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Navigating the intricate world of venture debt requires a deep understanding of both the legal landscape and financial imperatives. David Ephraim from Morrison & Foerster brings over two decades of experience to the table, making him a leading authority on structuring deals that align legal precision with business innovation.
This episode, hosted by Janice Bourque from Hercules Capital, engages David Ephraim in a discussion about the nuances of venture debt, including how negotiations are framed, the roles of various stakeholders, and the essential strategies for overcoming common challenges. David also provides forward-looking insights into how the field might evolve in the coming years.
Overview of venture debt and its importanceDetailed look at negotiation processes in venture debtHow legal and business issues intertwine in these negotiationsThe importance of strategic foresight in financial planningDavid’s perspectives on the future of venture debt
Topics include:David Ephraim is the co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Transactions Department and managing partner of their Boston office. He specializes in various aspects of secured lending, including venture debt, fund finance, and cross-border financing transactions. David's expertise ensures sophisticated solutions for banks, institutional lenders, and private funds, making him a pivotal figure in the financial industry.
Join us on today’s episode, where David Ephraim’s expertise offers invaluable perspectives on the nuanced processes that underpin successful venture debt strategies, providing our listeners with guidance for navigating these essential financial instruments.
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Public market investor turned tech visionary, Casey Woo, has spent the last two decades at the forefront of technology and finance, revolutionizing the way high-growth startups approach operations and strategy. His journey from analyzing markets on Wall Street to leading Operators Guild and FOG Ventures has positioned him as a thought leader at the intersection of technology, finance, and community building.
In this episode, Catherine Jhung is joined by Casey Woo to discuss his unique path from public market investor to influential COO/CFO in the tech industry. They discuss the creation and growth of Operators Guild and FOG Ventures, highlighting Casey's approach to fostering community and driving innovation in the startup ecosystem.
Topics Include:
-Casey's transition from public market investor to tech COO/CFO
-The founding story of Operators Guild and its impact on the tech community
-Inside FOG Ventures: Strategy and vision for tech startups
-The role of community in the success of tech and finance ventures
-Navigating high-growth challenges in the startup world
-Casey's vision for the future of technology and finance
-And other topics…
Casey Woo is the founder of Operators Guild, the premier community and ecosystem for finance and operational professionals at high growth companies, and its associated investing arm, FOG Ventures. He has two decades of experience as a proven, serial COO/CFO in high-growth technology companies, most recently as the CFO of property tech company Landing. Casey started his career as a public market investor focused on the consumer/retail, media, industrials, technology and healthcare sectors. His expertise in blending strategic finance with operational excellence has made him a pivotal figure in shaping the landscape of technology startups. -
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In the aftermath of the 2020 biotech surge and its subsequent contraction in 2022, the biotech industry has been characterized by significant volatility. There were 21 biotechnology IPOs in 2022, a notable decrease from the record-breaking 104 IPOs in 2021.
The biggest pharma deals and surprises of 2023AI’s impact on drug developmentWhether or not the Inflation Reduction Act will impact pricingJohn’s major lessons from 2023The future of biotech in AsiaThe greatest concerns for the biotech industry going into 2024John’s hopes for the industry in the new yearAnd other topics…
To review the highs and lows of 2023 and explore what lies ahead in 2024, distinguished biotech analyst and co-founder of Endpoints News John Carroll joins Hercules Capital's Janice Bourque. Carroll brings 45 years of award-winning journalism, and a specialization in biopharma spanning over two decades to discuss the biggest pharma deals and surprises of 2023, the impact of AI on drug development, the future of biotech in Asia, and much more.
Topics Include:
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John D. Carroll is a biotech analyst and writer with decades of prize-winning experience in journalism. A co-founder of Endpoints News, he has covered biopharma for the past 15 years. Carroll has been quoted by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Financial Times, The Times of London and more. He’s also keynoted at biotech gatherings around the world and addressed student audiences at MIT and Harvard. Carroll has contributed stories from Central America and Ireland to the Dallas Morning News and Time and wrote for the Houston Press. He spent 6 years as editor and publisher of the Dallas Business Journal, was publisher of Texas Business and early in his career was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team of reporters and editors at the Kansas City Star & Times.
