The Inquisitive VC

In Episode 2 of The Debrief, Nawaz and Vignesh unpack some of the most fascinating developments in venture capital, private markets, and tech investing. The conversation begins with the surprising transformation of Allbirds from a direct-to-consumer footwear brand into an AI infrastructure company before diving deep into Anthropic’s crackdown on unauthorised secondary share sales.

The pair explore the growing complexity of SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) investing, the risks hidden within layered secondary market structures, and why retail investors may be unknowingly paying enormous fees for exposure to high-profile companies like Anthropic and SpaceX. They also discuss the implications of SpaceX’s anticipated IPO, the evolving private market landscape in New Zealand, and the emergence of the Rocket Lab Mafia as a catalyst for the next generation of founders.

This episode offers an insider’s perspective on venture capital, secondary markets, startup ecosystems, and the unintended consequences of financial engineering.

Introduction

In this first episode of The Debrief, Nawaz and Vignesh launch a new podcast focused on venture, technology, and startup conversations that are more relevant to the New Zealand ecosystem. They unpack the collapse of Allbirds from a heavily hyped public company to a distressed acquisition, debate whether direct-to-consumer brands really fit venture economics, and explore why companies like Halter are changing how global investors view New Zealand tech. The conversation also moves into founder fears around venture capital and boards, with both hosts arguing that strong governance is usually less about control and more about helping founders scale responsibly.

Key Moments

·      [00:00:34] Show launch: Nawaz introduces The Debrief and Vignesh explains why a local NZ-focused venture conversation matters.

·      [00:02:52] Allbirds acquisition: The hosts react to Allbirds being acquired for around $68 million after once peaking near $4 billion.

·      [00:06:14] D2C and venture fit: They question whether consumer brands should raise venture capital or build sustainable businesses through revenue and profit.

·      [00:13:40] Venture as a tool: Vignesh argues founders do not need venture money to pursue their vision, but it can accelerate scale when the business model fits.

·      [00:14:57] Eucalyptus and healthcare D2C: The discussion shifts to why some consumer companies win by solving real needs rather than selling discretionary products.

·      [00:17:36] Halter’s rise: Nawaz and Vignesh discuss Halter as a defining New Zealand venture success story with real local investor participation.

·      [00:21:39] Compounding in venture: Vignesh explains how Halter’s long fundraising arc shows that scale, strong investors, and time can create a flywheel.

·      [00:25:32] Founder control and boards: The episode closes with a candid discussion on why boards exist, what founders get wrong about investor control, and how governance evolves as companies grow.

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed speaks with Bhavik Vashi serves as Managing Director for APAC at Carta, the platform powering over 9,000 fund managers worldwide.

We talk about Bhavik's unique perspective on the venture ecosystem, overseeing Carta's expansion across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa regions, which represent some of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving venture landscapes globally. From his vantage point supporting thousands of fund managers across diverse markets, Bhavik has unparalleled insights into emerging manager trends, regional differences in venture capital, and the operational challenges facing today's fund managers. In this episode, the conversation explores the data-driven insights Carta sees across its platform, the unique characteristics of venture markets in APAC and MENA, and how technology is reshaping the infrastructure that powers modern venture capital.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed speaks with Hootie Rashidifard, Founder and General Partner of Hash3, a $30M crypto venture fund built on a mission to bring self-sovereignty to all end users.

Hootie shares how his Iranian upbringing—watching his father’s bank accounts frozen after the 1979 revolution—instilled a deep mistrust of centralized systems and shaped his belief in Bitcoin’s promise. From investment banking to five years at Canaan Partners, and now leading Hash3, he reveals what it takes to raise and run a crypto fund through market chaos.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed sits down with Andy Kangpan, Founder and General Partner of Metalayer Ventures, a $25M crypto venture fund focused on blockchain adoption in financial services.

Andy shares his journey from investing at Two Sigma during the 2017 ICO boom to founding Metalayer after the FTX collapse—driven by the belief that crypto’s next chapter lies in real-world deployment, not speculation.

He opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of raising a first fund, the key lessons learned from rejection, and how Metalayers balanced 50/50 approach to equity and token investments positions them for the evolving crypto landscape.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed sits down with Alex Lin, Founder and General Partner of Reforge, a crypto venture fund investing in coordination infrastructure across capital markets, AI, and compute systems.

Alex shares his journey from running a gaming bot farm that led him to Bitcoin, to becoming a venture capitalist with a mission to rebuild trust in failing institutions. He talks about leaving Shima Capital to launch Reforge, the brutal realities of fundraising, and why early-stage venture—not speculative liquid markets—will define the next decade of crypto

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed interviews Travis Scher, co-founder of North Island Ventures, to explore crypto investing and venture capital. Travis shares his journey from a disgruntled lawyer discovering Bitcoin in 2014 to becoming a seasoned crypto VC at Digital Currency Group and launching his own fund. He discusses North Island’s thesis on crypto as an enabling technology, the challenges of fundraising during COVID, and building a values-driven firm. Travis offers actionable insights on selecting partners, diversifying investments, and backing entrepreneurs solving real-world financial problems with blockchain, making this a must-listen for crypto investing enthusiasts.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed interviews Lucas He, founder of Tomorrow Ventures, to dive into crypto investing and venture capital. Lucas shares his journey from buying Bitcoin in 2013 to building a crypto fund focused on real-world adoption. With experience at State Street and OP Crypto, he discusses bridging crypto to industries like healthcare and AI, navigating fundraising challenges, and crafting a portfolio for institutional adoption. Lucas’s insights on real-world crypto use cases and portfolio exits offer actionable strategies for investors and founders aiming to drive crypto adoption beyond speculation.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In the premiere episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed interviews Sal Gala, co-founder of EV3, to explore venture capital and crypto investing. Sal shares his journey from discovering Bitcoin during Venezuela’s hyperinflation to launching a venture fund focused on DePin (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) and real-world crypto use cases like zkTLS. He offers insights on overcoming fundraising challenges, embracing non-consensus investing, and driving escape velocity for startups. From his Ribbit Capital experience to EV3’s bold bets on crypto innovation, Sal provides actionable strategies for founders and investors navigating crypto markets.

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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

Welcome to The Inquisitive VC. Today I am speaking to Boris Revsin, the Managing Director of Tribe Capital.

We speak about his journey to crypto, how Tribe invests, crypto cycles and narratives, airdrops and more! I hope you enjoy this episode.

The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!

Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!

Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com