical applications like stroke rehabilitation and paraplegic mobility, writing the software that allowed people to walk again. Problem was, these exoskeletons are 50-pound, $100K machines that only impact a select few people. He grew weary of watching people use the exoskeleton, and then get back into their wheelchairs and ‘roll out the door like it had never happened.’

Tim set out to rethink the way robots are built, making them out of fabrics and plastics so that they are smaller, lighter, cheaper—and ultimately accessible to the general population. He founded ROAM with the intention of developing a new type of exoskeleton that can go with people into the world, allowing them to run farther and faster, rehabilitate from injury, or simply maintain the mobility to sit, stand and climb stairs.

Today, Tim is on a mission to make people move more, and ensure that the body is not a barrier. On this episode, we address Tim’s journey to becoming an entrepreneur, the reasons why he left Ekso to create his own startup, and his vision of success ten years into the future. We cover the small community that inhabits the human augmentation space and how ROAM is helping people run 10% farther and faster. Listen in to understand how ROAM’s potential customers have become an integral part of the development process, and what the company is doing to put robots in the hands of real people.

http://www.roamrobotics.com/
https://www.boost.vc/
https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Ep. 28: Hamza Siddiqui, CEO and Founder of Casino VR

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 5 Oct 2017 13:46:00 +0000

Hamza Siddiqui has built the #1 social app on the oculus store, it just so happens to be for Poker. On this episode of "The Boost VC Podcast" we Hamza discloses how important data will be to the growth of VR, and that his favorite quote ever is one that I said to him a long time ago. So listen to the latest. Little known fact... we had to record it twice because... why not?

http://www.casino-vr.com/
https://twitter.com/casino_vr

Ep. 27: Loic Ledoux, CEO and Founder of Shadow (previously named Uraniom)

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Loic Ledoux is an awesome entrepreneur who has built a new story telling medium that puts you in the story. On this episode of "The Boost VC Podcast" we venture deep into the heart of an entrepreneur, with an amazing french founder. We also talk about Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, but the most important thing you can get out of this episode is the who, what, when, where, why of starting a company... also you learn that Loic cannot juggle.

https://www.shadow.lol/
https://twitter.com/douill

Ep. 26: Amitt Mahajan, Managing Partner at Presence Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:34:00 +0000

Have you ever thought, "how do I start a venture capital fund?" Well, Amitt did just that. We talk about starting a fund and the state of VR. Amitt also created one of the most notorious social games ever created... Farmville. You want to hear what he has to say. Listen to the podcast.

https://www.presencecap.com/
https://twitter.com/amittm
https://angel.co/amitt

Ep. 25: Vivian Tan, Founder and CEO of Beast Pets

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 08:07:00 +0000

Have you ever thought, "It would be super cool to have my own pet dragon?" Well now you can! Vivian Tan and the team at Beast Pets have built an incredible VR experience to give you a pet dragon. We talk about startup a company, distribution in VR, and where the world is headed. You should listen.

http://www.beastpets.com/

Ep. 24: Tipatat Chennavasin, VR Investor for the Venture Reality Fund

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 7 Sep 2017 12:27:00 +0000

The next 3 podcasts are VR focused, and to kick them off, we thought it would be appropriate to have the man who is at the center of all VR/AR, Tipatat Chennavasin, join us to discuss the industry. He is an investor with The VR Fund, and when VR is in the air, he is there. You are going to enjoy what he has to say.

http://www.thevrfund.com/
https://angel.co/tipatat
https://twitter.com/tipatat

Ep 23 : Richard Browning, Founder and CEO of Gravity

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 12:30:00 +0000

Do you know why someone would build a flying exoskeleton? Well Richard Browning, a former oil trader did it, so find out why. Also seeing him fly was literally the coolest thing ever for Adam. So check out this week's podcast to hear the whole story.

http://gravity.co/
https://vimeo.com/214439991

Ep 22: Olaf Carlson-Wee, Founder of Polychain Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 12:39:00 +0000

https://angel.co/polychain-capital
http://polychain.capital/

Ep. 21: Nick Tomaino, Principal at Runa Capital and Creator of The Control

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 21:40:00 +0000

Nick Tomaino spills the secrets of ICOs and about thinking long term as an investor in the space. So now I know everything... and you can too. Listen to Nick, from his work at Coinbase, to his position at Runa Capital, he knows.