Resources Mentioned:
Endpoints News: https://endpts.com/
Connect with John:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-carroll-884aa410/ -
The gaming and platform industries are dynamic sectors at the intersection of technology and entertainment, constantly evolving to meet the demands of a global audience. In 2022, the revenue from the worldwide gaming market was approximately $347 billion.
Ed’s top priorities as a CFO in today’s business landscapeEssential advice for emerging founders and aspiring CFOsCore values that led Ed to leadershipThe advice Ed gratefully avoidedChoosing between building, buying, and partneringKey factors for successful acquisitionsWhen companies should pursue bargain opportunitiesFactors outside of work that shape Ed as the “non-CFO CFO”And other topics…
Ed Lu, a seasoned executive with 23 years of financial and operational experience, has played a pivotal role in this landscape, dedicating thirteen years as the CFO at online gaming and platform companies. Ed is the current Chief Financial Officer at Fandom, the world’s largest gaming and entertainment community platform.
In this episode, Hercules Capital's Lesya Kulchenko and Ed Lu discuss Ed’s CFO experience within gaming and platform companies, top advice for new founders and aspiring CFOs in today’s business landscape, choosing between building, buying, and partnering, the key factors for successful acquisitions, when to pursue bargain opportunities, and much more.
Topics Include:----------
Ed Lu is a seasoned executive with 23 years of financial and operational experience and thirteen years as CFO at online gaming and platform companies. He is the current Chief Financial Officer at Fandom, the world’s largest gaming and entertainment community platform. During his tenure, Fandom has grown revenue by more than 3x, acquired three companies, and doubled its employee base to 500.
Before joining Fandom, Ed served as the CFO for Outpost Games and Machine Zone. His tenure at Machine Zone involved raising over $800 million in combined financings, overseeing revenue growth from $8 million to $1.7 billion, and scaling the company from 30 to 1000+ employees. In his free time, he also enjoys serving as a strategic advisor for other digital gaming companies.
Resources Mentioned:
“Top 10 Start-Up Tips for Founders,” by Ed Lu: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6998677341623267328/ -
Healthcare and biotech venture capital plays a critical role in funding innovative medical technologies, drug development, and life-saving therapies. These investments drive advancements in healthcare, transforming science into products that improve global patient outcomes.
Terry’s path from generalist to venture capitalistStrategies to find the right scientists3 traits that can turn a scientist into an effective CEOHow to turn science into a productThe emerging technologies to look out forStrengths and weaknesses of the industryTerry’s biggest lessons from the evolution of raises, limited partnerships, and investor relationshipsAnd other topics…
Terry McGuire is a founding partner of Polaris Partners, with over 35 years of early-stage investing experience in medical and information technology companies. As a venture capitalist, Terry has invested in more than 80 companies that have raised over $7 billion in equity and corporate capital.
In this episode, Hercules Capital’s Janice Bourque and Terry McGuire discuss Terry’s trajectory from generalist to distinguished expert in healthcare and biotech venture capital, strategies to find the right scientists and product, Terry’s biggest lessons in raises, limited partnerships and investor relationships, and much more.
Topics Include:
Terry McGuire is a founding partner of Polaris Partners, with over 35 years of early-stage investing experience in medical and information technology companies. As a venture capitalist, Terry has invested in more than 80 companies that have raised over $7 billion in equity and corporate capital. He also co-founded three companies: Inspire, AIR, and MicroCHIPS. Companies Terry has supported have touched more than 60 million patients and directly saved over 400,000 lives.
