Episoder

  • According to a BCG report, only 19% of VCs have some kind of scientific or technological competence. And that creates a translation problem between deep tech founders and investors.

    To close that gap, Arkady Kulik and his cofounder, Tamaz Khunjua, built RPV, a venture fund that brings scientific expertise to the market and helps scientists become strong entrepreneurs.

    On this episode of The Boost VC Podcast, Arkady joins us to explain how the RPV team’s extensive background in science and entrepreneurship serves deep tech startups.

    Arkady describes how starting a venture fund differs from founding other companies and shares his excitement around ‘being at the edge of science’ as a frontier tech VC.

    Listen in for Arkady’s unique take on what it means to be useful to others and learn how RPV is working to make talented scientists billionaires!

    Topics Covered

    The idea behind RPV

    Help scientists become strong entrepreneurs‘Commercialization of science’

    How Arkady got into venture capital

    Moved to US to be part of scientific exploration of humanityLack of funding in prototyping stage of deep tech startups

    Arkady’s biggest accomplishment before age 20

    Launched first company at 18 without external investmentScaled to annual revenue of $5M in third year

    How starting a venture fund differs from starting other companies

    More competitive, thousands of similar funds raising moneyHarer to differentiate and properly tell story of niche

    What part of being a VC Arkady enjoys the most

    Being at edge of science and meeting interesting peopleFinding processes that make things work

    The secret skills Arkady is most proud of

    Developed extreme level of disciplineExtremely organized in managing time and data

    How Arkady thinks about being useful to others

    Provide with relevant information or connectionsPut smile on someone’s face, make life better

    The most valuable thing RPV provides for deep tech startups

    External proof point for science and technologyEntrepreneurial experience and change management

    Arkady’s ‘deathbed test’ to measure success

    Nothing ‘could have but didn’t achieve’Self-actualization (happy, complex person)

    Connect with Arkady Kulik

    RPV https://rpv.global/

    RPV on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/rpvglobal/

    Arkady on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkady-kulik/

    Arkady on X https://twitter.com/arkadykulik

    Resources

    Starburst Aerospace https://starburst.aero/

    Cantos VC https://cantos.vc/

    Countdown https://countdown.capital/

    Fifty Years https://fiftyyears.com/

    Productivity Planner https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/productivity-planner

    Terraforming Mars https://www.fryxgames.se/games/terraforming-mars/

    Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper and William H. Draper III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on X https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest?

    Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology.

    Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’

    Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to.

    Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold.

    Topics Covered

    Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

    Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high schoolGot into Hopkins prep school on scholarship

    How Maryanna got into venture capital

    Worked for early-stage company out of collegeJob offer from Daimler to figure out driverless carsIntroduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus

    The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VC

    Trust your intuitionDon’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance

    How Maryanna defines deep tech

    ‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’Index on novelty at Future Ventures

    What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right away

    Asks what she must believe about reality for YES to holdDiscussion with partner to temper her excitement

    Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in venture

    Ideal for its efficiency and intellectual honestyNever puts someone in tie-breaker position

    Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investor

    Confident in ability to assess tech on first principlesKnow how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech

    What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer to

    Structure of open AIDeep seabed mining, recycling battery technology

    Maryanna’s definition of success

    Feel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted‘Everything I could give to this, I did’

    Connect with Maryanna Saenko

    Future Ventures https://future.ventures/

    Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVC

    Future on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/

    Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/

    Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/

    Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko

    Resources

    Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/

    DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles

    Airbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlab

    Beeflow https://www.beeflow.com/

    Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311

    Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/

    American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

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  • Deep tech founders are either technically gifted or great at building a business. But it's seldom both, at least in the beginning.

    So, what should venture investors pay attention to when we’re choosing founders in these disruptive technologies?

    Greg Castle is Founder and Managing Director at Anorak Ventures, a firm that invests in early-stage deep tech startups.

    An entrepreneur and corporate marketer turned VC, Greg has invested in 120 companies, including Oculus, Flexport and Mux.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Greg joins us to explore how his view of venture investing has changed since he wrote his first check, explaining what he looks for in a founder and how he evaluates deep tech startups differently.

    Greg shares his mixed feelings about the VR market right now and how he benefits from having a partner to engage in conviction-based decision-making.

    Listen in for Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech and learn how Anorak chooses founders who apply disruptive technologies to business problems in any industry.

    Topics Covered

    How Greg got into venture capital

    Curious person who advocates for people he believes inGot lucky in first few personal investments, e.g.: Oculus

    The most important lessons Greg has learned as a VC

    What high-functioning teams and companies look likeNot to take it personally when things don’t go as planned

    What Greg pays attention to when he’s choosing founders

    How they interact with cofounders, react to feedbackPunctuality at meetings, preparedness and responsiveness

    The questions Greg asks himself before he invests in a startup

    Do I believe in the founder?Do I believe in the market?

    How Greg evaluates deep tech companies differently

    Move forward with presumption that anything’s possibleConsider if technically gifted person can build business

    Greg’s mixed feelings about the VR market right now

    Viable platform where developers make real moneyFrustrated by lack of competition, Meta fumbling the ball

    Greg’s thoughts on Apple entering the VR/AR market

    ‘Nobody can make a product cool like Apple can’Not well-positioned in immersive gaming (primary use case)

    The Anorak investment thesis

    Handful of technologies will have outsized impact on futureFind teams leveraging those technologies, industry agnostic

    Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech

    Always comes down to peopleBuild out ecosystem of investors, founders

    How Greg thinks about scale in venture investing

    Find great people in areas that are not your strengthsScale of funds = $15M to $25M per partner

    How Greg benefits from taking on a partner

    Need to explain yourself to thought partnerCan still move quickly when he needs to

    Greg’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

    Building group of friends in collegeStill works with many of them

    Greg’s definition of success

    Confident and comfortable in your own skinContent with what you have

    Connect with Greg Castle

    Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/

    Anorak on Medium https://anorakvc.medium.com/

    Anorak on Twitter https://twitter.com/AnorakVentures

    Anorak on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/anorak-ventures/

    Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycastle/

    Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12

    Resources

    Greg Castle on Boost VC EP001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyO3LpZD9Q

    Greg Castle on Boost VC EP089 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qYRcDMoemjrMHDxKONu4A

    Oculus https://www.meta.com/quest/

    GOLF+ https://www.golfplusvr.com/

    FitXR https://fitxr.com/

    Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman https://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman-ebook/dp/B000FC130E

    Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B000FBJCJE/

    Hyperion by Dan Simmons https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004G60EHS/

    Neuromancer by William Gibson https://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-Sprawl-Trilogy-William-Gibson-ebook/dp/B000O76ON6/

    Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper & William Henry Draper, III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF

    ‘Perception Is Reality’ Presentation https://www.anorak.vc/post/perception-is-reality-8-startup-marketing-principles

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • How does a venture firm approach investments in deep technology?

    Seth Winterroth is Partner at Eclipse Ventures, a VC firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build companies that redefine physical industries.

    Seth has nine years of experience in venture capital, serving as Associate at GE Ventures before he joined the team at Eclipse.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Seth joins us to explore how Eclipse thinks about investing in emerging technologies, explaining how the team engages with customers and leverages internal expertise to identify high-magnitude market opportunities.

