Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital Rohit Malhotra

In this podcast episode, Derek Sivers, talks about his unique approach to life, discussing his book curation process, travel experiences, and his accidental journey into entrepreneurship with CD Baby. Derek shares his philosophy on money, emphasizing intellectual pursuits over financial gain, and offers advice on customer engagement through personalization. He also reveals his efficient email management system that supports his diverse interests, and much more!
Timestamps
Note-Making Process (00:01:19)
Reading Preferences and Travel Experiences (00:03:15)
Music, Entrepreneurship, and Success (00:09:15)
Relationship with Money and Entrepreneurship (00:11:48)
Customer Delight and Personal Touch (00:19:18)
Efficient Communication and Multitasking (00:22:31)
Assuming You're Below Average (00:25:09)
Feedback Loops and Coaching (00:29:10)
Measuring Success in Writing (00:35:34)
Hell Yeah or No (00:40:22)
Living in New Zealand (00:47:22)
Prioritizing Fatherhood (00:49:29)
Derek's Links 
Twitter - https://x.com/sivers
Website - https://sive.rs/
How to live - https://sive.rs/h
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

In this podcast episode, Eugene Malobrodsky, Managing Partner at One Way Ventures, shares his journey from Lithuania to the U.S. and his evolution from founder to venture capitalist. He also covers the strategies for investing in early-stage companies and the challenges that new venture capital managers face. Eugene shares insights on the role of liquidity events like secondaries and M&A in the current market, as well as his perspective on the potential impact of political leadership on the M&A landscape, and much more!
Timestamps
Building and Selling Companies (00:03:51)
Transition to Venture Capital (00:08:28)
Focus on Immigrant Founders (00:12:21)
Pattern Recognition in VC (00:18:20)
Early Stage Investments and Ownership (00:22:24)
Challenges for Emerging Managers (00:25:09)
Valuations and Investments (00:25:36)
Founder's Secondary Exits (00:28:21)
Liquidity in the Market (00:31:35)
Venture Capital Focus Areas (00:32:44)
Political Impact on Business (00:33:57)
Emerging Managers' Decision-making (00:38:16)
Founder's Retreat and Community (00:40:12)
Eugene’s Links
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeugene/
Website – https://www.onewayvc.com/
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

In this podcast episode, Vikram Chachra, founding partner of 8i Ventures, delves into the nuances of venture investing in India. He shares his entrepreneurial background and his transition to venture capital, highlighting the cultural and generational shifts shaping the investment landscape. Vikram underscores the importance of understanding consumer pain points and the role of digital solutions in fostering progress. He advises young professionals to work with startups and stresses the need for strategic thinking in early-stage investments, and much more!
Timestamps
Early Mobile Internet and Startup Experience (00:01:12)
Investing and Operating Startups (00:03:21)
Observing Changes in India (00:06:56)
Investment Thesis and Fintech Focus (00:11:34)
Friction and Digital Acceleration (00:15:51)
Scenario Planning and Reserves (00:18:43)
The journey of Slice (00:18:54)
Market Maps and Generational Companies (00:19:54)
Capital and Investment Strategy (00:20:50)
Valuations and IPO Market (00:21:59)
Startup IPOs and Market Dynamics (00:23:08)
Founder Selection and Prioritization (00:26:49)
Investment Prioritization and Lessons (00:29:00)
LP Relationships and Founder-Centric Approach (00:33:23)
Approaching LPs and Trust Building (00:35:20)
Building Trusted Relationships in India (00:37:30)
India's Wealth and Family Offices (00:38:06)
Venture Capital Fund Length in India (00:38:59)
Entering the Venture Landscape (00:39:31)
Patience and Belief in Startups (00:40:41)
Vikram’s Links
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vchachra/
Email – vikram@8ivc.com
Website - 8ivc.com
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