Terry has been listed as one of Scientific American’s Worldview 100, Forbes’ Top Life Sciences Investors, and Forbes’ Midas 100 List of Top Tech Investors, among others. He is the chairman of the Global Venture Capital Congress, serves on several public and private boards of directors, and is the recipient of various awards, including the Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences awarded by Harvard and the City of Jerusalem. -
In the dynamic field of life sciences, skillful operators ensure the efficient development of medical innovations, while insightful investors provide crucial capital and strategic guidance. Rich Aldrich's 30+ year career uniquely bridges both sides, having played key roles in founding and managing successful ventures in the industry.
Transitioning from operations to investingRich’s key lessons from public investmentsThe advantages of public investingAttributes of a strong management teamCurrent areas of scientific interest for RichEmerging challenges in life sciencesDeciding whether or not to commercializeRich’s reflections on the industry’s evolutionAnd other topics…
Rich Aldrich is a co-founder and partner at Longwood Fund. Before Longwood, he founded RA Capital Management and has been instrumental in co-founding and contributing to the growth of notable biotech companies, including Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Concert Pharmaceuticals, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, among others.
In this episode, Hercules Capital’s Janice Bourque and Rich Aldrich discuss key lessons in operations and investment, the advantages of public investing, the attributes of a strong management team, Rich’s reflections on the industry and much more.
Topics include:Rich Aldrich is a co-founder and partner of Longwood Fund, an early-stage life science venture firm. With over 30 years of experience in the life sciences space, he has co-founded and helped build several biotech companies including Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Concert Pharmaceuticals, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, among others. Before the Longwood Fund, Rich founded RA Capital Management, a life sciences investment fund with an AUM of over $9 billion.
Rich received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth. He currently serves as a Director of Longwood portfolio companies Axial, Sitryx Therapeutics, and Colorescience. -
The healthcare space has long been a transactional one, seeing patients as numbers instead of human relationships. In 2004, Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle began to challenge the status quo and create an entirely new model of care delivery that finally put patients at the center of healthcare.
Rushika’s mission and experience in transforming healthcareHow he created a new delivery model for medicineIora Health’s business model evolutionGoing from bootstrapping to six rounds of fundingRushika’s process for building an optimal teamAdvice for entrepreneurs who are struggling to raise capitalAnd other topics…
Rushika Fernandopulle is the co-founder and former CEO of Iora Health, a value-based primary care group based in Boston that was acquired by One Medical in 2021, where he served as Chief Innovation Officer. One Medical was acquired by Amazon earlier this year for close to $4 billion. Rushika currently serves on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and on the boards of Families USA and the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care.
In this episode, Hercules Capital’s Katie Segien is joined by Rushika Fernandopulle to discuss how he created a new delivery model for medicine, Iora Health’s business model evolution, going from bootstrapping to six rounds of funding, and other topics.
Topics Include:Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle is a practicing physician who has spent decades improving the quality of healthcare delivered to patients. He was co-founder and CEO of Iora Health, a value-based primary care group based in Boston that delivers better quality, lower costs, and improved satisfaction for both patients and providers. Iora was acquired by One Medical in 2021 for over $2 billion, which went on to be acquired by Amazon earlier this year for close to $4 billion.
Rushika was the first Executive Director of the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement and Managing Director of the Clinical Initiatives Center at the Advisory Board Company. He serves on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and on the boards of Families USA and the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care. -
Successful biotech companies require a capable CFO to guide the company through conducting clinical trials, securing regulatory approvals, establishing scalable production, and adeptly conveying value to healthcare stakeholders.
Mark’s experience as CFO of Verona, Dova, and CempraThe intricacies of single-asset companies and the challenges when raising capitalThe steps a CFO should take when preparing for FDA approval and commercializationWhat biotech companies should focus on before presenting to the FDAHow to know when you’ve had a successful launchMark’s experience as a CFO with a late-stage assetAnd other topics…
Mark Hahn is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of CFO experience. He is currently the CFO of Verona Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical needs.
In this episode, Hercules Capital’s Janice Bourque is joined by Hahn to discuss his experience as CFO of Verona, Dova, and Cempra, the intricacies of single-asset companies, preparing a company for FDA approval and commercialization, identifying a successful launch, and much more.
