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Tom Chavez, Founding General Partner at super{set}, in conversation with his brother - R. Martin Chavez, Partner and Vice Chairman, Sixth Street, Board Member at Google, and former CFO of Goldman Sachs.
Tom and Marty discuss their brief stint as roommates, their brotherly relationship, and R. Martin's experiences as an investor, entrepreneur, and corporate leader. Listen for insights on startups, leadership, investing, artificial intelligence, ethical technology, and being part of the early LGBTQ+ community on Wall Street.
Listen to The Brothers Chavez in Conversation!
Watch the full conversation here.
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Listen (or watch) all episodes of The {Closed} Session at www.theclosedsession.com
super{set} is a startup studio where great data+AI ideas become transformational software companies. With our people-first performance culture and company-building playbooks, we found, fund, and scale high-potential businesses.
Learn more about super{set} - including co-founding with us and open roles across our portfolio of companies - at
www.superset.com
Learn more about our VECTOR program - a 12-week fully-paid launchpad for technical product leaders to receive direction, build magnitude, and co-explore company creation alongside super{set} - at superset.com/vector
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super{set} Celebrates First Exit: LiveRamp to Acquire Data Collaboration Software Startup Habu for $200M!
Joining Tom and Vivek in the studio today are Habu co-founders Matt Kilmartin (CEO) and Mike Moreau (COO) to give the full story behind how Habu was conceived, built out, scaled, and sold.
Habu is a leader in the data collaboration category with innovative data clean room technology. Habu enables companies to share, make sense of, and act on insights on decentralized data without compromising privacy or data ownership – enabling companies to realize the full value of their data regardless of where it resides. In January 2024, Habu entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by LiveRamp for $200 million in a highly strategic transaction.
But Habu wasn't a category leader and a $200 million company from day one. Matt, Mike, Tom and Vivek started selling before even slinging code, bringing together a kick-ass team in the beginning that saw the company through pivots to growth. Early customers like Pepsi and Disney played a crucial role in co-innovating with Habu as design partners. And Matt and Mike developed a rapport as leaders and co-founders to power the company through to exit. Learn how Habu became super{set}'s first win in the latest episode of The {Closed} Session!
Learn more about the Habu exit here: https://www.superset.com/feed/super-set-celebrates-first-exit-liveramp-acquires-data-collaboration-software-startup-habu
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Announcing super{set} Fund II!
The world has tilted in our favor. We’ve been building companies in the data+AI space for 25 years, mostly while it was niche and nerdy. With the AI revolution fully upon us, we’re thrilled to announce that super{set} has closed a $90 million second fund to invest in companies at inception.
Since launching our first fund, super{set} has founded, funded and scaled 16 data+AI startups. Fund II brings our committed capital in active funds to $176M and comes on the heels of super{set}’s first exit: the acquisition of leading data collaboration company Habu for $200 million in January 2024.
super{set} General Partner Jeremy Klein joins Tom and Vivek for this special episode digging into Jeremy's background and early work at the inception of super{set}, the immense data+AI opportunity today, why super{set} has raised Fund II, and how super{set} will partner with co-founders in Fund II. Don't miss this big news!
Learn more about the Fund II announcement at superset.com/feed/super-set-fund-ii-90-million-to-intensify-our-serial-focus-on-data-ai-company-building
Read Tech Crunch's Exclusive Coverage: "Boutique startup studio super{set} gets another $90 million to co-found data and AI companies"
Learn more about our VECTOR program - a 12-week fully-paid launchpad for technical product leaders to receive direction, build magnitude, and co-explore company creation alongside super{set} - at superset.com/vector
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Talent and career development in startups is typically nonexistent - so at super{set}, we're changing that. While a startup’s opportunities for rapid growth and trial by fire are incredible, we believe startup employees can still benefit from intentional mentorship and development. No - it's not about bringing in professional coaches who lack hands-on company-building expertise. And no, it's more than advice from the balcony unmarried to what life is actually like in the startup trenches.
Joining Tom and Vivek in the studio are the first graduates of super{set}’s coaching program for its employees: Jen D’Amico (Head of Business Development at Ketch), Anupam Gupta (Head of Customer Success at Ketch), and Ted Flanagan (Chief Customer Officer at Habu, recently Acquired by LiveRamp).