    Seth shares his interest in robotics, discussing why the acquisition of Kiva Systems sparked his interest in this particular deep tech field and how he identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems—the first deal he led at Eclipse.

    Listen in for Seth’s advice to young VCs on cultivating patience and responding to chaos with calm, engaging with founders in a way that’s rational and devoid of fear.

    Topics Covered

    The thesis at Eclipse Ventures

    Small teams of engineers solving hard development problemsIndustries that operate in physical world (80% of global GDP)

    How Seth thinks about investing in emerging technology

    Start with markets, customer pain pointsFind specialist to develop n-of-1 solutionAdd traditional engineers with experience scaling technology

    What gets Seth excited about robotics

    Kiva Systems acquisition by Amazon sparked interestSaw market trends driving adoption of autonomous systems

    The success of Seth’s first investment at Eclipse, 6 River Systems

    Robotics company in supply chain logisticsAcquired for $500M by Shopify in 2019

    How Seth identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems

    Ideal team profile and product differentiationGap in market to replace Kiva Systems

    Eclipse’s institutional process of thesis development

    Engage with customers, purchasing decision-makersInternal engineering expertise to identify gaps

    Eclipse’s internal venture equity program

    Cases where did research but didn’t find right opportunity Engineer storm vs. wait for lightning to strike

    What Eclipse does to win deals

    Build relationships with foundersProvide evidence of value-added capital

    The part of a deal Seth is most excited about

    Find high-magnitude market opportunity to match worldviewGo to partners with conviction and say THIS ONE

    What Seth would tell his 25-year-old self

    Be patient, don’t rush to have track record in ventureRespond to chaos with calm, be rational and devoid of fear

    What differentiates Eclipse from other venture firms

    Tackle category of economy traditional VCs shy away fromDeep involvement with companies to improve odds

    Seth’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

    Live on own and travel worldSpend meaningful time with and learn from grandfather

    Connect with Seth Winterroth

    Eclipse Ventures https://eclipse.vc/

    Eclipse on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eclipse-vc/

    Eclipse on Twitter https://twitter.com/eclipseventures

    Seth on Twitter https://twitter.com/Sethwinterroth

    Seth on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterroth/

    Resources

    Kiva Systems Acquisition https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/19/amazon-acquires-online-fulfillment-company-kiva-systems-for-775-million-in-cash/

    Willow Garage https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-back-at-willow-garage-2016-2

    DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles

    6 River Systems https://6river.com/

    Bright Machines https://www.brightmachines.com/

    BrightInsight https://brightinsight.com/

    Foxglove Studio https://foxglove.dev/

    Kevin Kelly’s Blog ‘You Are Not Late’ https://medium.com/message/you-are-not-late-b3d76f963142

    Richard Hamming’s Talk ‘You and Your Research’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zDuOPkMSw

    Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin https://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0743270754

    Lincoln https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • What inspires a venture firm to focus on deep tech?

    Ian Rountree is Founder and General Partner at Cantos, a venture fund that invests in potentially world-changing deep tech startups.

    Cantos focuses on hardware and bio investing at the intersection of climate and industrials, life sciences and AI, aerospace and defense, and next-generation computing.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Ian joins us to share his definition of deep tech and explain why he underwrites technical risk rather than market risk.

    Ian discusses the value of founder empathy, challenging VCs to see the entrepreneur as their customer and LPs as shareholders in the portfolio.

    Listen in to understand what drives Ian to make a global-scale impact, backing founders who tackle climate change, disease, armed conflict, poverty and existential risk.

    Topics Covered

    Ian’s biggest accomplishment before age 20

    Getting Vanderbilt to accept him off waitlist Refused to take NO as answer

    Ian’s take on who is the customer in venture capital

    Founder = customerLP = shareholder

    What inspired Ian to focus on deep tech

    Tackle big problems, e.g.: climate change, povertyDeep tech startups outperformed rest of portfolio

    How losing his father early informs Ian’s work

    Feels hard deadline to career and lifeWants to play small role in changing world

    The criteria Ian uses to decide if a startup is ‘important’

    Nonzero chance of global-scale impactTackles climate, disease, armed conflict or poverty

    How Ian defines deep tech

    Taking technical risk rather than market riskCantos specializes in hardware and bio investing

    How Ian thinks about growing the Cantos organization

    From solo GP to 4 equal partners‘Fire’ himself by age 55

    What’s behind Benchmark’s equal partnership structure

    Set up for generational turnover from jumpMay also be consequence of early success

    Why a deep tech VC doesn’t need to be technical

    Ask expert if violation of physics involvedStartups that change world challenge status quo

    What differentiates software investing from deep tech

    Software involves market risk, easy to pivotDeep tech involves technical risk, hard to pivot

    Ian’s diligence criteria

    Size of market, potential margins at scaleFounder who understands their WHY

    Connect with Ian Rountree

    Cantos https://cantos.vc/

    Cantos on Twitter https://twitter.com/cantos

    Ian on Twitter https://twitter.com/ianrountree

    Ian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianrountree/

    Near Frontier Podcast https://nearfrontier.castos.com/

    Resources

    Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer’ https://avc.com/2005/11/the_vcs_custome/

    Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer (Continued)’ https://avc.com/2009/07/the-vcs-customer-continued/

    Radiant https://www.radiantnuclear.com/

    Tim Urban’s TED Talk on Procrastination https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator/c

    Benchmark https://www.benchmark.com/

    eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work by Randall E. Stross https://www.amazon.com/eBoys-Inside-Account-Venture-Capitalists/dp/0812930959

    Benchmark Part I on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-capital

    Benchmark Part II on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-part-ii-the-dinner

    Union Square Ventures https://www.usv.com/

    Cerebras https://www.cerebras.net/

    Eric Vishria on Twitter https://twitter.com/ericvishria

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Many independently minded, young scientists are too ambitious for academia… But the startup world isn’t quite right for them either.

    How might decentralized science provide a space for these innovators to do their work?

    Niklas Rindtorff is the classical scientist behind LabDAO, an online home for inventors that builds open tools for scientific research. Niklas coauthored his first paper before the age of 20, and he has expertise in CRISPR and cancer research.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Niklas joins us to explain how classical science emerged after World War II and explore the problems with the NIH grant funding process.

    Niklas shares his open-access approach to consuming scientific media and describes how DeSci is experimenting with different ways to measures the importance of new science.

    Listen in to understand how decentralized science can serve as the bridge between research organizations and science startups, building an ecosystem for inventors who don’t fit into the nonprofit or for-profit world.

