Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am thrilled to have Vivek Krishnamurthy, who is a Partner at Commerce Ventures, where he's spent over 8 years investing in commerce infrastructure and fintech. Before Venture, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at Financial Technology Partners. He's particularly bullish on AI's transformation of insurance, backing companies like Kin Insurance, Liberate, and Authentic.

In this conversation, Vivek Krishnamurthy, a partner at Commerce Ventures, discusses his journey into venture capital, the evolution of investment strategies, and the intersection of commerce and fintech. Vivek shares insights on the impact of AI on business, the importance of understanding market dynamics, and the traits of successful founders. He also addresses the challenges of staying private and the role of VCs in the startup ecosystem.

Timestamps

00:00 Journey into Venture Capital

03:08 Evolution of Investment Thesis

06:20 Commerce and Fintech Intersection

09:10 AI's Role in Modern Startups

12:01 Understanding Market Dynamics

15:23 Growth Metrics in Today's Market

18:09 The Impact of Staying Private

20:59 Traits of Successful Founders

24:20 The Role of VCs in Success

27:12 Sales Strategies in AI

30:03 Hiring Trends in AI Startups

33:13 Evaluating Investment Opportunities

Vivek's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivekkri/

Website - https://commerce.vc/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am excited to have Dallas Price, a Venture Builder at Forum Ventures, where he helps launch and scale six B2B SaaS startups every year through their AI Studio. His work centres on turning early-stage concepts into real companies, guiding founders across product, go-to-market, and fundraising

In this conversation, Dallas Price, a venture builder at Forum Ventures, discusses his journey into the startup world, the workings of a venture studio, and the current landscape of AI startups. Dallas shares insights on navigating chaos in startups, the importance of defensibility, new distribution channels, and evolving pricing models. He emphasizes the significance of customer traction and the need for founders to focus on their strengths when pitching to investors. The discussion also touches on the future of AI spending and the potential for full stack AI companies.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Dallas Price and His Journey

03:08 Transitioning to Venture Capital and Forum Ventures

06:10 Understanding the Venture Studio Model

09:18 Navigating the AI Landscape and Talent Wars

12:13 Defensibility in AI Startups

15:14 Emerging Distribution Channels in AI

18:07 Innovative Pricing Models for AI Startups

21:15 The Future of AI Native Companies

24:18 Spotlight on Startups: Credit Pulse and Scout Climate

26:52 Investor Signals and Customer Demand

30:07 The Importance of Founders in Startup Success

33:30 Current Trends in AI Spending and Future Outlook

36:21 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Dallas's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallascprice

Website – https://www.forumvc.com/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am excited to have Seth Levine, venture capitalist and co-founder of Foundry, and Elizabeth MacBride, international business journalist and founder of Times of Entrepreneurship. Together, they co-authored The New Builders and now their latest book, Capital Evolution, explores how American capitalism is shifting—and why businesses, not government, may hold the keys to building a more inclusive and prosperous future.

In this conversation, Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride discuss their new book, 'Capital Evolution,' which explores the shifting landscape of American capitalism. They delve into the challenges posed by neoliberal capitalism, the consequences of prioritizing shareholder value, and the need for a more inclusive economic model. The authors advocate for 'dynamic capitalism,' which emphasizes the importance of meritocracy, economic mobility, and the role of businesses in society. They also touch on the impact of AI on the workforce and the necessity for government reform to restore balance in power dynamics.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Capital Evolution

03:14 The State of American Capitalism

04:54 Neoliberalism and Its Consequences

05:19 The Rise of Business Over Government

08:28 Meritocracy and Economic Mobility

11:40 Global Perspectives on Capitalism

14:22 The Future of American Democracy and Business

17:16 Comparative Economic Models

20:35 Conclusion and Reflections on Capitalism

25:41 The Dynamics of the American Economy

27:07 Understanding Dynamic Capitalism

30:09 Elements of Dynamic Capitalism

31:45 Success Stories in Employee Ownership

33:44 The Impact of AI on Employment

37:34 Universal Basic Income: A Controversial Solution

41:30 Reforming Government for a Sustainable Future

44:58 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

Seth and Elizabeth's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethjlevine

LDN - linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macbride-85a3806

Website – https://thecapitalevolution.com/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Marcos Rivera, the founder and CEO of Pricing I/O, where he helps B2B SaaS companies capture the value they've built. Former Head of Pricing at Vista Equity Partners, he's priced over 400 SaaS products and has authored Street Pricing.

In this conversation, Marcos Rivera, founder and CEO of Pricing.io, discusses the intricacies of pricing strategies in B2B SaaS. Marcos shares his journey from product management to pricing, highlighting common mistakes companies make, especially in underpricing their products. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, the blend of art and science in pricing, and the impact of AI on pricing strategies. The discussion also covers diagnosing churn, building a pricing team, essential metrics for pricing decisions, and aligning sales and marketing efforts.

