Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

Rohit Malhotra
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Life Self Mastery Podcast is an interview based show where I interview online entrepreneurs who started their businesses and scaled up their businesses to improve their lifestyles. Previous guests include Guy Kawasaki, Brad Feld, James Clear, Shu Nyatta, Ida Tin, Elizabeth Yin, Polina Pompliano, Evgenia Plotnikova, Anna Khan, Minnie Ingersoll, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Mac Conwell, Danielle Strachman, Jake Gibson, Wes Kao, Brian Requarth, Vivek Sodera, Eric Siu, Amit Garg, Nischal Shetty, Pranav Pai, Nir Eyal, Paul Shapiro, Nick Huber, Rob Walling, Andrew Dsouza, Fabrice Grinda, and 300+ incredible guests. partnergrow.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    Rebuilding Trust in News with Kira Shishkin from informed.now

    I am happy to have Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed.now, the leading news-by-SMS service reimagining how Americans stay informed without the bias and noise of traditional media. In this episode, Kira Shishkin, founder and CEO of informed.now, shares insights on building a bias-free, primary source-driven news platform, the importance of trust in media, and innovative growth strategies. Discover how his background and experiences shape his approach to creating healthier news consumption habits. Timestamps 00:00 Meet Kira Shishkin 02:16 The Path to Entrepreneurship 02:43 Navigating Today's Media Landscape 05:40 The News Compression Challenge 07:53 Measuring Impact on Misinformation 10:05 How informed.now Grows 12:18 Lessons from Past Ventures 14:15 Community vs Company 18:21 Hiring While Bootstrapped 19:44 How Background Shapes Trust 21:18 Fighting Sensationalism 23:55 Understanding Your Customer 25:40 Advice for Portfolio Founders 27:57 Lessons from the Investor Side 29:31 The Future of News Kira's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/ Website – https://informed.now/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  2. Sep 24

    Why Positioning Beats Pipeline - Renat Gersch on Winning Buyers

    I am excited to have Renat Gersch who is the co-founder of 10xGTM and a product marketing and go-to-market strategist with 15 years of experience scaling B2B SaaS companies. In this episode, Renat Gersch, a seasoned product marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience in B2B SaaS, shares insights on go-to-market strategies, positioning, and building successful startup teams. Discover how to translate vision into traction, avoid common pitfalls, and leverage AI for growth. ----------------------------------------------- Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Renat Gersch and Her Journey 02:52 The Unicorn Experience: Growth and Challenges 08:11 Positioning: The Key to Buyer Engagement 13:41 The Role of Sales in Building a Pipeline 23:59 Founders and Sales: Timing and Strategy 29:31 Building a Strong Co-Founder Relationship 33:23 The Go-to-Market Roadmap Across Industries 36:48 Healthy Conviction vs. Self-Deception in Founders 39:55 The Reality of Early Pipeline Building 42:52 Advice for Founders: Focus and Growth 45:05 Reflections on Career Growth and Loyalty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3G514tA5EuZ8Py9ofTXj8T   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/3G514tA5EuZ8Py9ofTXj8T

  3. Sep 17

    Raphaël Boukris from Didomi on acquisition Playbook for Regulatory Tech

    I am thrilled to have Raphaël Boukris, co-founder and CRO of Didomi. Roughly 2% of global web traffic runs through their SDK. He's raised three rounds, made two acquisitions, and sold majority control to private equity. Now the group does 40 to 60m ARR with under 200 people. In this episode, Raphaël Boukris, CRO and co-founder of Didomi, shares insights on compliance solutions, strategic acquisitions, and scaling SaaS businesses globally. Discover how to navigate international markets, build high-performance sales teams, and adapt to AI-driven sales tools. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Raphaël Boukris and Didomi 02:11 Raphael's journey from startups to compliance tech 04:04 What does Didomi sell and its market focus 06:12 Customer profile and who Didomidoes not serve 07:52 Pricing models and AI impact on SaaS 10:05 Acquisition strategy: Buying vs. building 13:01 Expanding into US and European markets 16:01 Fundraising journey and lessons learned 22:51 Building a high-performance sales team 32:00 The role of AI in outbound sales 35:01 Maintaining lean operations at scale 36:51 Advice for founders and investors Raphael's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rboukris Website – didomi.io My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  4. Sep 10