    Topics Covered

    How Niklas defines science

    Formal knowledge generation processFishing at edge of what is known

    How World War II changed the way we do science

    Conflict won because of US sophisticated techNIH funding created class of full-time scientistsSystem doesn’t always maximize progress

    How the importance of new science is determined

    Measured by citations vs. marketsDeSci experiments with different accounting

    How Niklas consumes scientific media

    Used to use few free, open-access journalsNow leverage Twitter bookmarks, preprints

    What LabDAO does for scientists

    Provide tools to work wherever they areCurrent focus on computational biology

    What inspired Niklas to build LabDAO

    Experience with inventions stuck in bureaucracyMeasure number of patients treated vs. citations

    The age distribution of NIH grant recipients

    Ages with scientists who were firstNo market discipline, don’t answer to public

    How we might equalize the demographic of NIH winners

    Create more NIHsPrivate funding agency with philanthropic match

    How we might invest in a portfolio of science

    Charge higher fee to run research-oriented fundOnline collectives do research sponsorships

    How LabDAO itself is funded

    Nonprofit governed by tokenPrivate investors buy token for stake on projects

    The relationship between academia and DeSci

    Connective tissue among existing organizationsInventors who don’t fit in academia or startups

    Niklas’ definition of success

    Strive toward personal valuesInvent cool stuff

    Connect with Niklas RIndtorff

    LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/

    LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao

    LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao

    LabDAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/labdao.eth

    LabDAO on Medium https://medium.com/@labdao

    LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao

    Niklas on Twitter https://twitter.com/niklas_tr

    Resources

    Broad Institute https://www.broadinstitute.org/

    ‘Science the Endless Frontier’ 1945 Report to Congress https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/vbush1945.htm

    National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/

    Public Library of Science https://plos.org/

    bioRxiv https://www.biorxiv.org/

    New Science https://newscience.org/

    VitaDAO https://www.vitadao.com/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • In academia, most scientists publish their ideas and stop there. But if we want our breakthroughs to benefit society, we have to take it a step further.

    So, what does it look like to commercialize scientific research? What mindset do academics need to work at the intersection of science and industry?

    Ben Lamm has a career of building successful deep tech businesses, and George Church has a career of commercializing academic science.

    Together, they are the cofounders of Colossal, a breakthrough bioscience and genetic engineering company that is pioneering animal de-extinction technology to restore lost ecosystems for a healthier planet.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Ben and George join us to explain how bringing back the woolly mammoth addresses climate change and explore their approach to the ethical concerns around de-extinction.

    They discuss the benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding, describing how their work helps endangered animals and promotes conservation.

    Listen in for Ben and George’s insight on commercializing science and learn how to get comfortable enough with risk to turn academic ideas into industry.

    Topics Covered

    How George defines science

    Predict and create new options for humanityGoal to build better world

    Why Ben & George are bringing back the woolly mammoth

    Restore previous ratio of grass to treesSequester carbon at rate only possible in Arctic

    How Ben & George approach the ethical concerns re: de-extinction

    Believe in radical transparencyLearn from negative feedback, people who question

    Why George works at the intersection of academia and industry

    Likes to work with curious young peopleExposure to diversity of ideas

    Why Colossal needs government collaboration and support

    Several governments, Indigenous groups in ArcticClimate change, biodiversity and species preservation

    How woolly mammoths promote carbon removal

    Knock down trees so more grass can growCold, Arctic grasslands sequester carbon particularly well

    The benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding

    Eradicate EHV virus in elephantsPromote species conservation

    How Ben & George think about commercializing science

    Go beyond publication to help societyFeedback from investors and academia

    What makes Ben & George’s partnership work

    George’s lab provides idea from academic studyBen figures out product-market fit and funding

    George’s advice to academics on commercializing products

    Can’t be afraid of failureCan come back from bankruptcy

    How Ben & George think about taking big risks

    Ben believed grandmother saying he could do anythingAcademic failures taught George he would survive

    The impact Ben & George hope to make with Colossal

    Ex utero development, species preservationThousands of Arctic elephants to sequester carbonAdvancements in reading and writing of genomes

    How Ben & George define success

    Benefit society, facilitate survival of speciesCreate things that are additive

    Connect with George Church & Ben Lamm

    Colossal https://colossal.com

    Colossal on Twitter https://twitter.com/ItIsColossal

    Colossal on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal/

    Colossal on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itiscolossal/

    George on Twitter https://twitter.com/geochurch

    Ben on Twitter https://twitter.com/federallamm

    Resources

    Citizen Science https://www.citizenscience.gov/#

    Personal Genome Project https://www.personalgenomes.org/

    How to Grow (Almost) Anything https://www.media.mit.edu/courses/htgaa/

    DIYbio https://diybio.org/

    Church Lab https://arep.med.harvard.edu/

    Hypergiant https://www.hypergiant.com/

    Pleistocene Park https://pleistocenepark.ru/

    Chris Mason Author Talk https://mitpress.mit.edu/blog/author-talk-the-next-500-years-by-christopher-e-mason/

    Prehistoric Planet https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Why invest in decentralized science?

    James Sinka is a classically trained chemist and materials engineer and DeSci investor at Orange DAO, a fund for crypto projects supported by an alliance of Y Combinator alumni.

    On this episode of Boost VC, James joins us to discuss where he sees opportunities in DeSci, describing the benefit of publishing null results and how open science helps us get to the truth more quickly.

    James explains how the Orange Fund and Orange DAO work together to finance crypto projects and shares his advice to scientist-founders on generating your own luck through action.

    Listen in for James’ insight on the first use cases for decentralized science and learn how investing in DeSci can democratize access to research and help rebel scientist-entrepreneurs ship products in the real world!

    Topics Covered

    How James defines science

    Process to uncover truths about worldNot an institution of truth

    What attracted James to DeSci

    Benefits of publishing null resultsLess wasted science effort and money

    How James got into crypto

    Exposed to Bitcoin in collegeOffers financial freedom to bet on self

    How Orange DAO works

    $50M fund for crypto projectsY Combinator alum support efforts

    James’ advice for founders

    Bias toward actionBe willing to be wrong

    Where James sees opportunity in DeSci

    Free flowing access to informationGet to truth more quickly

    What’s wrong with academic science now

    Research for prestige, not passionValue determined by citation numbers

    How the Alzheimer’s fraud happened

    Conflict of interest at NIHNo reverse accountability system

    What inspires James to invest in DeSci

    Push boundaries of scientific researchHelp scientists build real products

    James’ take on the first use case for DeSci

    Data warehousing (null results)New forms of publication open to all

    James’ definition of success

    Time, space and resourcesAbility to do what you love

    Connect with James Sinka

    Orange DAO https://www.orangedao.xyz/

    Orange DAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/DVncb7UxGB

    Orange DAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/orangedaoxyz.eth

    Orange DAO on Etherscan https://etherscan.io/token/0x1bBD79f1Ecb3f2cCC586A5E3A26eE1d1D2E1991f

    Orange DAO on OpenSea https://opensea.io/collection/alumni-gems

    Orange DAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/OrangeDAOxyz

    James on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamessinka

    Resources

    Through the Wormhole https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1513168/

    Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/

    NEAR Protocol https://near.org/

    Algorand https://www.algorand.com/

    Blockchain Capital https://blockchain.capital/

    The Memo by Howard Marks https://link.chtbl.com/thememobyhowardmarks

    Multicoin Capital https://multicoin.capital/

    Solana https://solana.com/

    Exploring Decentralized Science with Balaji Srinivasan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrcRI_hYDtQ

    Naval https://nav.al/

    Brian Armstrong https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong

    Epsilon3 https://www.epsilon3.io/

    Benchling https://www.benchling.com/

    Amplitude https://amplitude.com/

    Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/

    Patrick Joyce on the Boost VC Podcast https://www.boost.vc/bvc/2022/08/04/desci-ep-2-addressing-the-misalignment-of-incentives-in-science

    DeSci Labs https://desci.com/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Under the current centralized system, drug development happens in silos.