In this podcast episode, Mohammed Khachab, Senior Vice President at BNP Group. his entrepreneurial journey from Lebanon to the thriving startup scene in Dubai. He shares the story of building and selling a company for $200 million, sharing the importance of assembling a complementary team and focusing on distribution before marketing. Mohammed also discusses the supportive Dubai ecosystem and his future endeavours as an angel investor and advisor. He highlights the significance of culture, values, and mental resilience in business, offering advice to fellow entrepreneurs on hiring and scaling their ventures, and much more!
Timestamps
Starting a Business in Dubai (00:02:24)
Importance of Distribution (00:04:31)
Selling a Company for $200 Million (00:07:39)
Dubai Startup Ecosystem (00:09:39)
Lessons from Scaling a Company (00:17:18)
Finding the right team (00:17:19)
Distribution and marketing (00:18:13)
Marketplaces and own distribution channels (00:20:09)
Hiring marketing personnel (00:22:03)
Fundraising insights (00:24:19)
Biggest moment in business (00:26:30)
Key traits in hiring (00:29:10)
Values-driven leadership (00:33:48)
Cultural reflection of leadership (00:34:19)
Recruitment process (00:38:04)
Mohamad’s Links
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamad-khachab-581533a7/
Website – https://bmbgroup.com/
Email - mokhashab@hotmail.com
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

In this episode, John Li, CEO of Vimcal discusses his transition from Twitter to entrepreneurship, detailing the evolution of his startup from AR technology to a fitness venture, and ultimately to a specialized calendar app. He emphasizes the critical role of executive assistants in product development, the necessity of user feedback, and the integration of AI. John also talks about the unique challenges of user acquisition, the strategic shift to a vertical SaaS model, and the company's inclusive hiring practices, and much more!
Timestamps
The journey from Twitter to Y Combinator (00:00:02)
Pivoting from AR to Fitness to Calendar (00:03:38)
Onboarding users and fundraising challenges (00:10:26)
Vimcal's focus on meetings, not just a calendar (00:13:26)
The role of AI in startups and fundraising (00:15:29)
Launching Whimsical E and serving executive assistants (00:17:15)
Speed vs Quality in Product Development (00:19:43)
Lessons in conducting effective product reviews (00:20:21)
The Harmony of Features (00:20:41)
Product Teams' Focus (00:21:53)
Challenges in User Acquisition (00:22:58)
Enterprise and PLG Approach (00:24:49)
Traits in Hiring (00:26:26)
Assessing Curiosity and Clarity of Thought (00:29:43)
Hiring Mistakes and Parting Ways (00:33:19)
John’s Links
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnli611/
Website – https://www.vimcal.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaylbird11
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com

In this podcast episode, Kyle Forster, CEO of RunWhen, shares his journey from growing up in Silicon Valley to becoming a leader in product management. He discusses the nuances of product management across different customer segments, offering advice on collaboration between product and commercial teams. Kyle also explores leadership roles, the transition from SMB to enterprise clients, and the unique challenges of enterprise product development. He shares his motivation for starting RunWhen, aiming to solve enterprise technology adoption issues and much more!
Timestamps
Growing up in Silicon Valley (00:00:25)
Transition to Product Management (00:03:10)
Different Types of Product Management (00:05:09)
Friction Between Commercial and Product Teams (00:07:16)
Product Managers' Mistakes (00:10:03)
Commercial Leaders and Product Strategy (00:15:24)
Transition to Enterprise Sales (00:17:46)
Building the Product for Different Users (00:18:42)
The Role of AI in Product Design (00:20:48)
Measuring Impact and Product Discipline (00:22:34)
Emotional Experience of Selling a Company (00:26:12)
Transitioning from Startups to Big Companies (00:28:27)
Importance of Reference Checks in Hiring (00:30:52)
Mistakes in Hiring the First Product Manager (00:36:08)
Product Mistakes and Learnings (00:36:51)
Kyle’s Links
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyforster
Website – https://www.runwhen.com/
My Links 
 Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
 YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com