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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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/

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/

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/

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/