    Pharmaceutical companies don’t share information. Scientists run the same failed experiments over and over again. And the process of bringing a drug to market typically takes ten-plus years.

    But Paul Kohlhaas and Tyler Golato are building a new way to do drug development. A system that allows for collaboration and dramatically increases the speed of breakthroughs in healthcare.

    CEO Paul and CSO Tyler are the Cofounders of Molecule, a decentralized biotech protocol that establishes a Web3 marketplace for research-related intellectual property.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Paul and Tyler join us to explain how their personal experiences with the failures of healthcare inspired their interest in changing the system.

    They discuss Molecule's end-to-end ecosystem for bringing drugs to market, describing how their IP-NFT both protects innovation and makes it more open, sharable and collaborative.

    Listen in for insight on Eroom's Law and learn how open science leads to enormous efficiency gains in the drug development process.

    Topics Covered

    How Paul & Tyler define science

    Empirical discovery of knowledgeProgressive search for truth

    What inspired Paul & Tyler’s interest in science

    Personal experience with failures of healthcarePotential for DeSci to foster new behaviors

    Paul & Tyler’s failed experiment with crowdfunding

    Tried to raise money for microdosing studyPartnership with University of Toronto

    How Molecule has evolved since 2019

    Ecosystem for bringing drugs to marketIP-NFT framework for collaboration

    How to make scientists more open to sharing

    Improve user experienceStreamline funding process

    The power of Molecule’s IP-NFT framework

    Intellectual property rights held on chainCollectively owned by patients

    The value prop for open science

    Creates enormous efficiency gainsMakes drug development much cheaper

    Jack Scannel’s naming of Eroom’s Law

    Technology to discover drugs improvingYet drug discovery output in decline

    The goals for DeSci over the next decade

    Extend quality of human health spanMake science self-sovereign, self-aware

    How Paul & Tyler define success

    Remain true to values and vision for lifeNet positive impact on every person

    Connect with Paul Kohlhaas & Tyler Golato

    Molecule https://www.molecule.to/

    Molecule on GitHub https://github.com/moleculeprotocol

    Molecule on Discord https://discord.com/invite/uAGW7K4hQU

    Molecule on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWYW5ho3L_d0EO_a619E7RQ

    Molecule on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/molecule-protocol

    Molecule on Twitter https://twitter.com/molecule_dao

    Paul on Twitter https://twitter.com/paulkhls

    Tyler on Twitter https://twitter.com/GolatoTyler

    Resources

    Linum Labs https://www.linumlabs.com/

    Molecule’s Crowdfunding Experiment with the University of Toronto https://www.molecule.to/blog/psychedelics-on-the-blockchain

    NIH Grants and Funding https://www.nih.gov/grants-funding

    Simon de la Rouviere on Bonding Curves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k4M6QAW2pM

    Jack Scannell on Eroom’s Law https://refoundable.com/research/life-after-erooms-law-interview-with-jack-scannell.html

    Meme Lordz https://memelordz.io/

    North American Association of Technology Transfer http://aim.autm.net/

    Ray Kurzweil https://www.kurzweilai.net/

    Peter Diamandis https://www.diamandis.com/

    Abundance 360 https://www.abundance360.com/summit

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • The internet has given content creators of all kinds a way to monetize their talents. Writers have Medium. Teachers and vloggers have YouTube.

    But scientists don’t have a platform to earn money for their research.

    That’s why Dr. Jocelynn Pearl calls scientists the ‘unappreciated creator class.’ And that’s why she’s working to further the DeSci movement, leveraging Web3 technology to enable breakthrough research through better incentives.

    A molecular and cellular biologist by training, Jocelynn serves as cofounder of LabDAO, a design marketplace for life science research, and host of The UltraRare Podcast, a show about the builders behind the decentralized science movement.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Jocelynn joins us to explain how DeSci solves for speed of translation and communicates science better than existing systems, exploring how the movement might specifically facilitate breakthroughs around rare disease.

    Jocelynn discusses how academia owns the best scientific minds without rewarding them appropriately and describes how DAOs offer alternatives to classic academic publishing and drug development.

    Listen in as Jocelynn makes the case that scientists are the unappreciated creator class and learn how access to the right advisors and capital can accelerate the decentralized science movement.

    Topics Covered

    How Jocelynn defines science

    Process of exploring unanswered questionsConversation among people trained to be critical

    How Jocelynn defines decentralized science

    Way of democratizing resourcesCommunicate science better than existing systems

    What inspired Jocelynn’s interest in DeSci

    Centralization of research inhibits progressSolve for speed of translation, cost reduction

    How DeSci might facilitate breakthroughs in rare disease

    Explore drug development through DAOsCommunication of collective knowledge

    Leveraging DeSci to incentivize scientific research

    Change academic publishing through tokenizationAllow patient group to co-own drug development

    Why Jocelynn sees scientists as the unappreciated creator class

    Writers have Medium, vloggers have YouTubeNo platform for scientists to monetize content

    What needs to change for scientists to be appreciated creators

    Activists like Seemay Chou who encourage sharingAlternative model to academic publishing

    How academia owns the best minds (without rewarding them)

    Earn $30K/year working full-time in PhD programDoes form you as scientist and provides network

    How CROs address the lab space shortage

    Stands for contract research organizationFarm out research can’t perform in-house

    The challenges of establishing decentralized science

    Traditional academia and publishing will fight backMuch work required to override existing system

    What's stopping the DeSci space from accelerating faster

    Struggles to bring in advising and capitalWorking on projects outside day jobs

    Jocelynn’s definition of success

    Lasting change in scientific ecosystemPivot how progress happens

    Connect with Jocelynn Pearl

    Jocelynn’s Website https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/

    LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/

    LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao

    LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao

    LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao

    UltraRare Podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/ultrarare/

    Resources

    A Guide to Decentralized Biotech https://future.com/a-guide-to-decentralized-biotech/

    The DeSci Wiki https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/

    Molecule Protocol https://www.molecule.to/

    Ben Hills https://twitter.com/0xboodle

    Vibe Bio https://www.vibebio.com/

    Experiment.com https://experiment.com/

    Arcadia Science https://www.arcadia.science/

    Invisible College https://www.invisiblecollege.xyz/

    Charles River Laboratories https://www.criver.com/

    Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss on Boost VC EP102 https://podbay.fm/p/the-boost-vc-podcast/e/1606903200

    Manhattan Project https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project

    Thiel Fellowship http://www.thielfellowship.org/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Only 1% of first year PhD students become research professors.

    This creates a hypercompetitive environment where scientists will do whatever it takes to get funding, even if that means tweaking statistical analyses to make their findings seem more significant.

