First Principles

Rippling
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First Principles is a podcast from Rippling for founders building through moments of massive change. Hosted by Rippling CPO Matt MacInnis, the show brings together some of the sharpest investors, operators, and company-builders in tech to unpack the assumptions founders are forced to navigate—about capital, markets, AI, go-to-market, hiring, product, and what it actually takes to build an enduring business. The goal isn’t to chase predictions or celebrate startup mythology. It’s to decode the unwritten rules of company-building for founders who are still early enough that every decision compounds. Each conversation starts with a simple premise: when conventional wisdom gets noisy, the best founders return to first principles. Through candid, practical conversations, First Principles helps founders understand not just what great builders believe, but how they think—so they can make sharper decisions from day one.

Puntate

  1. 30 giu

    Why “the labs will build it” is the wrong startup fear | Sarah Guo (Conviction)

    Sarah Guo is the founder and partner at Conviction, a VC firm purpose-built to invest in AI-native companies. Some of their earliest investments were in the founding teams at Harvey, Basten and Sierra. Before launching Conviction, Sarah spent nine years investing in Greylock, working her way up to General Partner.   Through personal anecdotes and well-articulated frameworks, Sarah sits down with Rippling’s Chief Product Officer Matt MacInnis for a candid conversation on what startups ought to know about business on their first day of building.  They discuss: When you should be worried about the foundation labs vs. when to feel confident The corporate finance basics that she tells every founder on day oneWhat really drives VCs to talk about founders behind closed doors Why ambition is in short supplyAnd so much more. Get exclusive insights left on the cutting room floor in our newsletter → https://www.rippling.com/first-principles?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_program=evergreen-engagement&utm_campaign=first-principles-ep-01-desc  CHAPTERS 0:00 welcome to first principles 1:30 investing when every assumption is out the window 6:48 the half-life of opportunities in ai 9:00 will the labs eat your company? 11:04 you're not competing with their a-team 13:56 why building enterprise software is still hard 14:44 name a less efficient way to sell 19:16 the number one thing i look for in founders 22:03 "we'll figure it out" never wins 24:43 the advice sarah wishes every founder heard earlier 29:23 when the net present value is negative 30:03 the seed-stage corporate finance checklist 32:20 the product game vs. the business game 34:28 why ambition is in short supply 38:30 the death of "do one thing really well" 43:20 the investor-entrepreneur dance 49:14 what vcs talk about behind closed doors 52:42 where the social cost lives 59:29 what happens when the music stops 1:02:31 the elon musk principle on capital 1:04:15 how conviction built its brand in four years 1:08:52 you won't get far being vanilla 1:10:51 what founders should know about conviction

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Descrizione

First Principles is a podcast from Rippling for founders building through moments of massive change. Hosted by Rippling CPO Matt MacInnis, the show brings together some of the sharpest investors, operators, and company-builders in tech to unpack the assumptions founders are forced to navigate—about capital, markets, AI, go-to-market, hiring, product, and what it actually takes to build an enduring business. The goal isn’t to chase predictions or celebrate startup mythology. It’s to decode the unwritten rules of company-building for founders who are still early enough that every decision compounds. Each conversation starts with a simple premise: when conventional wisdom gets noisy, the best founders return to first principles. Through candid, practical conversations, First Principles helps founders understand not just what great builders believe, but how they think—so they can make sharper decisions from day one.

Informazioni

  • Creatore
    Rippling
  • Anni di attività
    2026
  • Puntate
    1
  • Classificazione
    Contenuti adatti a tutti
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rippling
  • Sito web del podcast
    First Principles
  • Fornitore