How can startups improve outcomes by becoming more self-aware and assessing strengths and development areas better? How can entrepreneurs create the soil conditions for their employees to perform, even within the fast-paced startup environment? What advice do Jen, Anupam, and Ted have for startup employees - and the founders at the helm - around the globe?
Join us in the first episode of Season 5 of The {Closed} Session!
Listen (or watch) all episodes of The {Closed} Session at www.theclosedsession.com
Learn more about Ketch at www.ketch.com
Learn more about Habu (acquired by LiveRamp) at www.habu.com
Learn more about super{set} - including co-founding with us and open roles across our portfolio of companies - at
www.superset.com
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Rachel Gollub is a distinguished engineer, programmer, and entrepreneur with a storied career in Silicon Valley: she started her career as part of the founding team behind the Java programming language and ended it as CTO of healthcare giant Optum. Along the way, Rachel managed to start several companies on top of a quick stopover at Stanford.
In this episode, Rachel reflects on her experiences working alongside tech luminaries like James Gosling and dives into the challenges and triumphs she encountered while navigating the male-dominated field of technology. What does it take to build a successful team in the fast-paced world of startups? How do you bounce back from setbacks and learn from failed ventures? Rachel shares her insights, drawing from her rich experience in taking ideas from inception to reality, and the critical role of adaptability and innovation in entrepreneurship.
Join Vivek and Rachel in this episode of 'The {Closed} Session' as they explore the intersection of engineering, entrepreneurship, and healthcare AI. The conversation delves into her thoughts on the current state and future of AI, particularly in healthcare, where she's been a driving force in integrating advanced technologies to revolutionize patient care and outcomes. Stay for Rachel’s unique perspective on where technology is headed, especially in the realm of healthcare AI.
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Everyone’s talking about what went down at OpenAI - but what does it mean for ethical and responsible AI, and what are the lessons for entrepreneurs on startup board governance? With the abrupt dismissal of CEO Sam Altman, questions loom over the stability and direction of one of AI's most influential entities. Let’s uncover the twists and turns in this high-stakes boardroom drama.
Why was Sam Altman abruptly dismissed - only to be brought back again? What role did board member Helen Toner and the responsible AI community play in the firings? Who is on deck next as the newest members of the board - and who else should OpenAI consider bringing? What choices face Sam Altman - and key partner at Microsoft Satya Nadella - and what should these leaders do next? Finally, what can the AI and startup communities learn from how it all went down?
Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya give us their timely takes on what happened at OpenAI. With incisive commentary and expert insights, they explore the events leading to Altman's sacking and the broader implications for AI governance. Note this episode was recorded on November 27th, 2023, and published on December 1st, 2023 so it may not reflect the most current developments at OpenAI.
Read Tom Chavez’s op-ed in Tech Crunch on the need for an interdisciplinary approach to AI alignment: https://www.superset.com/feed/tom-chavez-in-tech-crunch-answering-ais-biggest-questions-requires-an-interdisciplinary-approach
Listen to more episodes at www.theclosedsession.com
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Everyone’s talking about AI - so The Ethical Tech Project decided to listen. Joining forces with programmatic privacy and data+AI governance platform Ketch, The Ethical Tech Project surveyed a representative sample of 2,500 U.S. consumers and asked them about AI, the companies leveraging AI, and their sentiment and expectations around AI and privacy. On the latest episode of The {Closed} Session, get an inside look at the survey results in a deep-dive conversation with the team at The Ethical Tech Project.
Are Americans aware of the rapid pace of change in AI? How do they feel about companies mining their personal data and leveraging that data into LLMs and other AI tools? What are consumer expectations of the right to privacy alongside ethical data principles like transparency, fairness, agency, and accountability? In test purchase scenarios, will consumers choose products with ethical AI features?
Joining Tom and Vivek on The {Closed} Session are Slingshot Strategies partner and pollster Evan Roth Smith and Ketch Head of Solutions Jonathan Joseph to dig into the survey results and get us into the head of the typical American consumer. Find out just how much consumers will reward ethical AI - with their hard-earned cash and trust - when offered by the companies and products they love.