    But decentralized science is working to address this egregious misalignment of incentives and reward science done the right way.

    Patrick Joyce is the Cofounder and COO of ResearchHub, a Reddit-style forum that allows anyone to share, discuss and curate scientific papers—and earn ERC-20 tokens for doing so.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Patrick joins us to discuss the misalignment of incentives in science and describe the problem with using bibliometrics to determine who receives funding.

    Patrick explains why decentralizing science is so important, exploring how DeSci will increase the adoption of open science practices and accelerate innovation in the space.

    Listen in to understand how DeSci can pressure large academic journals to pay content creators for their work and learn how ResearchHub is leveraging Web3 to make capital available to scientists.

    Topics Covered

    How Patrick defines science

    Pursuit of knowledgeVerifiable results

    What’s behind the replication crisis in science

    Hypercompetitive job marketQuality judged by bibliometrics

    Why decentralizing science is important

    Tweak analyses to maximize perceived impactNot honest, transparent or reproducibleOnly most cited scientists receive funding

    Patrick’s take on the first breakthrough for DeSci

    Increase adoption of open science practicesNo longer career risk to share work in open

    What drives Patrick’s conviction around DeSci

    Success not based on work ethic, intelligenceLittle innovation in drugs for mental health

    How ResearchHub rewards quality science

    Allows anyone to share and discuss papersEarn ERC-20 tokens for participation

    How Patrick builds trust in the scientific community

    Provide funding and publishing outletsHelp meet goals of open science

    What success looks like for decentralized science

    Paywall journals provide open access optionsPay science content creators for work

    Why the science incentive structure hasn’t changed

    Previous attempts not fundablePirate organizations like Sci-Hub not legal

    Patrick’s take on what makes publishers the enemy

    Responsible to own incentive to make moneyCharge scientists to publish, subscription fees

    Patrick’s uniting purpose for the DeSci community

    Web3 offers ROI to invest in scienceMakes capital available to scientists

    How Patrick defines success for ResearchHub

    Take power away from bibliometricsCreate rockstar scientists who define culture

    Connect with Patrick Joyce

    ResearchHub https://www.researchhub.com/

    ResearchHub on Twitter https://twitter.com/researchhub

    ResearchHub on Discord https://discord.com/invite/ZcCYgcnUp5

    ResearchHub on Medium https://medium.com/researchhub

    ResearchHub on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ResearchHub/

    ResearchHub on GitHub https://github.com/ResearchHub

    Resources

    Brian Armstrong & Patrick Joyce on The Sheekey Science Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmhHLPrUIU

    Clarivate Analytics https://clarivate.com/

    OpenAlex https://openalex.org/

    r/medicalstudent https://www.reddit.com/r/medicalstudent/

    r/ImmunoPsychiatry https://www.reddit.com/r/ImmunoPsychiatry/

    eLife https://elifesciences.org/

    Open Science Framework https://www.cos.io/

    Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/neuro/

    Chris Hill on Boost VC DeSci EP02 https://www.boost.vc/podcast

    Authorea https://www.authorea.com/

    F1000Research https://f1000research.com/

    Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/

    Stack Overflow https://stackoverflow.com/

    Hindawi https://www.hindawi.com/

    MetaMask https://metamask.io/

    Fast Grants https://fastgrants.org/

    Kaggle https://www.kaggle.com/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • The system for publishing scientific research is broken.

    Academic success is measured by citations rather than scientific quality. And publishing companies have a monopoly on the knowledge scientists produce.

    Can we use blockchain technology to promote the verifiability of scientific findings? And make science accessible to everyone?

    Dr. Christopher Hill is an interdisciplinary scientist with a background in neuroeconomics and machine learning. Phillip Koellinger is Professor of Social Science Genetics in the Department of Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

    Together, Chris and Philipp are Cofounders of DeSci Labs, an initiative that aims to make science more replicable, accessible, transparent and fair by way of Web3 technologies.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Chris and Philipp join us to explain what inspired their interest in decentralized science and explore what differentiates success for science versus individual scientists.

    They walk us through the goals of the open science movement and weigh in on how DeSci tech provides new ways of funding research and makes scientific knowledge available to everyone.

    Listen in for insight around the grassroots movement known as metascience and learn how DeSci is working to improve the quality of the scientific record and reward scientists for the value they create.

    Topics Covered

    What inspired Chris & Philipp’s interest in decentralized science

    Bureaucracy and broken publishing system in academiaPassionate about open science, reproducibilityImprove durability and quality of scientific recordUplift material conditions of early-career scientists

    The goals of the open science movement

    Make research more transparent, accessible to everyoneBetter markers of scientific quality than impact factorImprove and promote verifiability and reproducibility

    What differentiates success for science vs. success for scientists

    Scientific success = verifiable new knowledgeSuccess for scientist = prestige

    How Chris & Philipp define decentralized science

    Tech stack for true open access to researchMakes science more transparent and reproducibleAllows scientists to recapture value they create

    The problem with measuring value by impact factor (IF)

    Metric derived exclusively from citation ratesPublishers have monopoly on scientific knowledge

    How DeSci technologies can benefit scientific research

    Accelerate pace of knowledge progress and accessibilityProvide new ways of funding researchBusiness models that reward scientists for contributionsPotential for rapid experimentation at scaleCreate accountability in peer review process

    The interdisciplinary grassroots movement of metascience

    Check work of other scientists through replicationsConduct basic hygiene of scientific ecosystem

    The transition from scientific manuscripts to research objects

    Store artifacts of journey, including peer review feedbackPermanent knowledge graphs to secure scientific record

    Connect with Chris Hill & Philipp Koellinger

    DeSci Labs https://www.desci.com/

    DeSci Labs on Twitter https://twitter.com/descilabs

    DeSci Foundation https://descifoundation.org/

    DeSci Foundation on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeSciFoundation

    Resources

    David Deutsch https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/

    ‘Raise Standards for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research’ in Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/483531a

    ‘Why Most Published Research Findings Are False’ in PLOS Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182327/

    Gitcoin https://gitcoin.co/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • At Boost VC, we’re known for supporting early-stage blockchain startups.

    Why is that such an important part of our identity? Because institutional trust is dying. And that trust is being passed down to the individual through peer-to-peer technologies.

    Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are solving for trust in our financial system. But what other institutions are ripe for this kind of disruption?

    Where else might we apply decentralization as a way to drive innovation?

    On this edition of Boost VC, I’m sharing a framework for the next several episodes of the podcast around decentralized science or DeSci.

    I discuss the incentive system that drives publishing in science and how it constrains which breakthroughs make it to the world—and which ones do not.

    Listen in for insight on the decline of institutional trust and learn about the rebel scientists who are defining the future of scientific innovation.

    Topics Covered

    Why Boost VC is known for supporting crypto startups

    Find where talent escapes to earliestAccelerate path to solve important problems

    How we think about the growing distrust in institutions

    Passed down to individual through P2P techConsider where applicable beyond finance

    Why institutions governing science are ripe for disruption

    Bottleneck for breakthrough tech to emergeConstraints re: what innovations make it to world

    What we will cover in the next 5 to 10 podcast episodes

    Revolution of rebel scientists building DeSciFuture of breakthroughs in science

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • The media is filled with experts comparing today’s market with the dot-com crash of 2000. But few, if any, of these experts actually lived and worked through the dot-com boom and bust.