"It's becoming easier than ever for entrepreneurs to raise money" -Nick Tomaino, The Control

https://thecontrol.co/
http://www.runacap.com/
https://medium.com/@ntmoney
https://twitter.com/NTmoney

Ep. 20: Will Warren, Co-Founder & CEO @ 0x

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Fri, 2 Jun 2017 00:35:00 +0000

Ep. 20: Will Warren, Co-Founder & CEO @ 0x

Find out more about one of the hottest upcoming ICOs. Will Warren talks about their vision for a decentralized exchange and also about what super power he would want.

https://0xproject.com/
https://twitter.com/willwarren89
https://medium.com/0x-project/introducing-0x-d51d5231ba53

Ep. 19: Kathleen Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:49:00 +0000

The people have spoken and they want more crypto! The rise of the prices in the industry have led us to interview someone who has an upcoming ICO, Kathleen Breitman with Tezos. We challenge other currencies and discuss governance structures.

https://www.tezos.com/

https://twitter.com/tez0s

Ep. 18: Chuck Feerick - Comparing Accelerators, Adam Draper co-hosts the Healthbox Podcast

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 18 May 2017 04:30:00 +0000

Healthbox is a healthcare based accelerator, and Chuck and Adam discuss the differences in accelerators and sectors. Learn about different structures! We all try to help the best we can.

https://www.healthbox.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckfeerick
https://twitter.com/chuckfeerick

Ep. 17: Arielle Zuckerberg - Early Stage Investments at KPCB

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 11 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

New on the venture scene, Arielle covers preconceived notions of Venture Capital, her interests and her latest investment in an awesome company called The Wing and social club for women. Arielle is awesome!

http://www.kpcb.com/partner/arielle-zuckerberg

Ep 16: AJ Forsythe, CEO of iCracked

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 06:30:00 +0000

Part cowboy, part tech geek.

AJ was a dinosaur wrestler in a past life. His enthusiasm and energy for changing things is intoxicating, and I believe that AJ is one of the best mentors/friends you can have in the startup eco-system.

https://www.icracked.com/

Ep. 15: James McCrae, CEO of JanusVR

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 06:30:00 +0000

Janus is building the MetaVerse.

James hails from Canada, where he has many academic achievements. We cover a wide range of questions to do with Virtual Reality, but also to do with finding product market fit and some of the battles raging in the VR industry.

http://www.janusvr.com/

Ep. 14: Marshall Culpepper, CEO of KubOS

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 06:30:00 +0000

We cover everything from rockets to software.

Have you ever met James Bond? That's basically who Marshall Culpepper is, except he has a cooler job and he's not British. KubOS is the future of software in the space industry.

http://www.kubos.com/

Ep. 13: Michael Dunworth, CEO of Wyre

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 6 Apr 2017 06:30:00 +0000

Michael Dunworth explains the different stages of Snapcard now called Wyre.

Michael Dunworth is Australian, which means he is genetically superior to mortal human. He uses his charm and intellect to dazzle. His company has gone through many transitions, just as Bitcoin has. They have continued to build and thrive. He also points out that fundraising is difficult.

https://www.sendwyre.com/

Ep. 12: Nathan Rowe, CEO of SculptrVR

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 06:30:00 +0000

Talking about starting a company, the VR market as a whole and finding focus.

Nathan Rowe, CEO of Sculptr, the greatest world builder in VR, talks about everything VR that you could possibly cover on a podcast. He drops knowledge bombs left and right.

http://www.sculptrvr.com/

Ep. 11: Zavain Dar, Lux Capital

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 22:30:00 +0000

Zavain breaks down AI, basketball and just is an all around great dude.

Zavain Dar is a Principal with Lux Capital, he focuses on machine learning, crypto currency and everything that requires you to think 20 years out. He has been a mentor with Boost VC for years and is wise beyond his years.

https://www.luxcapital.com
https://twitter.com/zavaindar

Ep. 10: Jens Christensen, serial founder

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 12:05:00 +0000

Jens shares his story of entrepreneurship in this week’s episode of The Boost VC Podcast. Adam and Jens talk about the VR industry, comparing gaming and cinematic VR, looking at the variety in experiences and hardware, and exploring the potential growth in the industry. Jens talks about the founding of Jaunt VR and his favorite VR experiences.

Jens is an experienced technology executive and founder, with a strong computer science background and a proven track record of assembling world class teams, raising capital, and achieving successful outcomes. Most recently, he co-founded Jaunt VR and served as its CEO for three years.

Ep. 9-3/4: We Started a Podcast! (Bonus Episode)

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 19:00:00 +0000

Bonus Episode: Adam chats with Maddie Callander, Director of Operations at Boost VC (and unofficial Podcast Producer) about what they learned during the process of starting this podcast!

(Both Adam & Maddie are big Harry Potter Fans... thus the bonus episode title in honor of Platform 9 3/4!)

Ep. 9: Billy Draper, Draper Associates

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 12:00:00 +0000

In this week's episode of The Boost VC Podcast, Adam asks his brother Billy Draper from Draper Associates about the nuances of venture capitalism. Adam and Billy explore the many problems of today's marketplaces, and how start-ups can disrupt the flow of big industries using new technology. They talk about the entrepreneurial mindset that VC's appreciate, and go over what attitudes they like to see in their founders.

