The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

Han Shen of iFly.vc joins Nick to discuss Hyper-Concentration, Identifying $4B Weee! At Seed, How to Invest in Deals that Have No Competition, and How to Spot Consumer Trends Before They're Obvious. In this episode we cover:

• The Role of Customer Insights in Investment Decisions
• Han Shen's Investment Strategy and Focus on U.S. Market
• Investment Themes and Portfolio Construction
• Investment in We and Lessons Learned from China
• Founder Insights and Growth Potential
• Investment Framework and Underwriting
• Common Reasons for Company Failure
• Recommendations and Final Thoughts

Guest Links:

• Han's LinkedIn
• iFly's LinkedIn
• iFly's Website
• Han's Twitter

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

• Adam Felesky
• Mike Droesch
• Sami Inkinen

We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Manish Patel of Nava Ventures joins Nick to discuss Lessons from Larry Page, Why Subscriptions Won't Work in the Era of AI, How Enterprises Will Adopt AI, and the 3 Keys to Building Great Products. In this episode we cover:

• Challenges and Lessons at Google
• The Evolution of AI and Advertising
• Nava Ventures' Thesis and Investment Strategy
• Investing in AI and Enterprise Sales
• Lessons from Scopely's Success
• The Importance of Human Needs in Product Design

Guest Links:

• Manish's LinkedIn
• Nava's LinkedIn
• Nava's Website

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

• Pejman Nozad
• James Joaquin
• Rick Heitzmann

We asked guests to share the best question they've ever been asked by an allocator.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Godard Abel of G2 joins Nick to discuss The Founder and CEO of G2 on AI's Impact on Enterprise SaaS, How to Embrace the Climb, and Insights on Managing Through Crisis. In this episode we cover:

• Founding G2 and Market Challenges
• Metrics and Marketplace Growth
• Investor Insights and Data Utilization
• Founder Mode and Leadership
• Building Strong Support Systems
• Embracing AI and Innovation

Guest Links:

• Godard's LinkedIn
• G2's LinkedIn
• G2's Website
• Godard's Twitter/X

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

• Ambar Bhattacharyya
• Mike Droesch
• Sami Inkinen

We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Kevin Stevens of Energize Capital joins Nick to discuss The Energy Transformation, Challenges with Transmission and Distribution, Nuclear vs. Renewables, and Why Unreasonable Hospitality is Necessary in VC. In this episode we cover:

• Challenges in Energy Distribution and Storage
• The Role of Batteries and Other Energy Storage Solutions
• Data Centers and Energy Consumption
• Nuclear Energy and Its Role in the Energy Transition
• Financing Challenges and Strategies for Energy and Climate Companies
• The Importance of Intellectual Humility and Debate in Investing
• Future of AI and Defensibility in Energy Software
• Evaluating Revenue Quality and Key Metrics for Success

Guest Links:

• Kevin's LinkedIn
• Energize's LinkedIn
• Energize Website
• Kevin's Twitter/X

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

• Rick Heitzmann
• Alexa Von Tobel
• Adam Felesky

Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

Mathias Schilling of Headline joins Nick to discuss Why Culture is King, The Role of "Founder Mode" in Building Iconic Companies, Lessons From 25 Years in the Business, and How to Make Tech a Force Multiplier Within a VC Firm. In this episode we cover:

• Evolution of the Venture Capital Industry
• Headline's Winning Strategy
• Global Presence and Investment Approach
• Navigating Market Cycles and Founder Mode
• Capital Efficiencies and AI's Impact
• Succession Planning and Leadership
• Future of AI and Regulation

Guest Links:

• Mathias' LinkedIn
• Headline's LinkedIn
• Headline Website
• Headline Twitter

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

• Sami Inkinen
• Heidi Roizen
• Phin Upham

We asked guests to discuss the factor that could cause the most disruption to the industry going forward and how that will change the next decade of venture.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social.

You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!