Topics Include:Mark Hahn is a seasoned CFO with over 25 years of experience. He joined Verona Pharma as CFO in 2020. Prior to Verona, Hahn served as CFO of Dova Pharmaceuticals through its 2019 acquisition by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum for $915 million. There, he was instrumental in raising capital and launching the company’s first commercial product. Prior to Dova, Hahn was CFO of Cempra, where he led the company’s IPO and several subsequent follow-on offerings until the company’s acquisition by Melinta Therapeutics in 2017. Earlier, Hahn was the CFO of several other public and private companies. Hahn began his career at Ernst & Young. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is a certified public accountant in Maryland and North Carolina.
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The healthcare technology sector has witnessed astonishing growth in investments, skyrocketing from $3 billion pre-pandemic to $29 billion in 2021. Michael Greeley brings invaluable insights to the show as the co-founder and general partner of Flare Capital Partners, a pioneering venture capital firm dedicated to healthcare technology.
Michael’s experience as an early pioneer in health tech investmentsLiquidity and scaling challenges for healthcare tech companiesHow to create a more sustainable business model in this spaceWhat Michael looks for when building out his portfolio companiesAI’s impact on healthcare programs and servicesThe Flare Scholars programFuture challenges and possibilities in the healthcare sectorAnd other topics…
Before Flare, Greeley was the founding general partner of Flybridge Capital Partners. Earlier in his career, he was with Polaris Partners, and also held positions at GCC Investments, Wasserstein Perella & Co., and Morgan Stanley & Co.
In this episode, Hercules Capital’s Katie Segien is joined by Michael Greeley to discuss his experience as an early pioneer in health tech investments, the remarkable growth and challenges of healthcare technology, the impact of AI on healthcare programs and services, and much more.
Topics Include:Michael Greeley is a co-founder and general partner at Flare Capital Partners. Before co-founding Flare in 2014, he focused on emerging growth company financings as the founding general partner of Flybridge Capital Partners. Earlier, he held positions with Polaris Partners, GCC Investments, Wasserstein Perella & Co., and Morgan Stanley & Co. Greeley sits on dozens of boards and authors the blog On the Flying Bridge.
Greeley received a BA with honors in chemistry from Williams College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. While he considers himself a New Yorker, he grew up in Hong Kong and currently resides in Boston.
Resources Mentioned:
Flare Capital Partners: https://www.flarecapital.com/
Michael Greeley’s blog: https://ontheflyingbridge.wordpress.com/
Flare Capital Scholars Program: https://www.flarecapital.com/flare-capital-scholar-application -
Elizabeth Bailey has more than 20 years of experience supporting early-stage startups as a venture capitalist. Today, she is a founding member at RH Capital where she serves as the fund's Managing Director. RH Capital is a women-led, impact venture capital fund that strategically invests in early-stage startups dedicated to revolutionizing women's health.
In this episode, Elizabeth joins Hercules Capital’s Janice Bourque to discuss the origin, strategies, and portfolio of RH Capital. They discuss how female founders are changing the landscape in the women’s health space with support from venture capitalists.
Topics Include:
- High return opportunities for investors in the women’s health space
- How venture capital can improve health outcomes for underserved groups
- The origin, strategies, and portfolio of RH Capital
- Collaboration opportunities for strategic investors, startups, and venture funds
- Conducting thorough due diligence when evaluating companies
- And other topics…
Elizabeth Bailey is the Managing Director and founding team member at RH Capital, a women-led impact venture capital fund for early-stage startups focused on health equity and revolutionizing women’s health. RH Capital leverages investment capital to address health disparities, focusing on biotech, devices, diagnostics, digital health, and services.
Elizabeth has over 20 years of experience in venture capital and supporting early-stage companies. Before joining RH Capital, Elizabeth served as the Founding Director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies at Massachusetts General Hospital and Investment Partner at Commons Capital, one of the first impact investment funds. Elizabeth holds a Master’s from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA from Brown University.