To learn more about The Ethical Tech Project, visit ethicaltechproject.org and subscribe to their Substack newsletter at news.ethicaltechproject.com.
Download the survey report at ethicaltechproject.com/survey.
Learn more about Ketch at www.ketch.com
Learn more about Slingshot Strategies at slingshotstrat.com.
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The {Closed} Session Spotlight Series showcases a different co-founder from the super{set} portfolio in every episode. Today's guest is Lindsey Meyl, Co-founder at RevAmp (rev-amp.ai), a "Datadog for RevOps" platform that offers observability across the revenue engine, monitoring performance, flagging when something is amiss, and determining the root cause of how to fix it.
Lindsey Meyl is an “entrepreneur by accident” - a serial startup employee who joined Tom and Vivek across multiple builds at Krux, Habu, Ketch, and more, who typically swooped in at the Series, A, B and beyond to lead direct sales, sales management, and sales operations. After seeing the same problems and patterns across the companies she was working with across super{set}, she went all-in on the RevAmp opportunity at super{set}. Lindsey says, "We cannot keep operating off of CRM data infrastructure from the 90s."
RevAmp (rev-amp.ai) inspects, identifies, and intervenes. RevAmp inspects by analyzing data sources to uncover insights related to volume, conversion, and timing within the customer journey and across key indicators like ICP, roles, and segments. RevAmp’s algorithm identifies and detects revenue growth opportunities and potential risks based on this data. And RevAmp intervenes, responding with trigger alerts and automated fixes to address issues.
Learn more at rev-amp.ai
RevAmp is hiring! Find open roles, including Head of Product and Head of Engineering, here: https://careers.superset.com/companies/revamp-2#content
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Like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed, the fiercest competitors can sometimes become friends. Omar Tawakol is a prime example. As the founder and CEO of BlueKai, he went head-to-head with Tom, Vivek, and the 'Krux mafia' for dominance in the Data Management Platform arena. A serial entrepreneur with roots in New York and Egypt, Omar eventually steered BlueKai to a successful acquisition by Oracle before creating Voicea, which Cisco acquired. Today, he's pioneering a new venture called Rembrand (rembrand.com), which innovates in product placement through generative fusion AI.
Have you ever heard of a 5-year-old CEO? Omar Tawakol made his first sale by pitching coasters to neighbors. From playground profits to knockout big exits, Omar shares how he had “no choice but to build companies” from an early age. What makes the human element the most rewarding part of company building? Are better algorithms or richer data the key to winning in tech? Where does AI stand in the current hype cycle? How do you intertwine AI into human workflows? And, how not to let success get to your head.
Omar joins Tom and Vivek on the latest episode of The {Closed} Session to recount tales from the entrepreneurial ringside, insights from his journey as a serial startup champ, and a sneak peek at his latest venture that's punching above its weight in the AI arena. Plus, a totally unpaid-for-promotion: where to find the best coffee in Menlo Park.
Learn more about Rembrand at rembrand.com
Learn more about super{set} at superset.com
Find more episodes at www.theclosedsession.com
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How does Google search data reveal hidden human truths and behaviors? What philosophical challenges arise when interpreting big data? In what ways does data reflect societal biases and preconceived notions? What's the potential of data science in revealing patterns that might be invisible to human analysts?
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a data scientist, New York Times bestselling author, and sought-after keynote speaker. His 2017 book, Everybody Lies, on the secrets revealed in internet data, was a New York Times bestseller; a PBS NewsHour Book of the Year; and an Economist Book of the Year. His 2022 book, Don’t Trust Your Gut, on how people can use data to best achieve their life goals, was excerpted in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and Wired. Seth has worked as a data scientist at Google; a visiting lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and a contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times. He received his BA in philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford, and his PhD in economics from Harvard.
Learn more about super{set} at superset.com
Find more episodes at www.theclosedsession.com
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Headlamp makes it easy for clinicians and their patients to access their universal medical records, while also providing advanced AI tools to support more personalized health insights and decision-making.
Lean more about Headlamp Health at Headlamp.com: https://www.headlamp.com/
Find Andrew Marshak on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-marshak/
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Marketing has always been about connection, but what happens when AI becomes the mediator? With vast strides in AI-driven campaigns, how do marketers ensure they remain true to their brand and their audience? Who ensures that campaigns are not just data-driven but also ethical and impactful? As we stand on the precipice of an AI revolution in advertising, how does one navigate the intricate balance between personalization and consumer control over their data?
