"Can't Be Done"

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/

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/

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

1. Existential crisis (Am I working on the right thing?)
2. Leverage personal conviction to generate buy-in
3. 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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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

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/

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

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