Timestamps

03:04 Common Pricing Mistakes in B2B SaaS

06:22 The Art and Science of Pricing

09:02 AI and the Future of Pricing Models

12:18 Diagnosing Pricing Problems and Churn

15:10 Counterintuitive Pricing Strategies for Success

20:10 Innovative Pricing Strategies

22:20 Building a Team and Company Culture

25:07 The Role of Data in Pricing Decisions

26:28 Key Metrics for SaaS Pricing

29:11 Aligning Teams for Effective Pricing

32:28 Integrating AI into Pricing Strategies

36:08 Advice for Founders on Pricing

Marcos's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcoslrivera/

Website – https://www.pricingio.com/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

Aabhas Khanna, is General Partner at MyAsiaVC, a venture syndicate and fund with $125M AUM backing 250+ companies, including 5 unicorns. Previously at HSBC and Deloitte, he now invests in pre-seed and seed AI-native startups across enterprise growth, healthcare, fintech, and advanced manufacturing, focusing on obsessive founders tackling overlooked challenges.

In this conversation, Aabhas Khanna, a general partner at MyAsia VC, discusses his journey from working in large corporations to venture capital. Aabhas shares insights on evaluating AI startups, the importance of founder quality, and the unique challenges and opportunities in different Asian markets. He emphasizes the need for adaptability in business models, the significance of understanding market dynamics, and the flow of capital in the Asian tech ecosystem.

Timestamps

00:00 From Banking to Venture Capital: A Journey Begins

04:49 Navigating the AI Landscape: Signal vs. Noise

11:42 Regional Insights: Building in Hong Kong vs. Silicon Valley

17:31 Market Expansion: Local vs. Global Strategies

22:07 Investment Strategies: Reserves and Follow-On Investments

23:55 Identifying Future Unicorns: The Role of Founders

26:40 Navigating AI Disruption in Startups

28:29 The Role of Investors in Founder Decision-Making

30:56 Defining Good Growth in the AI Era

34:32 Capital Flows in the Asian Tech Ecosystem

38:20 Common Mistakes Founders Make

41:45 Reflections on Venture Capital and Personal Growth

Aabhas's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aabhaskhanna/

Website – https://www.myasiavc.com/

Sajid interview - https://lifeselfmastery.com/2020/05/30/ep-143-sajid-rahman-on-investing-in-emerging-markets/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, Europe's leading sovereign cloud provider. She's built and scaled sales teams across Meta, Dataiku, Box, and Bloomberg, navigating Sydney, New York, London, and Paris.

In this conversation, Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, shares her insights on sales leadership, cultural adaptability, and innovative strategies in the cloud computing industry. She discusses the importance of resilience in hiring, the evolving role of cold calling, and how to motivate teams against larger competitors. She also reflects on the impact of AI on sales roles and offers advice for women in sales leadership, highlighting the importance of taking initiative and seeking feedback for personal growth.

Timestamps

02:12 Cultural Influences on Sales Leadership

04:10 Transforming Sales Strategies at Scaleway

06:13 Innovative Sales Outreach Techniques

08:22 Hiring for Resilience in Sales

10:20 The Evolving Role of Cold Calling

12:12 Identifying True Grit in Sales Hires

14:19 Motivating Teams Against Big Competitors

16:10 Balancing Celebrations and Reality in Sales

18:03 Selling on Values: Sustainability and Carbon Transparency

20:05 Supporting Startups and Sustainable Consumption

22:14 Using AI Tools in Sales

24:18 Future of Pricing in Cloud Services

26:14 Success Metrics for Scaleway's Go-to-Market Strategy

28:09 Advice for Women in Sales Leadership

30:23 Reflections on Career Growth and Feedback

Doreen's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreen-pernel-1b30919b

Website – https://www.scaleway.com/en/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Daniel Layfield, who is Director of Product Management at Diligent and founder of Subscription Index, advising subscription businesses on monetisation.

In this conversation, Daniel Layfield shares his journey from finance to product management, discussing his experiences at Code Academy and Diligent. He emphasises the importance of understanding churn, effective pricing strategies, and the role of AI in product management. Daniel also explores the complexities of subscription models, the significance of metrics, and the impact of price localisation on revenue.

Timestamps

03:48 Growth Strategies at Code Academy

07:11 Understanding Churn and the Four Horsemen

10:55 Identifying Ideal Customer Personas

13:04 The Hidden Math of Churn

15:55 Pricing Strategies for Subscription Models

19:04 The Future of Pricing in SaaS

20:45 Paywall Strategies and Feature Design

23:05 When to Invest in Subscription Management Tools

25:50 The Impact of AI on Product Management

26:49 The Future of AI and Software Development

29:24 OpenAI's Role in the Tech Stack

31:05 Challenges of Subscription Business Models

33:26 Identifying Key Metrics for Success

36:12 The Importance of Price Localization

40:33 AI's Impact on Subscription Monetization

42:32 Building a Writing Cadence and Sharing Knowledge

44:54 Lessons from Product Management Experience

Daniel's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/layfield/

Website – Subscriptionindex.com

Playbook - https://www.subscriptionindex.com/playbook

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am excited to have Ryan Johnson, who is the Chief Product Officer at CallRail, an AI-powered lead intelligence platform serving 200,000+ businesses with over $100M ARR.

In this conversation, Ryan Johnson, Chief Product Officer at CallRail, shares his journey from finance to product management, discussing the evolution of CallRail from a call tracking service to a lead intelligence platform. He emphasises the importance of scaling product organisations, balancing sales and product-led growth, and navigating the challenges posed by AI disruption. Ryan also delves into pricing strategies, monetisation challenges in B2B SaaS, and the significance of a cohesive engineering, product, and design team structure. He highlights the role of self-reported attribution in marketing and draws parallels between racing and product management, underscoring the need for incremental improvements and customer obsession.

Timestamps

03:30 Scaling Product Organizations: Lessons from Banjo

06:54 The Evolution of CallRail: From Call Tracking to Lead Intelligence

10:47 Balancing Sales and Product-Led Growth

13:12 AI Disruption in the Search Industry

15:53 Pricing Strategies in a Scaling Company

19:01 Challenges in Monetization and Standardization

22:44 Organizational Structure for Product Velocity

25:26 Agile Experimentation in AI-Enabled Organizations

26:16 Navigating Unit Economics in the Age of AI

28:45 Decisions That Drive Cost Efficiency

31:57 Product Strategy Across Different Stages

36:06 Balancing Partnerships and Product Simplicity

38:33 Solving Attribution Challenges with Conversation Intelligence

42:31 Racing Towards Product Market Fit

45:10 Reflections on Career Growth and Learning

Ryan's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandjohnson/

Website –https://www.callrail.com/

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Gary Bailey, founder of Strategim, a monetisation & pricing expert with a deep background in financial services, accounting, pricing, and AI.

In this conversation, Gary Bailey, a monetisation and pricing expert, shares his journey from accounting to product management and pricing. He discusses the importance of pricing as a core discipline in business education, the evolving role of finance in pricing strategies, and the impact of AI on SaaS pricing models. Gary emphasizes the need for training the next generation in pricing and the role of a monetization architect in modern businesses. He also highlights common pricing mistakes, the importance of starting the monetisation journey with a feature list, and the need to redesign business education to adapt to the changing landscape.

Timestamps

06:00 The Importance of Pricing in Business Education

09:17 Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty in Pricing

13:17 The Evolution of SaaS Pricing with AI

16:50 Training the Next Generation of Pricing Professionals

20:35 The Role of a Monetization Architect

22:26 The Architecture of Pricing Strategies

23:37 Evolving Pricing Models in SaaS

25:58 The Impact of AI on Job Markets

29:19 Preparing for an AI-Driven Future

32:17 Learning from Pricing Mistakes

33:48 Rebundling Features for Better Monetization

36:12 Rethinking Business Education in the AI Era

Gary's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bailey-monetization-cfo/

Website –

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Naveen Mohan, who leads monetisation at Otter.ai, bringing deep experience from Adobe and Loom. With a Carnegie Mellon Information Systems degree and software engineering background, he combines data science expertise with product management.

In this conversation, Naveen Mohan, Product and Monetisation Lead at Otter.ai, shares his journey from data science to product management, emphasising the importance of experimentation in pricing strategies and the evolution of monetisation in tech startups. He discusses the balance between soft and hard paywalls, the rise of hybrid pricing models, and the significance of data-driven insights in growth strategies. Naveen also highlights the importance of regular pricing reviews and the role of monetisation across different departments in a company.

Timestamps

02:13 Career Journey and Transition to Product Management

04:04 Monetization Strategies and Pricing Evolution

07:02 Common Pricing Mistakes and Experimentation

10:00 Balancing Paywalls and Conversion Strategies

12:16 Hybrid Pricing Models in SaaS

14:12 Bundling AI Features in SaaS Products

17:20 Growth Strategies and Resource Allocation

20:10 Key Metrics for Growth and Monetization

24:17 Hiring for Growth Teams

26:09 Pricing AI-Powered Features

30:25 Revisiting Pricing Strategies

33:02 Monetization Ownership Across Departments

36:22 Competitive Pricing in a Crowded Market

40:09 Lessons Learned in Monetization Leadership

Naveen's Links

LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohannaveen

Website – Otter.ai

My Links

Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes

Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/