The Next Stage podcast by Web Summit

Modern warfare extends beyond physical boundaries to the digital. Nowhere is this more obvious than the war in Ukraine where cyber-attacks have been part of Russia’s arsenal from the beginning. 

In this episode of The Next Stage we hear from one of the founding members of the US army's cyber command unit, Josh Lospinoso, who has gone on to found cybersecurity startup Shift5. Josh talks about digital threats new and old.

For example, he said the average iPhone is about one thousand times more secure than a trillion dollar fifth generation fighter like the F35. Meanwhile newer tech like Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite - which has been used by Ukraine military - is using older protocols that can be tracked using a shop bought kit costing only 25 dollars.

What can be done to prevent all out cyberwarfare? Listen in to find out..

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Blockchain technology promises more control over personal data for internet users. Ostensibly, they could sell this data to advertisers, choosing what ads they are exposed to and what companies track their browsing habits while pocketing some cash in the process. 

How is this good for the online advertising industry who rely on data harvesting to target potential customers? As Brittany Kaiser, founder of Own Your Data, points out, you may think an ad is being looked at by a human but it could be click fraud. That Facebook user might be a bot. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, according to Brittany, Meta removed 1.6 billion fake accounts from its social networking platform.

Blockchain is being touted as a mutually beneficial solution for end users and advertisers. Keep listening to find out why.

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Web Summit is returning to Lisbon this November. Get your tickets now by following the link in the show notes.

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Are you sick of people hyping the metaverse, talking about buying virtual real estate next to Snoop Dogg’s property with the latest minted crypto? Amy Peck, founder and CEO of Endeavor VR and Dan Burgar, co-founder and CEO of Frontier Collective, get real about the future of virtual worlds.

Leaving behind the hype, they look at genuine use cases like augmented reality environments in smart cities of the future. And they address significant issues around metaverse properties and NFTs, namely the current land grab and money grab that is happening.

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Times are tougher for startups. Raising money in 2022 is a different beast than early to mid 2021. During the pandemic, people were more eager to make deals and make investments. 

Now, startups need to prove that their growth is sustainable and be willing to do this through new metrics like ‘burn multiple’, says Christina Cacioppo, CEO of Vanta, a startup that raised initial seed funding in 2021 and surged forward in 2022 despite a more difficult VC landscape.

Christina provides valuable insights into how to attract funding, meet metrics, hire staff and more in this fascinating chat with Andrew Reed, partner at Sequoia Capital.

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We are very much at the end of the beginning for self-driving vehicles, says Gavin Jackson, CEO of autonomous vehicle software company Oxbotica. What does he mean by this?

Well, Gavin thinks that an autonomous future is on the horizon but it won’t happen exactly as we imagined. Rather than single occupancy robo-taxis zipping around cities, what will be mainstream first are self-driving industrial vehicles working in mining, construction, energy plants and so on. 

Keep listening to hear more about this and how Oxbotica is aiming to be an operating system for all autonomous vehicles, working across all use cases from urban shuttles and self-driving trucks to off road delivery pods and more.

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Part of tackling climate change is educating people about global efforts in this space. But how can the United Nations reach as many people as possible and grab their attention when it comes to the seemingly inaccessible topic of NDCs or Nationally Determined Contributions - these are long term goals various countries agreed to on the back of the Paris Agreement.

The answer is mini mobile games. Find out how the UN worked with PlayMob to develop Mission 1.5, an educational game with a reach of 3.5 billion people or 40% of the global population.

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What does Gen Z want from their favourite brands? Not celebrity endorsements or value for money. A younger generation with purchasing power are choosing to spend money on companies that align with their personal values, ranging from racial justice to gun control.

Ty Montague and Rosemarie Ryan, co-founders and co-CEOs of CO Collective, talk about how concern for environmental and social justice issues is driving younger consumers to choose brands that care. And they explain how this is an opportunity for companies to get involved in the growing market for conscious capitalism.

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Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Or so the old adage goes, at least. In an age when it's just as easy to work remotely in Timbuktu as in Toronto, opportunities are similarly limitless for entrepreneurs – no matter where a person lives or what their background may be. Where (and how) can founders catch a break in today's competitive startup landscape?

Leading investors – Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet, Overlooked Ventures general partner Janine Sickmeyer and Renegade Partners co-founder Renata Quintini – give their take on where to find tomorrow’s talent. 

Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet, Overlooked Ventures general partner Janine Sickmeyer and Renegade Partners co-founder Renata Quintini were in conversation with Harvard Business Review editor Amy Bernstein on Centre Stage at Collision 2022.

Image: Stephen McCarthy/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)

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People are getting paid in it, and governments are regulating it. Blockchain is officially mainstream. How did that happen and what does it mean? While blockchain enthusiasts have been bullish the past few years, signs of a recent collapse have many re-examining the technology. 

Nicolas Cary, co-founder and vice chairman of Blockchain.com, is an early blockchain adopter, having snapped up the blockchain.com domain name more than 10 years ago. Here, he shares his insights on the road ahead, from fintechs to sports sponsorships. 

Nicolas Cary, co-founder and vice chairman of Blockchain.com, was in conversation with Forbes’ blockchain and crypto editor, Micheal del Castillo, on Centre Stage at Collision 2022.

Image: Sam Barnes/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)

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It might seem like a mystery to gen X and elder millennials that younger social media users have fallen for TikTok, a platform that seems to be more about dance moves and viral challenges than anything else. But TikTok celebrity Josh Richards explains that gen Z prizes TikTok for its focus on authenticity in a world where influencers Facetune, Photoshop and filter their lives for followers.

Josh talks about his journey to success – all the way from filming duds in his mom’s basement to the moment when he went viral on TikTok – and discusses what his next ventures will be.

CrossCheck Studios founder and CEO Josh Richards was in conversation with Style Canada editor-in-chief Elise Gasbarrino on Centre Stage at Collision 2022.

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