    Marc Andreessen is Founder and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and Tim Draper is Founder and Managing Director at Draper VC. And both Marc and Tim were either running or investing in tech startups at the time.

    So, what was it like to experience the dot-com crash? What did Marc and Tim learn that might give us clarity around how to navigate an uncertain economic future?

    On this episode of Boost VC, Marc and Tim join us to explore the likelihood that we’re headed into a recession and explain what they’re encouraging founders to do right now.

    Marc and Tim discuss the mistakes they made in the early 2000s and describe why a downturn can be good for the best companies.

    Listen in for insight on retaining employees in a remote or hybrid setting and get Marc and Tim’s advice on contingency planning to survive an economic crisis—without losing your business.

    Topics Covered

    Where Marc and Tim go for their media

    Timeless source of info = books prior to 1960Direct conversations with foundersScience fiction to predict future

    What Marc was doing in the early 2000s

    Launch Netscape in 1999 at high point in marketLifting weights to burn off stress

    What Tim was doing in the early 2000s

    Just raised $1.4B to bring VC to worldHosted party ‘2001 Cyberspace Odyssey’

    What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur

    Smart, open to new ideas and determinedSocial skills to build team, raise money, etc.Disagreeable (think against the grain)

    The likelihood that we’re headed into a recession

    Good people laid off start own businessesEconomy too complex to predict future

    What a16z is encouraging founders to do right now

    Think in terms of scenarios and contingenciesConsider specific circumstances of your companyCut deep enough that only do layoffs once

    Tim's experience as an investor in the dot-com crash

    Reactive approach, scrambled to raise moneyLost 4 businesses with $100M in revenues

    The difference between the dot-com crash and 2008

    2000 was equity-driven, credit crisis in 2008Tech companies don’t run on debt

    What Marc did right and wrong in the dot-com crash

    Underestimated how bad things could getIPO saved company from bankruptcy

    Why a downturn can be good for the best companies

    Eliminates competitionEasier to recruit, gain market share

    How to retain employees in a hybrid/remote setting

    Create intense social bonding experiencesManagement training, employee development

    How tech innovation is flowing out of the Bay Area

    COVID as catalyst, other cities rise in importanceTexas and Florida are attracting entrepreneurs

    How governments are in competition for entrepreneurs

    Regulations push businesses outUS can remain #1 if allow startups to innovate

    Marc and Tim’s greatest qualities + accomplishments

    Tim fearless in engaging with boldest ideasMarc transformed the VC business

    Connect with Marc

    Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/

    Andreessen Horowitz on Twitter https://twitter.com/a16z

    Marc on Twitter https://twitter.com/pmarca

    Connect with Tim

    Draper Associates https://www.draper.vc/

    Tim on Twitter https://twitter.com/TimDraper

    Draper University https://www.draperuniversity.com/

    Meet the Drapers https://www.meetthedrapers.com/

    Resources

    Tom Swift Books https://tomswift.net

    The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

    My Years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan https://www.amazon.com/Years-General-Motors-Alfred-Sloan/dp/0385042353

    The a16z Podcast https://future.com/a16z-podcast/

    Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sarbanes-oxley_act

    Draper Innovation Index https://index.draperhero.org/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Dr. Edward Lu is an astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut who logged 200-plus days in space between 1995 and 2007. Today, he serves as the Cofounder and Executive Director of the Asteroid Institute at the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. On this episode of Boost VC, Ed joins us to discuss what makes space fun, describing what daily life is like in zero gravity and why he thinks we’ll colonize space within the next few decades.

    Ed shares his experience training for a rescue mission to the International Space Station, weighing in on how spacecraft tech has (and has not) evolved and why we can’t stay in space for longer than six months at a time. Listen in for Ed’s insight on the likelihood that aliens exist and learn about the most recent advancements in asteroid tracking—and why it’s crucial to predict where they’re headed decades in advance.

    Topics Covered

    What makes being in space fun for Ed

    Dream to fly, incredible ship made by peopleAmazing view (new continent every 15 minutes)

    Ed’s experience on a rescue mission to the space station

    Supplies/transport cut off after Columbia crashTrained to command Soyuz in just 9 weeks

    What inspired Ed to become an astronaut

    Worked as astrophysicist, became pilot for funFriend at work mentioned NASA application

    Ed’s take on what it takes to be an astronaut

    Ability to operate ALL systems of spacecraftPilot, scientist and submarine crew combined

    How daily habits are different in zero gravity

    Can’t put items down on tableNo arc when passing objects

    Why we can’t stay in space for long periods

    6-month lifetime of spacecraftFuel decays, one-time use batteries for reentry

    How spacecraft tech has evolved since the 1960’s

    Style of rocket similar (dictated by physics)Systems inside spacecraft ALL different

    Ed’s work with the B612 Foundation

    Protect Earth from asteroid impactsFind and track path with telescopes

    The greatest advancement in asteroid tracking

    LSST opening in 2023 at Rubin ObservatoryCollect more data than all telescopes combined

    Why it’s crucial to track asteroids

    Identify 1 to 2 near-Earth asteroids per weekGives decades of notice to plan and deflect

    The biggest change in space tech over the years

    Reduction of cost in both launch and electronicsAllows for more small startups to innovate

    Why Ed thinks we’ll colonize space in a few decades

    Reduction in cost = cheap infrastructureRecent compound growth in space sector

    How Ed thinks about the likelihood that aliens exist

    Hundreds of millions of planets in our galaxyShocked if there isn’t life somewhere

    Connect with Ed

    B612 Foundation https://b612foundation.org/

    B612 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/b612foundation/

    B612 on Twitter https://twitter.com/b612foundation

    Ed on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-lu-3a997833/

    Resources

    James Randi https://web.randi.org/about-james-randi.html

    Tunguska Event https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion/

    Vera C. Rubin Observatory https://www.lsst.org/

    LeoLabs https://www.leolabs.space/

    Chess.com https://www.chess.com/

    Kepler Space Telescope https://www.space.com/24903-kepler-space-telescope.html

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram

    https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • A total of $2T in apparel is sold online each year. But 30% to 40% of that apparel is returned. So, what if consumers could snap a couple of photos with their smartphone camera and get clothes that are the right fit for their body?

    Vadim Rogovskiy is the Cofounder and CEO of 3DLOOK, a deep tech startup solving the problem of apparel returns for retail. Vadim is an experienced entrepreneur, building and selling two companies in the adtech space before creating 3DLOOK. He also serves as an angel investor and mentor for the VC firm 500 Startups.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Vadim joins us to explain how 3DLOOK helps consumers choose the right size for apparel and share the process he used to find the right market for his team’s software. He discusses his mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine, describing the developer ecosystem that exists there and the challenge of getting talented entrepreneurs to stay. Listen in for Vadim’s insight on deciding when to shift markets and learn about the fundraising process for a retail application like 3DLOOK.

