If you came to this edition for deep company-building wisdom, prepare to be disappointed. Being cooped up in a pandemic has turned Tom and Vivek into a couple of curmudgeons, and they’re in need of catharsis. Why is Jared Kushner in charge of COVID response, and what makes rich people think they’re so smart? Why does […]

In the last episode of this season, Tom and Vivek take up the question of philanthropy and giving back in the context of tech. Are tech companies stingy? If they are, what explains it and how did we get here? Should tech companies even engage in or care about philanthropy? Least important, what’s the best […]

You’re determined to leave your current job and join a startup? In this podcast Tom and Vivek consider how to find the right company and maximize your chances of receiving an offer.  They get down and dirty by suggesting specific questions to ask (and not ask) your prospective employer as well as tips for managing […]

In this session Tom and Vivek stretch out with Debra Kadner, a long-time operator and company founder, about the challenges and opportunities for women in tech. Debra talks about the blindspots that plague many well-meaning executives, shares vignettes and lessons learned from her own journey, and closes out with advice for women seeking a career […]

Peter Drucker once said that “Culture eats Strategy for breakfast”.  In this episode, Tom and Vivek talk about what it takes to create the right culture for an early stage company and beyond.  Starting with a description of what “Culture” actually is (and is not!), they consider the importance of establishing values, offer some tips […]

Now that you’ve written the business plan and raised money, it’s time to recruit your early team. In this episode, Tom and Vivek cover the do’s and don’ts of building a high-output team – who to hire, how to build chemistry and throughput, how to think about talent when your company is a toddler versus […]

You’ve decided to launch a business, but before you hurtle blindly into the breach, you need a bulletproof plan and perfect pitch deck to persuade your co-founders, investors, partners, and employees to follow you into the unknown. In episode 3 of The Closed Session, Tom and Vivek talk through the key elements of a coherent, […]

In episode 2 of The Closed Session, Tom and Vivek discuss the framework for starting your own company from scratch. Within this framework, there are three dimensions you should take into account; keep listening to find out what they are and to see if you have what it takes to be a tech entrepreneur.

In episode 1 of The Closed Session you meet serial entrepreneurs Tom and Vivek. We love company-building, we love technology, and we’ve been fortunate to have two great rides already—Rapt (acquired by Microsoft) and Krux (acquired by Salesforce). This is the ‘meta-podcast’ that tells you what the podcast will be about, the topics we’ll take […]

We are Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya, and we’re serial entrepreneurs. We love company-building, we love technology, and we’ve been fortunate to have two great rides already—Rapt (acquired by Microsoft) and Krux (acquired by Salesforce). People may expect us to go for a third company, but with all the amazing innovators we’ve come to know, […]