Rex Briggs, a luminary in marketing measurement, envisions a future where AI-driven campaigns resonate deeper and more personally with audiences. With vast industry experience, Rex sheds light on emerging trends and their implications. Joining Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya, the trio explores the frontiers of AI in marketing, from its transformative capabilities in content creation to the nuanced ethical challenges it presents. They uncover strategies and insights essential for marketers in this AI-dominated age, emphasizing the synergy of technology and human intuition.
Find Rex Briggs on his LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rex-briggs-2811b3/) and X (https://twitter.com/rexbriggs).
PLUS bonus content: super{set} Spotlight on Headlamp Health co-founder Andrew Marshak and his experience so far working alongside Tom, Vivek, and the super{set} team at Headlamp Health. Hear about Andrew's maniacal commitment and find out how Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya show up as "true co-founders FOR REAL."
Learn more about Headlamp Health at www.headlamp.com
Find Andrew Marshak on his LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-marshak/)
Read Andrew's latest blogpost on superset.com - "Why Headlamp Health is Bringing Precision to Mental Health"
Learn more about super{set} at superset.com
Find more episodes at www.theclosedsession.com
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Checksum automatically generates and maintains end-to-end tests based on user sessions so you can move fast without breaking things. Learn more about Checksum at checksum.ai .
Gal Vered's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gal-vered/
www.theclosedsession.com
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Are we walking a tightrope with AI, jeopardizing humanity's ethical core? Is AI more than just algorithms, acting as a mirror to our moral values? And when machine learning grapples with ethical dilemmas, who ultimately bears the responsibility? Harvard's Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, James Mickens, joins Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya on "The {Closed} Session." Together, they dive deep into The Ethical Tech Project (a think-and-do tank crafting blueprints for ethical data use), Harvard's Institute for Rebooting Social Media, the art of data stewardship, privacy engineering, and the evolving landscape of AI regulation.
PLUS bonus content: super{set} Spotlight on Checksum.ai co-founder Gal Vered and his experience so far working alongside Tom, Vivek, and the super{set} team at Checksum.
Learn more about The Ethical Tech Project: www.ethicaltechproject.org
Learn more about The Ethical Tech Project's ThePrivacyStack: https://theprivacystack.org/
Learn more about James Mickens: mickens.seas.harvard.edu
Learn more about super{set}: www.superset.com
Learn more about Tom Chavez: www.superset.com/team-members/tom-chavez / Tom's LinkedIn
Learn more about Vivek Vaidya: www.superset.com/team-members/vivek-vaidya / Vivek's LinkedIn
Listen to previous episodes of The {Closed} Session: www.theclosedsession.com
Learn more about Checksum: https://checksum.ai/
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Is AI our salvation or is it going to kill us all? Tom and Vivek roam widely on others’ takes about artificial intelligence, adding their insight and experience to the mix. Along the way they consider Descartes, Ray Kurzweil, Salt Bae, Marc Andreessen among others. If you are looking for a down to earth conversation that tempers the extremes at either end of the debate, this is the one you’ve been waiting for.
Hosts Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya delve into the multifaceted world of generative AI, examining its effects on truth, deepfakes, business integration, and the workforce. They explore provocative questions such as the potential for AI to befriend or betray humanity, touching on concepts like the singularity and reflecting on notable thinkers' warnings. The conversation also navigates the portrayal of AI in popular culture, challenging the often dystopian images and asking why AI can't be seen as a cooperative force. Tune in for a balanced discussion that embraces both the exciting possibilities and pressing concerns of artificial intelligence.
www.theclosedsession.com
@ClosedSeshPod
@tommychavez
@vsvaidya
superset.com
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What does ‘AI alignment mean? Can philosophy help make AI less biased? How does reinforcement learning influence AI's unpredictability? How does AI's ‘frame problem’ affect its ability to understand objects? What role does human feedback play in machine learning and AI fine-tuning?