Resources Mentioned:
RH Capital: https://www.rh.capital/
Tara Health Foundation: http://tarahealthfoundation.org/
May: https://www.getmay.com/
Radiant Oximetry: http://www.radianoximetry.com/ -
The subscription e-commerce market is expected to grow by $784 billion by 2026. Locus Robotics, a subscription-based mobile robotics and software provider, is a pioneer leading the way in warehouse automation.
Dustin’s pivot from multifaceted companies to startupsThe guiding principles for scaling a businessAligning business needs, goals, and leadersThe CFO’s responsibilities in managing scaleAdvice for fundraising and managing operations in today’s economyCreating the right leadership teamTrade-offs between raising debt vs. raising equityAnd other topics…
Dustin Pederson is the Chief Financial Officer of Locus Robotics, a company that supplies over 230 warehouse sites with up to 500 bots per site. With 15 years of experience in enterprise software, AI, warehouse automation, education, and aerospace, Dustin helps companies grow by enabling high-performance teams and overseeing all aspects of a business.
In this episode, Hercules Capital host Noah Carville and Dustin discuss the principles of scaling a business, fundraising and managing operations in today’s economy, the trade-offs between raising debt versus raising equity, and much more.
Topics Include:Dustin Pederson is the Chief Financial Officer for Locus Robotics, a subscription-based autonomous mobile robotics and software provider for over 230 warehouse sites in the U.S. He is also the previous VP of Finance and Operations at Cognito and Advisory Board Member for Text IQ.
With 15 years of experience in enterprise software, AI, warehouse automation, education, and aerospace, Dustin helps companies grow by enabling high-performance teams and overseeing all aspects of a business. His roles have covered venture fundraising, business planning and analysis, sales strategy and operations, finance, marketing, legal contracts management, and facilities management.
Resources Mentioned:
Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight: https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike-ebook/dp/B0176M1A44 -
Laureen DeBuono is a highly seasoned CEO, COO, CFO, and Board Member currently serving as Managing Partner at FLG Partners. During her career, she has raised over $2B in financings, led 2 IPOs, and completed over $12B in M&A transactions.
In this episode, Hercules Capital's Eddie Lopez and Laureen discuss company restructuring, five qualities CFOs need to be successful, advice for companies that can’t access IPOs, the challenges CFOs may face in the upcoming years, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Laureen’s 40+ years of experience in Silicon Valley
- Restructuring a company
- Five things every CFO must have to be successful
- How the CFO role has evolved
- Advice for companies that can’t access IPOs in current markets
- The challenges CFOs may face over the next two years
- And other topics…
Laureen DeBuono is a highly seasoned CEO, COO, CFO, and Board Member with over three decades of executive management experience. During her career, she has raised over $2B in financings, led two IPOs, and completed over $12B in M&A transactions.
Laureen currently serves as Managing Partner at FLG Partners, LLC, working with companies like HotelTonight, Rodan+Fields, and the Actian Corporation. She holds her B.A. from Duke University, M.A. from Stanford University, and J.D. from New York University School of Law. -
In 2006, venture capitalists poured billions into clean energy technologies during Cleantech 1.0, only to lose half of the investments over the next five years. The climate tech investing space has since rebounded and become one of the most popular investment sectors, and new incentives show an exciting opportunity for extended growth over the next few years.
Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures, where she is passionate about the climate tech, consumer, and infrastructure sectors. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider’s 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. Meera previously worked at Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab, Morgan Stanley’s tech investment banking group, and as a principal at Obvious Ventures.
In this episode, Catherine and Meera talk about the trajectory of Meera’s career, her thoughts on upcoming market shifts in 2023 and 2024, how consumer shifts are affecting businesses, the climate tech investing space, and much more.
