"Can't Be Done"

By Adam DraperBusiness Technology Investing

"Can't Be Done" episodes

April 11, 2019 Ep.93: Leveraging VR to Revolutionize Healthcare Education & Training—with Brian Conyer of GIBLIB
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.
38 min
April 04, 2019 Ep. 92: The VC’s Role as the Sixth Man—with FinTech Investor Michael Sidgmore of Broadhaven Ventures
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
39 min
March 28, 2019 Ep.91: Filling the Voids in the Crypto Market—with Joey Krug of Pantera Capital
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
52 min
March 21, 2019 Ep. 90: Sparking Great Companies—with Keith Rabois of Founders Fund
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
44 min
March 14, 2019 Ep. 89: Inspiring Deep Tech Founders to Invest in Sales & Marketing—with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures
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
38 min
March 07, 2019 Ep. 88: Building the Superpower of Personal Flight—with David Mayman of JetPack Aviation
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
39 min
February 28, 2019 Ep. 87: Opportunities in Ocean Tech—with Liané Thompson of Aquaai
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
36 min
February 21, 2019 Ep. 86: The Tipping Point of VR Mass Adoption—with Tipatat Chennavasin of Venture Reality Fund
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
38 min
January 17, 2019 Ep. 85: Solving for Shared Experiences in XR—with Anjney Midha CEO of Ubiquity6
“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
39 min
November 15, 2018 Ep. 84: Media in Crypto with Mike Dudas of The Block
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
42 min

About "Can't Be Done"

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Join Boost VC’s Founder & Managing Director Adam Draper, to learn about emerging technology from leading figures in the industry. Each episode we interview founders and investors to explore topics…

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