    Topics Covered

    What problem Vadim is solving with 3DLOOK

    Limit number of eCommerce apparel returnsConsumer snaps 2 photos to get right size

    What inspired Vadim to become an entrepreneur

    Work in variety of companies (business management)Always thinking about how to make things better

    Vadim’s shift from adtech to deep tech

    Fascinated by apps powered by smartphone cameraMore challenging to raise money with slides alone

    The market for the service provided by 3DLOOK

    30% to 40% of apparel sold online is returned$2T apparel sold online/year

    How Vadim’s digital body passport evolved into 3DLOOK

    Start with avatar to dress up but no way to monetizeShift to health and fitness, track body changes

    Vadim’s process for deciding when to shift strategy

    Interviews with 20 companies from each segment Apparel needs tech to survive vs. nice-to-have

    Why Vadim had to look for investors beyond Silicon Valley

    3DLOOK tech too specific for Silicon Valley VCsBoston, New York invest in retail and eCommerce

    Vadim’s mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine

    Entrepreneurship not popular and few success storiesCreate accelerator, leverage developer ecosystem

    Vadim’s experience with fundraising for 3DLOOK

    $6.5M raise with 3 VCs, including Almaz CapitalScramble to get paperwork to all 24 SAFE holders

    Connect with Vadim

    3DLOOK https://3dlook.me/

    3DLOOK on Twitter https://twitter.com/3dlook_me

    3DLOOK on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/3DLOOK.me/

    3DLOOK on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/3dlook_me/

    3DLOOK on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQIzvlU_Ht0b1g1oV7s3gQ

    3DLOOK on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/3dlook/

    Vadim on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadim-rogovskiy/

    Resources

    Dixit https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39856/dixit

    Imaginarium https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218804/imaginarium

    L’Oreal Virtual Makeup https://www.lorealparisusa.com/virtual-try-on/makeup.aspx

    Almaz Capital https://almazcapital.com/

    Marc Benioff at Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/company/leadership/bios/bio-benioff/

    Life and Learning After One Hundred Years: Trust is the Coin of the Realm by George P. Shultz https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/shultz_finalfile_web-ready.pdf

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram

    https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Design is about much more than just making things look good. Design is valuable because it translates the complexities of technology to us mere mortals. It serves as a way to educate the market and make tech easy for everyday people to use. But what is the design process that gets us to that end?

    Daniel Scrivner is the CEO & Chief Design Officer at Flow, the project management software used by teams at Apple, Shopify and TED. A leader in the fields of design and investing, he has been invited to speak at some of the world’s most innovative organizations, including Andreesen Horowitz and Designer Fund. Daniel has 15 years of design experience, serving as Head of Design at both Digit and Square and working on teams at Apple, Nike and Disney.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Daniel joins us to share his take on what makes design valuable, explaining how the design process gets you to an end product the average person can use. He offers insight on what makes most crypto design hostile to everyday people, discussing what we can do to improve the user experience and give crypto mass appeal. Listen in to understand Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing and find out how he applies concepts learned in one discipline to other areas in his skill stack.

    Topics Covered

    What Daniel has built that he’s most proud of

    Redesign of Flow over last two yearsGrowing investment portfolio

    Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing

    Qualitative vs. quantitative (early-stage companies)Broad interest in investing in entrepreneurs at all stages

    What inspired Daniel to start his own podcast

    Conversations with people in top 1% across industriesDecode what they’ve mastered, what propelled to top

    How Daniel thinks about optimizing his learning

    Learn things and apply in other areasLean into growth curve in all areas

    Daniel’s take on what makes design valuable

    Interface between complexity of tech and humansFastest way to educate given market

    Daniel’s insight around the design of crypto

    Hostile to average peopleIncompatible with being ‘future of money’

    How to improve the crypto user experience

    Simple explanation of termsGet input from everyday people

    What inspired Daniel to invest in Bitcoin

    Bet on things probable to play outInvest in multiple ways to win

    What’s behind the rise of the operator-investor

    Herding creaturesLowering barriers to entry in all areas

    Daniel’s definition of success

    Work in service of othersGrow into best version of self

    Connect with Daniel

    Flow https://www.getflow.com/

    Flow on Twitter https://twitter.com/flowapp

    Flow on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/FlowApp

    Daniel on Twitter https://twitter.com/danielscrivner

    Outliers with Daniel Scrivner https://link.chtbl.com/_Ygn_FIY

    Resources

    Good Egg https://www.goodegg.io/

    Stripe https://stripe.com/

    Gusto https://gusto.com/

    Superhuman https://superhuman.com/

    Notion https://www.notion.so/

    Bison Trails https://bisontrails.co/

    Filecoin https://filecoin.io/

    Verlyn Klinkenborg on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-show-notes

    Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg

    Scott Adams https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays

    Scott Adams on Talent Stacking https://www.scottadamssays.com/2016/12/27/the-kristina-talent-stack/

    Listen Notes https://www.listennotes.com/

    Kevin Kelly https://kk.org/

    Kevin Kelly on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly-outliers-transcript

    Casa https://keys.casa/

    Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

    CoinList https://coinlist.co/

    TrustToken https://www.trusttoken.com/

    TruFi https://truefi.io/

    Robinhood https://robinhood.com/us/en/

    Oculus https://www.oculus.com/

    AngelList https://angellist.com/

    EquityZen https://equityzen.com/

    Fortnite https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home

    Roblox https://www.roblox.com/

    Unreal Tournament https://www.epicgames.com/unrealtournament/en-US/

    Endel https://endel.io/

    Tony Anderson https://www.tonyandersonmusic.com/

    Focus on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/genre/focus-page

    Richard Feynman http://www.feynman.com/

    Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-Character/dp/0393316041

    Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by It’s Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Six-Easy-Pieces-Essentials-Explained/dp/0465025277

    Henry Ford’s Rouge https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/ford-rouge-factory-tour/history-and-timeline/fords-rouge/

    Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr-ebook/dp/B000XUDGHG

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • Orla Harris is the Cofounder and COO of SideQuest VR, an early-access testing platform for virtual reality with headquarters in Northern Ireland. Orla and her team provide tools that enable developers to grow a community around their app and solicit feedback from users in the early stages of development. Prior to SideQuest, Orla spent eight years working as a project manager in the construction industry and dabbling in virtual reality as a hobby.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Orla joins us to share the origin story of SideQuest VR, explaining how it evolved from side project to startup and when she finally realized it was a business. She describes what it’s like to found a tech company in Ireland, discussing how SideQuest built a network of VCs beyond the borders of her home country and why she’s optimistic about the startup’s continued growth. Listen in for insight on the openness unique to the virtual reality developer community and get Orla’s perspective on what is special about the industry at this particular moment in time!