Billy Draper is on the investment team at Draper Associates. He works primarily at the early stage, investing in companies valued between 3m and 10m. Prior to joining DA, Billy worked in Operations at Facebook and in product design at ApartmentList. He was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 for venture capital in 2016.

Ep. 8: Gil Baron, Visionary VR

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Gil worked as a 3D Artist and visual effects supervisor in Hollywood. He was the founder and director at Method Studios in Los Angeles, where he did a lot of work for commercials, including an iconic Toyota being smashed by a meteor commercial. Gil most recently founded Visionary VR, a tool for budding content creators to make films in VR using the tools they've been using all their lives.

Ep. 7: Collin West, Correlation VC

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 19:00:00 +0000

As a member of Correlation’s investment team, Collin focuses primarily on identifying and evaluating early-stage startups. Collin also serves on the board of the NextGen Partners organization and is a Kauffman Fellow. Both of these educational organizations are focused on serving the venture capital and startup communities. Prior to joining Correlation Ventures, Collin founded two businesses in digital advertising and adventure travel, respectively. Prior to that, Collin was an IT Strategy consultant at Accenture. Collin earned an MBA from Kellogg School of Management with an emphasis on Innovation & Entrepreneurship where he was awarded a prestigious Four Pillars award, awarded to only four members of the graduating class for embodying the values of the school. He also graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Finance from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Correlation, Collin and his team of four broke a Guinness World Record completing the longest expedition across the Arctic Ocean by rowboat, rowing over 1,000 miles non-stop and unsupported for 41 days.

Ep. 6: Catheryne Nicholson, CEO of BlockCypher

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Catheryne Nicholson is CEO and Co-founder of BlockCypher, a Blockchain-as-a-Service company. BlockCypher’s blockchain-agnostic infrastructure exposes simple web APIs for developers to easily build reliable blockchain applications. BlockCypher runs multiple open and private blockchains at-scale on their same infrastructure. Catheryne is an engineer, entrepreneur, mother, and former U.S. Naval Officer. She has built large-scale software platforms in education, energy and emissions management, CRM, and defense systems for companies such as MommaZoo, C3, Siebel Systems, and Northrop-Grumman. She graduated from the U.S Naval Academy and Stanford University and holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering, a MS in Environmental Engineering, a MBA, and is a registered PE in Mechanical Engineering.

https://www.blockcypher.com/

Ep. 5: Justin Miller, Pillow

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Justin was the co-founder and president of Notehall before it was acquired by Chegg in 2011. He is also a very active angel investor and advisor to many technology startups. Currently, he is the president of Pillow Homes and loves to travel.

Ep. 4: Liv Erickson, Microsoft

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 15:00:00 +0000

Liv Erickson is a Virtual and Augmented Reality Developer and Evangelist at Microsoft based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the creator and host of Just A/VR Show, a web show for aspiring VR and AR developers, developer of KittenVR, and the author of The Matrix is My Office blog. Liv is passionate about making immersive technologies accessible to everyone, and teaching new developers how to create their own VR & AR experiences. She is a co-founder and instructor of ARVR Academy, and is a frequent speaker on virtual and augmented reality development in addition to developing projects across desktop, mobile, and web VR and AR platforms.

ARVR Academy: http://arvracademy.io/
Just A/VR Show: https://channel9.msdn.com/blogs/misslivirose/
The Matrix is My Office: https://livierickson.com/blog/
Kitten VR: http://kittenvr.com/

Ep. 3: Baptiste Grève, CEO of Unimersiv

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 8 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Baptiste is a French entrepreneur who has worked as a designer, engineer, and project manager for several startups. He is the founder & CEO of Unimersiv, the platform for VR educational experiences. He was part of Boost VC’s Tribe 6 last summer. He is currently based in Paris. During his free time he enjoys playing FIFA, spending some quality time with his friends and family and he’s also spending more and more time playing VR games on the Rift!

https://unimersiv.com/
https://twitter.com/BaptisteGreve
https://www.linkedin.com/in/baptistegreve/en

Ep. 2: Lamar Wilson, CEO of Fluent

Maddie@boost.vc (Adam Draper) — Mon, 1 Aug 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Full-stack developer, expert blockchain architect, father, and husband: Lamar Wilson has been creating enterprise software for almost a decade with a recent focus on financial and blockchain technology. A serial entrepreneur, he co-founded the software development firm, 212ths and created Pheeva, a mobile bitcoin wallet. He is the CEO of Love Will Inc., and, most recently, Lamar founded Fluent where he serves as Head of Vision and Decision.

https://fluent.network/
https://twitter.com/bigmarh
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamarawilson