Panic with Friends - Howard Lindzon

OK boomers, we’re kicking off our first episode of 2021 with Gen Z whisper and Zebra IQ CEO Tiffany Zhong. I’m a big fan of Zebra’s annual Gen Z report and I recommend all my listeners take a look at it too. It’s important to stay in touch with audiences and perspectives other than those similar to you (something Tiffany talks about in this episode). Tiffany’s company Zebra IQ helps brands create communities to understand Gen-Z and Millennial consumers by offering real-time feedback. They’ve worked with more than 20 companies including Snapchat, Levi Strauss and Turner Broadcasting. Zebra IQ is just one example of how Gen Z can help you make a lot of money if you just listen to them. In this episode, Tiffany and I talk about Zebra IQ, dropping out of college, her twitter strategy, her “five Cs,” moguls, monetizing an audience, TikTok, startups, ecommerce and more. 

Guest - Tiffany Zhong, CEO at Zebra IQ

howardlindzon.com, zebraiq.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @TZhongg, @ZebraIQ, @knutjensen 

Instagram: @tzhongg 

linkedin.com/in/tzhongg 

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

Rajat has been an entrepreneur for a while now. He started his first company in college with the help of angel investor (and mutual friend/previous Panic guest) Brad Feld. The pair have now launched around eight companies together. Rajat mainly builds and invests in software companies, with his latest venture being Jump Cloud – a cybersecurity startup building a next-generation cloud directory platform. One of the things I love about Rajat’s company is that they foresaw remote work being the future before COVID-19 even hit. In this episode, Rajat and I talked about his company Jump Cloud, e-commerce, remote work, software, building a zero-trust network, SPACs, what companies he’s got an eye on, content marketing and more. 

Guest - Rajat Bhargava, CEO & Co-Founder at JumpCloud 

howardlindzon.com, JumpCloud.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @rajatabhargava, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/rajat-bhargava-8190a723 

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

Well, it finally happened. I bought a Tesla. I fancy myself a trend follower, but I think this is the latest I’ve entered a trend. But this is about more than getting a self-driving car that I can nap in. There has been no hotter sector than that of electric vehicles. And lucky for my listeners, I brought on not one, but two experts – Lionel Selwood and Robert (Bob) Mancini – to talk about this booming sector and the SPAC taking it to another level. Lionel’s energy tech company, which specializes in EV battery production, Romeo Power and Bob’s SPAC RMG Acquisition Corp. recently announced a merger allowing Romeo Power to become a publicly listed company. In this episode, Bob, Lionel and I geek out over EV batteries, Tesla, Elon, SpaceX, NIO, SPACs, Romeo Power, electrification, market opportunities, who they would love to drive around for a day and more. 

Guests - Lionel Selwood Jr, CEO at Romeo Power, and Bob Mancini, CEO at RMG Acquisition Corp 

howardlindzon.com, romeopower.com, rmgacquisitionb.com

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @knutjensen

linkedin.com/in/lionel-selwood-jr-ab031b34

linkedin.com/company/romeopowertechnology

linkedin.com/company/rmg-acquisition-corp

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

A year ago on my blog, I asked: “Could 2020 be as good as 2019?” From where I’m standing now, that’s going to be a different answer depending on who you ask. So, I called on two pretty cool kids over at Stocktwits to put something together and help us all make some sense as to what exactly happened this infamous year. That’s right, this isn’t just any episode of Panic – it’s a Stocktwits and Panic with Friends pandemic special! In this episode, Stocktwits’ Riley Roseberger and Tommy Tranfo break down what was going on in the markets from the pre-COVID days in January to the dark days of March to where we stand as of December. We talk about the industries, trends and stocks that dominated conversations on Stocktwits and beyond in 2020, including Tesla, oil, SPACs, EV companies, solar, gambling, social platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, crypto, weed and more. I want to thank Stocktwits again for putting this all together and continuing to put up with me as I make this podcast. I hope you’ve had as much fun listening as I’ve had making Panic with Friends this year!

Guests - 

Tommy Tranfo, Community Manager at StockTwits

Riley Rosenberger, Content Manager at StockTwits

howardlindzon.com, stocktwits.com 

Stocktwits/Twitter: @howardlindzon, @TCTRANFO, @coloradoriley 

linkedin.com/in/thomas-tranfo-639960129

linkedin.com/in/riley-rosenberger-4485b1106

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

I’ve had Ben Hunt on the podcast before, but I felt it was time to bring him back on to get his insights on the financial, cultural and political state of our country as of late. When I’m not talking his ear off, Ben is busy writing nonstop for Epsilon Theory, a newsletter and website that examines markets through the lenses of game theory and history. It’s a treat to have smart, thoughtful people like Ben on the podcast. He isn’t trying to spin a narrative, but genuinely wants to inform others about what’s going on and what they can do about it. I may even need to bring him on as a co-host – I love talking to him that much. Last time I had Ben on we talked about zero interest rates, writing and the politicizing of the stock market. This time around, Ben and I talked about his life as a publisher, media culture, the markets, the ‘mendacity’ of the world, crypto, SPACs, capital and what’s been going on with his company. This was a fun one to record. Enoy! 

