Part 1: In this chat with Snapchat QA Engineer Justin Washington, we discuss his journey to the ultra-popular and high-growth startup Snapchat, how he became a believer in the product, and working with Steve Jobs.

We also talk about growing up in the midwest (he’s from Detroit), ambitions in the music business, and both of our impeccable tastes in music.

Part 2: Brian Dixon is very smart, and he knows startups and pitching like the back of his hand. He’s a VC at Kapor Capital, a venture firm focused on startups making a significant social impact. In his role, he’s on the hunt for the next big thing.

We talk about how to pitch effectively to get VC attention, and Silicon Valley.