An acclaimed author and researcher who explores the human implications of computer science, Brian Christian is best known for his bestselling series of books: "The Most Human Human" (2011), "Algorithms to Live By" (2016), and "The Alignment Problem" (2020). The latter explores the ethical issues in AI, highlighting the biases and unintended outcomes in these systems and the crucial efforts to resolve them, defining our evolving bond with technology. With his deep insights and experiences, Brian brings a unique perspective to the conversation about ethics and safety challenges confronting the field of AI.
Listen to the episode and read the transcript at superset.com
Guest: Brian Christian
Twitter: @supersetstudio
@ClosedSeshPod
@tommychavez
@vsvaidya
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Does it matter where you go to college? Should the SAT be abolished? Do you have to have a degree in computer science to work in tech? What are the differences between higher education in the US and in India? Why did Tom and Vivek ban Harvard and Stanford degrees from working at their first company?
Even though both Tom and Vivek have – in their own words – fancy degrees themselves, they also acknowledge that they came into the job market when there were fewer graduates in computer science than there are today. So what do the thousands of freshly minted CS graduates need to know about becoming successful? As Vivek notes, sometimes all you need is an opportunity.
Listen to the episode and read the transcript at superset.com
super{set} Twitter: @supersetstudio, @ClosedSeshPod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superset-studio/
Twitter: @tommychavez, @vsvaidya
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Few technologies have captured the attention of the general public as well as seasoned software engineers and entrepreneurs like ChatGPT. But how does it work? How can humans use it to increase productivity and output? And how is it likely to evolve?
Our guest for this episode is Rama Ramakrishnan, Professor of the Practice, Data Science and Applied Machine Learning, at MIT Sloan School of Management. He joins Vivek for a wide-ranging conversation about ChatGPT and generative AI, with amusing asides into why Vivek rejected a job offer from Rama at one of his early start ups, why the extinction conversation about AI is misguided, and how Rama is enjoying academia after a storied career as an entrepreneur.
Listen to the episode and read the transcript at superset.com.
Guest: Rama Ramakrishnan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramar/
TW: https://twitter.com/rama100
super{set} Twitter: @supersetstudio, @ClosedSeshPod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superset-studio/
Twitter: @tommychavez, @vsvaidya
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Alex Kantrowitz, journalist and author of Big Technology, joins Tom and Vivek in the studio to discuss his road to journalism, ad tech, and the business and ethical considerations of generative AI.
Alex recounts his career shift and discusses the impact of generative AI on journalism, drawing from an incident where AI tools were used to plagiarize his work. The discussion also covers the role of AI in improving performance across fields like journalism and software engineering, and its applications in law and music. AI can simply automate specific tasks, but is it likely to replace the necessity for critical thinking and domain expertise?
Listen to the episode and read the transcript at superset.com
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Guest: Alex Kantrowitz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkantrowitz/
TW: https://twitter.com/Kantrowitz
Super{set} Twitter:@supersetstudio, @ClosedSeshPod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superset-studio/
Twitter: @tommychavez, @vsvaidya
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On the heels of boombox.io's $7M seed fundraise led by Forerunner, Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya sit down with boombox co-founders India Lossman and Max Mathieu for a special episode straight from super{summit} 2023 in New Orleans!
Tom, Vivek, India and Max discuss their backgrounds as musicians and techies building a platform where music producers can store, version, and track all of their music files; collect time-stamped feedback on audio files; communicate on the go with iOS/Android apps; manage splits for songwriting and recordings; and create simple legally-binding contracts for song ownership.
The gang also discusses some cool generative AI features the boombox team has built into the app: boombox.io leverages Generative AI to enrich and extend a musician’s creative process with Boombot, a friendly, AI-powered collaborator that generates new ideas and fleshes out partial ones to make music creation more dynamic, faster and smarter. Boombot helps users spitball lyrics and song titles, suggests chord progressions, and turns them into MIDI files creators can pull directly into their digital audio workstation.
Listen to the episode and read the transcript at superset.com
Guests: India Lossman and Max Mathieu, co-founders of boombox.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/india-lossman/; https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxencemathieu/
boombox: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boomboxapp/
TW: https://twitter.com/boomboxupdates
Super{set} Twitter:@supersetstudio, @ClosedSeshPod
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superset-studio/
Twitter: @tommychavez, @vsvaidya
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