First Commit

First Commit

By Laura HamiltonBusinessInvesting
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First Commit episodes

  • E3: Gaming Investing with Jack Soslow (a16z)

    Today, we welcome Jack Soslow, an Investor in Andreessen Horowitz’s Gaming group. A16z, a major global venture capital fund, has invested in companies like Airbnb, Groupon, Facebook, GitHub, and Roblox. In 2022, the Games Fund I closed at $600 million, targeting Games Studios, Games x Consumer, and Infrastructure. During the discussion, Jack delves into his path to VC, product testing, the distinction between AR and VR, education gaming, generative AI, and women in gaming.

    Episode Chapters:

    1. Joining Oculus and Interest in Data Science - 00:48
    2. Breaking into a16z - 5:00
    3. Starting the Games Fund - 7:41
    4. Gaming Defined - 10:24
    5. Qualities in a Gaming Studio Investment - 13:06
    6. Success in a Single Title - 17:13
    7. Augmented and Virtual Reality - 19:35
    8. Product Testing and Stickiness - 23:20
    9. Generative AI on the Creative Workspace - 25:15
    10. Use Cases Beyond Traditional Games - 30:06
    11. Women in Gaming - 32:00
    12. Ending Questions - 33:35



    As always, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.

    39 min
  • E2: The Evolution of Sourcing with Nevin Raj (Grata)

    Today, we welcome Nevin Raj, Co-Founder and COO of Grata. Grata is revolutionizing VC & PE deal sourcing by providing a platform for users to find, research, and engage with middle market companies. Grata raised a $25 Million Series A round led by Craft Ventures in February 2022. Nevin shares his journey of founding Grata, insights on the future of sourcing, establishing product/market fit, handling customer feedback, and building strong leadership.

    Episode Chapters:

    1. Grata's Founding Story - 1:00
    2. Achieving Product Market Fit - 4:25
    3. Sourcing Strategies - 7:10
    4. Partnering with Craft Ventures - 14:45
    5. Reviewing and Implementing Customer Feedback - 16:35
    6. Grata's Competitive Advantage - 19:11 
    7. Learning Across Different Divisions - 24:25
    8. What Would You Change? - 26:40
    9. Leadership Qualities - 27:45
    10. What Motivates Nevin? - 30:35 

    As always, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.

    34 min
  • E1: West Coast to East Coast Investing with Matt Lu (Cowboy Ventures)

    Today, we welcome Matt Lu from Cowboy Ventures, based in NYC. Cowboy Ventures is a Pre Seed and Seed stage-focused fund. Cowboy has made over 100 early-stage investments, with 70% being pre-product. Before joining Cowboy in late 2022, Matt was an investor at Bullpen Capital in San Francisco.

    Episode Chapters:

    1. Breaking into Venture and Cowboy Ventures - 1:00
    2. East Coast Versus West Coast Investing - 10:30
    3. Sourcing Best Practices - 18:20
    4. Generative AI and Focus Areas - 25:20
    5. Overall Market Thoughts - 32:20
    6. What Motives Matt? - 36:00


    As always, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.

    40 min

About First Commit

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First Commit is where founders tell the story from the start: what they saw, what they risked, and what it actually took to get from zero to something real.