Topics include:
- Her untraditional upbringing and its effect on her career
- The importance of a strong support system
- Thoughts on the economy and market for the next 12-24 months
- Upcoming IPO market shifts
- How consumer shifts are offering new opportunities for businesses
- The climate tech investing space
- Building an all-star cap table
- And more…
Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider’s 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. After graduating from Stanford, Meera accelerated her career at Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab and within its tech investment banking group. She later became a principal at Obvious Ventures, where she worked on 12 of the company’s 30 investments from its $272 million third fund, sourcing four investments and serving as a board observer for three others. She also serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Annual Summit of All Raise.
Resources Mentioned:
The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke: https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy-ebook/dp/B01DM9Q6CQ
Taming the Sun, by Varun Sivaram: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Sun-Innovations-Harness-Energy-ebook/dp/B08BT1SM11
The World for Sale, by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy: https://www.amazon.com/World-Sale-Traders-Barter-Resources-ebook/dp/B08TMTG4CT
The New Map, by Daniel Yergin: https://www.amazon.com/New-Map-Energy-Climate-Nations-ebook/dp/B084GDG8DG
MCJ Collective: https://www.mcjcollective.com/ -
Scaling a company requires planning, funding, systems, and plenty of grit. Ajay Vashee gained the latter when he became one of the youngest CFOs of a publicly listed company at Dropbox. With the help of his team, Ajay helped scale Dropbox from $45M to nearly $2B in revenue and grow the employee base 30-fold.
Ajay’s advice for operators moving up the ranksUsing business to deliver impactChanging the trajectory of a companyWhy you should map ROIThe importance of collaboration and strong teamsHow to scale in the current economySpending thoughtfully without sacrificing growthThe most dangerous decision a company can makeAnd other topics…
Ajay later leveraged his experience as an operator to become a general partner at IVP, where he has helped lead investments in companies like DeepL, Jasper, and TaxBit, among others. By focusing on delivering impact and building relationships, Ajay is able to help companies scale at impressive rates, even amid today’s challenging economy.
In today's episode, host Catherine Jhung talks with Ajay about his advice for operators, how to change the trajectory of a company, and the importance of team collaboration. We’ll also hear about mapping ROI, scaling in the current economy, spending thoughtfully without sacrificing growth, and much more.
Topics include:
Ajay Vashee is the former CFO of Dropbox and a current general partner of IVP. When he joined Dropbox, it was just a five-year-old company with 100 employees. During his tenure, Ajay helped scale Dropbox from $45M to nearly $2B in revenue and grow the employee base 30-fold. As one of the youngest CFOs of a publicly listed company, Ajay helped lead Dropbox through its milestone IPO. He was also named the Bay Area CFO of the Year by the San Francisco Business Times.
Ajay is now a general partner at IVP, a leading growth-stage venture firm in San Francisco with over $9 billion in committed capital. IVP is one of the top-performing firms in the industry and has backed innovative companies like Coinbase, DeepL, Grammarly, Jasper, Slack, and Twitter. -
The challenges of launching a startup can seem endless when you are just starting out. Truth be told, the magnitude of these challenges will only grow as your business grows. But don’t let this deter you.
Derek Andersen understood that the obstacles he was facing in entrepreneurship were not unique to him. This notion led him on his quest to create a community for entrepreneurs to share their advice and inspirations with others, proving that entrepreneurs are in fact, stronger together.
In this episode, Hercules Capital host Eddie Lopez and Derek talk about his path to working in the tech industry, habits that create a CEO, how creating solutions to your own problems is an avenue for success, advice for founders looking to raise capital in the current environment, being a customer of your own product, and much more…
Topics Include:
- The impetus for Startup Grind and Bevy
- Freedom and creativity in entrepreneurship
- Bootstrapping companies
- Servant leadership
- Dealing with failure
- The responsibility to help others
- Managing relationships with investors
- Taking advantage of slingshot moments
- And other topics...
Derek Andersen is the co-founder and CEO of Bevy, a SaaS product that helps companies like Salesforce, Atlassian, Google, Snowflake, and Adobe build virtual and in-person communities. Derek also co-founded Startup Grind, a community of 600 Chapters in 125 countries educating, inspiring, and connecting startup people. Since 2012, Startup Grind has hosted 10,000 events for more than 500,000 people. In 2010, Derek co-founded Commonred which was acquired by Income.com. Derek previously worked as a product manager at Electronic Arts. He currently lives in Palo Alto CA with his wife and four children.
Books Mentioned:
The Innovator’s Dilemma, by Clayton Christensen: https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Measure-Your-Life/dp/0062102419
How Will You Measure Your Life, by Clayton Christensen: https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Measure-Your-Life/dp/0062102419 -
Today we are featuring Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack.
Thumbtack is a modern home management platform that helps homeowners stay up to date on routine maintenance while also connecting them with local service providers who can support with home care. The company was recently acknowledged as one of Fortune's Best Places to Work in Tech and overall for Small/Medium Companies.
Marco has been recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and has been featured in stories in the New York Times, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.
In this episode, Catherine and Marco talk about getting Thumbtack off the ground, determining what investors are looking for, moments of great progress amongst great challenges, transitioning to a fully remote workplace, identifying and assessing talent, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Timing around raising capital
- Prioritizing healthy & profitable growth
- Driving liquidity in the marketplace
- Reaching your first customers
- Systematizing availability
- Making radical adjustments to ensure viability during COVID-19
- Investor climate change
- Creating a more equitable workplace through remote work
- Scaling effectively in a virtual context
- Questions for interviewing candidates
- And other topics…
Marco Zappacosta is the co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack, the technology leader building the modern home management platform. Thumbtack empowers homeowners to instantly book skilled professionals and supports hundreds of thousands of small businesses to grow sustainably. The company has raised more than $500 million and was recently acknowledged as one of Fortune's Best Places to Work in Tech and overall for Small/Medium Companies. Marco has been recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and has been featured in stories in the New York Times, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. -
In a world of continuous innovation, it seems like our healthcare system has been left behind. The hassles of health insurance have become the status quo, and far too many of us have fallen victim to the abhorrent costs of medical services.
How Adrian’s childhood shaped his pursuit of knowledgeThe enormous challenges our healthcare system facesHow to migrate the work of doctors and nurses to hardwareHow our current healthcare system disincentivizes innovation and fails to keep up with its challengesThe Forward business modelHow to raise millions of dollars as a startupAnd other topics…
Few of us have the time or wherewithal to battle with insurance companies or chase down medical providers. So, where do we go from here? Is there a way to effectively deliver low-cost healthcare to large numbers of people?
According to Adrian Aoun, CEO of Forward – an AI-based healthcare company – the solution is simple: redesign healthcare as a product.
In this episode, Catherine and Adrian discuss his journey to becoming the CEO of Forward, how productizing healthcare can lower costs and boost innovation, why health insurance is the biggest obstacle in healthcare, and much more.
Topics Include:
Adrian Aoun is the founder and CEO of Forward, an AI-based healthcare system combining world-class private doctors with new technology to enable proactive, data-driven primary care. Most recently, he was the head of Special Projects for the CEO of Google/Alphabet, where he founded one of the Alphabet companies Sidewalk Labs. Adrian arrived at Google upon the acquisition of his AI startup Wavii, and spent his first year at Google helping to create and build their AI division. Additionally, Adrian is an active angel investor and advisor to a number of technology startups and funds.
Resources Mentioned:
Factfulness by Hans Rosling -
Trucking is one of the largest industries in the United States with roughly $800 billion spent annually on trucking services. Despite the high demand for services, 35% of all miles driven by trucking companies are driven empty due to inefficient coordination systems within the industry.
Mark Okerstrom, President and Chief Operating Officer of Convoy, the nation’s leading digital freight network, believes the solution to empty freight lies at the intersection of logistics and technology. Convoy is working to save money for shippers, increase earnings for carriers and drivers, and eliminate carbon waste for our planet.
In this episode, Catherine and Mark talk about Mark’s transition from his role as CEO of Expedia to Convoy, why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to business, how Convoy plans to remedy problems in trucking and logistics, Convoy Go, and more.