    Topics Covered

    The idea behind SideQuest VR

    Enables developers to test product with consumersThird-party app store for Quest, other VR devices

    The origin story of SideQuest VR

    Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given)Create place for users to sideload and give feedback

    Orla’s take on the VR developer community

    Unique in willingness to help each other outOpenness feels different from other experiences

    What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR

    Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day)Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic

    How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry

    2020 = transformative yearInformed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic

    What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland

    Daunting to look for investors beyond home countryPart of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost

    Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs

    Find person with connections, ask for introductionsOne connection can change everything

    When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business

    Cofounder proposed quitting jobsDecision based on site analytics, talking to VCs

    What is special about VR right now

    Small developer pool but large user poolUsers starved for content

    Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR

    Apps submitted to platform every dayAndroid mobile developers pivoting to VR

    Orla’s definition of success

    Wake up every morning feeling contentClarity of mind, no stress or worry

    Connect with Orla

    SideQuest VR https://sidequestvr.com/

    SideQuest on Twitter https://twitter.com/SideQuestVR

    SideQuest on Discord https://discord.com/invite/r38T5rR

    SideQuest on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/sidequest

    SideQuest on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SideQuestVR

    SideQuest on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidequestvr/

    Orla on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlaharris/

    Resources

    Oculus Quest https://www.oculus.com/quest/

    Oculus Quest 2 https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/

    Facebook’s Developer Revenue Update https://uploadvr.com/oculus-quest-revenue-update/

    Steam https://store.steampowered.com/vr/

    Doodle Jump https://doodlejumpgame.com/

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

    Topics Covered

    The idea behind SideQuest VR

    Enables developers to test product with consumersThird-party app store for Quest, other VR devices

    The origin story of SideQuest VR

    Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given)Create place for users to sideload and give feedback

    Orla’s take on the VR developer community

    Unique in willingness to help each other outOpenness feels different from other experiences

    What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR

    Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day)Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic

    How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry

    2020 = transformative yearInformed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic

    What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland

    Daunting to look for investors beyond home countryPart of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost

    Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs

    Find person with connections, ask for introductionsOne connection can change everything

    When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business

    Cofounder proposed quitting jobsDecision based on site analytics, talking to VCs

    What is special about VR right now

    Small developer pool but large user poolUsers starved for content

    Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR

    Apps submitted to platform every dayAndroid mobile developers pivoting to VR

    Orla’s definition of success

    Wake up every morning feeling contentClarity of mind, no stress or worry
  • When serial entrepreneurs Thibauld Favre and Joris Delanoue joined forces to build the future of fundraising, the Frenchmen chose San Francisco as their home base in large part because of its investor mindset. So, how do Silicon Valley VCs think differently from other investors around the globe?

    Thibauld and Joris are the Cofounders of Fairmint, a continuous financing instrument that allows startups to raise money WHILE they build—rather than taking time away from business to pitch investors. The Fairmint model is built around community alignment, putting equity in the hands of a company’s employees, customers, partners and fans. Both Thibauld and Joris have ten-plus years of experience building successful tech companies, and they are on a mission to transition the world to stakeholder capitalism.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Thibauld and Joris join us to explain what differentiates the Fairmint system from traditional fundraising and how the platform makes everyone their own exchange. They introduce us to the idea of a CrypTech company, describing the role the blockchain plays in Fairmint’s infrastructure and sharing their own personal evolution as Bitcoin enthusiasts. Listen in for insight around the Silicon Valley investor mindset and find out why Thibauld and Joris moved to California, where VCs will take a risk on ‘rational people doing irrational things.’

    Topics Covered

    What Joris & Thibauld do at Fairmint

    Get equity into hands of stakeholdersProvide continuous financing instrument

    How Fairmint differs from traditional fundraising

    Raise money WHILE you buildContinuous Agreement of Future Equity (CAFE)

    Joris & Thibauld’s shared vision for Fairmint

    Democratize access to wealth‘Everyone is their own exchange’

    What makes Fairmint a CrypTech company

    New financial instrument = FinTechBenefit to using blockchain in stack

    Why Joris & Thibauld ended up in Silicon Valley

    Provides worldwide marketAffords company credibility

    The potential digitization of Silicon Valley

    Important for founders to spend time thereTeam doesn’t have to be there (distributed execution)

    The Silicon Valley investor mindset

    Willing to take risks to find deal firstAccept rational people doing irrational things

    Joris & Thibauld’s definition of success

    Impact society by changing economyDo work kids can be proud of

    Connect with Joris & Thibauld

    Fairmint https://fairmint.co/

    Fairmint on Twitter https://twitter.com/fairmintCO

    Fairmint on GitHub https://github.com/fairmint/

    Fairmint on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairmint/

    Thibauld on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibauld/

    Joris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/delanoue/

    Resources

    Singularity University https://su.org/

    Allmyapps https://www.linkedin.com/company/allmyapps/

    Bitcoin Whitepaper https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

    Nexteem https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexteem/

    IDEO https://www.ideo.com/

    Adam’s Post on Delaware C-Corps https://twitter.com/AdamDraper/status/1334702452684156934

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

  • More and more people understand that crypto is going to be big. But they don’t really know why. And they don’t want to be forced to turn all of their money into cryptocurrency right off the bat. So, what if there was a way to demonstrate the benefits of the technology with US dollars and then migrate users to digital currency over time?

    Andy Bromberg is the new CEO of Eco, a wallet designed to simplify everyday finances and maximize earning power. Andy began his career in startups as the CEO of political media platform Sidewire before cofounding CoinList in 2017, where he served as CEO for the last three years. Andy was also a member of the legendary Stanford Bitcoin Group from 2012 to 2014.

    On this episode of Boost VC, Andy joins us to discuss his introduction to crypto at Stanford and explain his decision to transition from CoinList to Eco. He weighs in the challenges of onboarding remotely and describes the skill set he brings to the Eco team. Listen in for Andy’s insight around the benefits of the Eco app and learn how his team provides users with a migration path from USD to crypto.

    Topics Covered

    What got Andy into the crypto ecosystem

    Part of Stanford Bitcoin GroupCofounded CoinList in 2017

    The challenges of onboarding remotely

    Connect with team in Zoom settingEncourage natural interaction

    How Eco makes your money work for you

    Put money in, earn up to 5% APY5% cashback on purchases

    Eco’s approach to broad crypto adoption

    App based around US dollarsEducate on tech over time

    What inspired Andy’s transition to Eco

    Token design makes senseMigration path (USD to crypto)

    The skill set Andy brings to the Eco team

    Build community/attentionLaunch project successfullyAbility to scale organization

    Andy’s definition of success

    Things feel natural, peacefulIn flow state most of time

    Connect with Andy

    Eco https://eco.com/

    Eco on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eco-pay/

    Eco on Twitter https://twitter.com/eco

    Andy on Twitter https://twitter.com/andy_bromberg

    Resources

    CoinList https://coinlist.co/

    Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/

    Earn https://www.coinbase.com/earn

    Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/

    Balaji Srinivasan https://balajis.com/

    Bolt https://www.bolt.com/

    Cognito https://cognitohq.com/

    AngelList https://angel.co/

    Protocol Labs https://protocol.ai/

    MyCrypto https://mycrypto.com/account

    Fidelity Digital Assets https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/overview

    BlackRock https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual

    The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245

    Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan https://www.amazon.com/Barbarian-Days-Surfing-William-Finnegan/dp/0143109391

    Connect with Boost VC

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/