Guest - Ben Hunt, Co-Founder and Partner at Second Foundation Partners, Author and Co-Founder at Epsilon Theory 

howardlindzon.com, epsilontheory.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @epsilontheory, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/bhunt

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

If you have missed going to the movie theater as much as I have during the pandemic, then this is the episode for you. I brought on Christie Marchese in this episode to talk about how her company Storyspaces is helping keep the spirit of the movie-going experience alive. As the founder of Storyspaces, she works to organize both virtual and in-person movie events with new and critically acclaimed films (basically the COVID-world answer to not getting to go to movie theaters). As founder and CEO of Picture Motion, she leads a team of impact producers, marketing strategists and communication specialists to develop grassroots marketing and social action campaigns for films. In this episode, Christie and I talk about all things film – how she got into movies, her favorites, working directly with filmmakers, virtual cinema and the post-COVID future of film. We also chatted about Storyspaces, human-centered distribution, the logistics of planning screening events, creativity and culture, social change and more.

I had the pleasure of having Octahedron Capital founder Ram Parameswaran on this episode of Panic. His firm Octahedron is a crossover fund that invests in the internet economy. Previously, Ram was a partner at the multi-billion dollar firm Altimeter Capital, focusing on public and private tech investments. He also has some big names in his past investments, including a pre-IPO Uber, Google and TikTok parent Bytedance. Ram has been inside the beast and is now applying it to his own markets. He’s a smart guy and public investor who knows a lot about a lot. In this episode, Ram and I discussed growth, the culture of Silicon Valley, tech, his work at Octahedron Capital, SPACs, trends in the public & private markets, crossover funds, global investing and more. Enjoy!

Guest - Ram Parameswaran, Founder at Octahedron Capital 

howardlindzon.com, octahedroncapital.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @_ram_, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/ramparameswaran 

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

If anyone can stay calm in the face of panic, it’s Rick. He founded his VC firm FirstMark Capital, which focuses on consumer technologies, during the 2008 recession. Twelve years later, I think it’s fair to say Rick is doing pretty well. He’s invested in a variety of industries, ranging from commerce to gaming to data services to media and sports. His investments include big names like Pinterest, Airbnb, DraftKings and Discord. Rick’s a kind and generous guy who I can always count on to give thoughtful advice and insights. He’s even been kind enough to talk with me in the past about VC investing at Stocktoberfest East in 2018, so I was happy to have him on this episode of Panic to share all that sage wisdom with my listeners. In this episode, Rick and I talked about public and private markets, DraftKings’ success, his company FirstMark Capital, SPACs, the anti-portfolio, open source, being a dad, what sectors have surprised him, the future of gaming and healthcare and more. Enjoy! 

Guest - Rick Heitzmann, Founder, Partner & Managing Director at FirstMark Capital

howardlindzon.com, firstmarkcap.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @rickheitzmann, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/rickheitzmann

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

This episode is an extension of the open source software conversations we’ve been having on Panic with guests like Chetan Puttagunta and Ross Mason. I brought on Glenn Solomon, a legend in the software community, to keep this conversation going. Glenn has been in the VC business for over 20 years, with most of that time spent at the venture firm GGV Capital. He has an impressive portfolio, investing in companies such as Slack, Airbnb and Square. Glenn is not only a strong investor but a strong writer — with his insights on the software industry featured in places like Forbes. Check out his podcast Founder Real Talk as well. In this episode, Glenn and I talk about his investing journey, how he thinks about trends, open source/software investing, public markets, mentorship, the value of MBA programs, founders, SPACs and more. Enjoy! 

Guest - Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner at GGV Capital 

howardlindzon.com, ggvc.com, founderrealtalk.ggvc.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @glennsolomon, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon 

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance

I was so psyched to chat with a living legend, great investor and I guess a pretty good football player – Ryan Nece. He’s had some big wins on and off the field, from winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to starting his own foundation. Ryan knows how to play the game with heart, determination and drive. His two decades worth of experience as a professional and disciplined athlete, entrepreneur and investor gave him the foundation to start Next Play. Ryan connects his passion and knowledge of sports and tech at Next Play; leveraging those relationships to provide investors with a diversified pool of venture funds and companies. In this episode, Ryan and I discuss the transition from football to investing, Next Play’s backstory, Ryan’s current role in his company, missed investments and ones he is excited about, the mindset that goes into being a founder and an athlete, a time he’s panicked, winning a Super Bowl, and supporting the next generation of investors and more. 

Guest - Ryan Nece, Managing Partner at Next Play Capital, LLC 

howardlindzon.com, nextplaycapital.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @nextplaycapital, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/ryan-nece-abb07b8 

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance