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Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

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Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#21

Post by divbzero »

ca_tech wrote: post #18

I can say that Acquired at least has done some of the most interesting storytelling on the founding of companies. It's like taking 5 different books on the same topic and abridging the best parts together with some commentary sprinkled in. If it is simply a platform for them, I'm okay with it because of the quality of content.

I like how Acquired ventures beyond recent tech startups and discusses older and non-tech companies like Walmart [1] or Hermès [2]. Their interview with Charlie Munger [3] was a particular treat and ended up being one of his last interviews.

[1]: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/walmart

[2]: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/hermes

[3]: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/charlie-munger

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#22

Post by neverokay »

divbzero wrote: post #14

The article doesn’t quite capture that a16z, in my memory, played a major role in popularizing podcasts as a direct media strategy. Fred Wilson, for example, was commenting on it way back in 2014 [1]. [1]: https://avc.com/2014/03/the-a16z-podcast/

I’ve talked a lot about propaganda as a war invention, like many great technological advancements, found its way into these civilian systems. Capturing mindshare with propaganda is basically what this is.

Marketing is the commercial term (brand ambassador, Orwell sleeps soundly). Propaganda has a lot more coercive connotations.

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#23

Post by divbzero »

ch4s3 wrote: post #13
senkora wrote: post #9

I sometimes listen to (parts of) the All-In podcast because I think it is useful to understand what powerful people in our industry think. The four of them are really quite unlikable, and I can confidently say that if any of them happen to read this comment then they would not care in the slightest that I said that.

They'd probably say that likability is orthogonal to picking and mentoring successful startups.

But likability is correlated with convincing successful startups to accept their investments.

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#25

Post by [deleted] »

throw3452away wrote: post #12
senkora wrote: post #9

I sometimes listen to (parts of) the All-In podcast because I think it is useful to understand what powerful people in our industry think. The four of them are really quite unlikable, and I can confidently say that if any of them happen to read this comment then they would not care in the slightest that I said that.

I have the same thought process. What do they think about current high level trends, the economy, but otherwise I don't think very highly of them. The one bio science guy is decent, somewhat grounded compared to the others. I did get kind of tried of their non-stop AI hype train talk. Seems like for majority of the last 1-2 years that's all they've talked about most of the time.

[deleted]

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#26

Post by divbzero »

dphuang2 wrote: post #10

Interesting read. Contrary to what HN thinks, I think its good that VCs feel a forcing function to differentiate themselves. Like any other market, competition is good.

I don’t know what HN thinks, but you touch upon a good point that VCs do feel this need to differentiate. It reflects the broader shift where promising founders have more say and VCs aim to offer more than just money.

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#27

Post by bradgessler »

jedberg wrote: post #11

I feel like "lure" was used here to trigger people. The smartest thing a VC ever said to me was, "I am in the business of selling money. I'm a salesman, money is my product, and I'm trying to convince you to buy it from me by telling you how my money is better than everyone else's". VCs have to prove their value to startups, because good ones have choices. A podcast is a great marketing opportunity.

There always seems to be this implication in anti-VC rhetoric that founders are somehow gullible to VC's (whatever that means). I've yet to meet a founder where this is true.

Re: Venture Capitalists Are Using Podcasts to Lure in Founders

#29

Post by alephnerd »

jedberg wrote: post #11

I feel like "lure" was used here to trigger people. The smartest thing a VC ever said to me was, "I am in the business of selling money. I'm a salesman, money is my product, and I'm trying to convince you to buy it from me by telling you how my money is better than everyone else's". VCs have to prove their value to startups, because good ones have choices. A podcast is a great marketing opportunity.

^^^ This.

If you have a good track record of execution and have enough experience in your domain, you should be able to raise money (it's a slog but it is doable).

As such, we need to convince promising founders to come to us, convince prospects to become LPs in our funds, and convince other VCs to buy into our investment thesis (and thus build the pipeline to fund additional rounds)

Every job is basically a mix of sales, marketing, and domain experience.

P.S. love lambda ;)

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