Topics Include:
- What convinced Mark to join Convoy
- The state of today’s trucking industry
- Keeping trucks full by bundling shipments
- Financial and environmental impacts of truckers driving empty
- Thoughts on the current and future markets
- Dara Khosrowshahi and thoughts on mentorship
- Key lessons from Mark’s career
- And other topics…
Mark Okerstrom is the President and COO of Convoy, an American trucking software company. He is the former CEO of Expedia and previously served as an attorney with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and as a consultant with Bain & Company. Mark was selected by Institutional Investor Magazine three years running for its All-American Executive Team, Top 3 Public Company CFO, Internet Sector (2016, 2017, and 2018). He earned his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School and Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of British Columbia. -
Sports and games are a huge part of our lifestyle and culture and will continue to be for generations to come. But how can investors and creators encourage growth and take advantage of this unique market?
Investor, founder, and entrepreneur Kai Bond had spent over a decade in the gaming industry when he realized he wanted to approach gaming as an investable category. So he partnered with the startup Courtside VC, a venture capital firm that challenges the traditional definition of sports, digital media, fitness, and gaming.
In this episode, Eddie Lopez and Kai talk about Kai’s entrepreneurial journey, how to approach gaming as an investable category, Kai’s take on web3, the future of gaming, diversity in the venture community and more.
Topics Include:
- Understanding what it means to be a good CEO
- Challenge of coming from the corporate world to the startup world
- The state of venture capital in Q1 2022
- The importance of transparency and discipline in VC
- What Courtside learned during 2020
- Evolution of monetizing assets in gaming
- Kai’s take on Web 3.0
- The future of gaming
- Why timing matters in the venture market
- How to increase diversity in venture capital
- And other topics…
Kai Bond is a partner at Courtside, a VC company that partners with early-stage founders who are challenging the traditional definition of sports, digital media, fitness, and gaming. Before Courtside, Kai was a Principal at Comcast Ventures where he led investments in Catalyst Fund, a seed-stage fund focused on investing in underrepresented founders.
Kai was the founder of pixieTV, an interactive SmartTV platform that was acquired by Samsung in 2014. After that, Kai moved into the role of GM at Samsung NEXT. Kai has held leadership positions in product strategy, business development, and M&A at Microsoft, GLG, and Hatch Labs. Kai is a graduate of Wesleyan University. -
Raj Verma is the CEO at SingleStore, a database management system that helps modern applications be fast, frictionless, and flexible.
When Raj started at SingleStore, he was Co-CEO with SingleStore’s founder, Nikita Shamgunov. By building a healthy relationship and friendship with Nikita, Raj was able to lead with the company’s founding principles, keeping that essence that makes SingleStore so special. Raj’s transition to Co-CEO and later to CEO has as much to do with his mindset and leadership skills as it does with the CEO job description.
In this episode, Catherine and Raj talk about Raj’s transition from Co-CEO to CEO, why Raj views CEO as a mindset, how Raj leads with “a warrior’s mentality and a servant’s heart,” the importance of adaptation and change, how to build company culture, and more.
Topics Include:
- Relationship between founder and CEO
- How his partnership with Nikita started
- The accountability that comes with being a CEO
- Executive coaching
- Conscious capitalism
- Combining business strategy with culture
- The importance of finding you're why
- What drives Raj toward success
- Adapting to new circumstances
- And other topics…
Raj Verma is the Chief Executive Officer at SingleStore. He has more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software and scaling operations. Before SingleStore, Raj was the CEO, EVP of Global Scales, and COO of TIBCO Software, a company that he helped grow to over $1 billion in revenue. He was also COO at Aptus Software and Hortonworks. Raj holds a BA in computer science from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, India.
Resources Mentioned:
Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807060100/
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou: https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Startup/dp/152473165X
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts: https://www.amazon.com/Shantaram-Novel-Gregory-David-Roberts/dp/0312330537 - もっと表示する