    Vincent Jong on Building Profitable SaaS Without Outside Money

    I am thrilled to have Vincent Jong, the founder of DataMerge, a B2B data platform challenging ZoomInfo and Apollo with smarter enrichment waterfalls and transparent pricing and Meetbot which is an AI‑first scheduling platform. He also builds AI-first companies through Poolside Ventures and hosts SaaS on the Beach, an exclusive retreat for top SaaS founders. In this interview, Vincent Jong, shares insights on building AI-first SaaS products, data enrichment, and startup strategies. Discover how he leverages AI to create cost-efficient, scalable solutions and his approach to building successful ventures without external funding. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Vincent Jong and His Ventures 03:42 Vincent's Journey into Startups and Product Management 06:15 The Value of Company Data in Sales and Marketing 09:41 Understanding Enrichment Waterfalls in Data Providers 12:42 Transparent Pricing in Data Services 15:38 Building AI-First Companies Without Traditional Engineering Teams 18:42 The Role of AI in Marketing and Content Creation 26:35 Optimizing for AI Understanding 28:50 Profitability and Competitive Advantage 30:42 Building for Longevity and Growth 34:03 Intentional Decision-Making in Startups 39:36 Creating Meaningful Connections at SaaS on the Beach Vincent's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentjong/ Website – https://www.poolside.ventures My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  5. Sep 3

    Fadwa Ouardani from Leblon Capital on Why European Startups Have to Think Globally

    I am excited to have Fadwa Ouardani, a business angel and VC investor at Leblon Capital, backing founders across the US and Europe. In this interview, Fadwa Ouardani, a VC investor at Leblon Capital, shares her journey from operator to investor, her views on startup culture, the impact of AI, and advice for founders navigating the global landscape. Discover key traits of successful founders, the importance of company culture, and the future of venture capital. Timestamps 03:40 Traits of Successful Founders 06:18 Building Strong Company Culture 09:38 Comparing European and American Founders 12:33 The Future of Innovation Globally 15:35 Navigating Founder and Investor Relationships 18:25 Challenges of High Valuations 21:18 Growth Frameworks in AI 24:21 The Role of IPOs in Venture Capital 27:07 Advice for Emerging Managers Fadwa's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fadwa-ouardani/ Website – https://leblon-capital.com My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  6. Aug 27

    Alex Shartsis from Skyp on Winning Outbound in the Age of AI Email

    I am thrilled to have Alex Shartsis, the founder and CEO of Skyp, a bootstrapped AI email platform powering personalized outbound for sales teams at leading companies. In this episode, Alex Shartsis, founder and CEO of Skyp, shares insights on building a bootstrapped GTM software company, writing outbound that actually earns replies, and winning a crowded category against far better-funded rivals. Discover how one conference-outreach play packed an enterprise pipeline with 130 leads in a single quarter, why a $20M exit can beat a $20M raise, and what most people still get wrong about AI-generated cold email in 2026. Timestamps 00:50 What a great sales team actually looks like 02:48 Why Alex bootstrapped Skyp instead of raising VC 07:42 The payback math: when a $20M outcome beats a $20M raise 10:32 Outbound in 2026 — personalization that works vs. slop 15:05 Do follow-up emails work? (why he ignores your first one) 18:02 Email + LinkedIn + phone: the multi-channel workflow 22:42 AI coding tools for non-technical founders & GTM leaders 27:54 Pricing: why Skip refuses credit-based pricing 33:51 Winning a crowded category against better-funded rivals 37:59 Personal brand & newsletter as a GTM engine 41:39 Rapid fire: favorite business book 43:08 What he'd do differently building Skyp Alex's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shartsis/ Website – https://skyp.ai/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  7. Aug 20

    Mike Zisman from GolfGenius on Building a Niche Software Empire

    I am happy to have Mike Zisman, the founder and Executive Chairman of Golf Genius Software, the leading tournament management platform serving 11,000+ golf clubs across 62 countries In this episode, Mike Zisman, founder of Golf Genius Software, shares insights on building a capital-efficient tech company, forming game-changing partnerships, and navigating today's exit landscape. Discover how a single USGA deal transformed the company's trajectory, why raising less capital can make a startup stronger, and what it really takes to build resilient remote teams that stick around. Learn What did it actually take to build enough trust with the USGA to replace their entire tournament management system? Michael targets 20% EBITDA margin and reinvest the rest - how did he land on that number specifically Michael runs acquired brands as separate brands rather than folding them in. What's the actual criteria for when to keep a brand alive versus absorb it? What's your favourite business book ->innovator's dilemma What's your favourite business tool ->gmail If you could go back, what would you do differently ->understand how a golf course operates Timestamps 00:00 From MIT Professor to Software Entrepreneur 03:04 Leaving Academia: The Leap Into Building Companies 06:13 The Birth of Golf Genius and Its Early Struggles 09:08 Why Trust and Relationships Win Deals 12:12 The USGA Partnership That Changed Everything 15:13 Raising Less: The Case for Capital Efficiency 18:21 Employee Ownership and Building a Real Culture 21:09 Remote Teams and the Retention Playbook 24:05 Where AI Actually Fits in Business Today 27:05 The Future of Programming and Productivity 28:25 The Brutal Job Market Facing New Graduates 32:16 Why Interpersonal Skills Still Beat Technical Ones 34:19 The Golf Industry's Shifting Strategies 36:24 Reading Market Dynamics and Growth Levers 39:52 Exit Strategies in Today's Market 41:55 How Company Ownership and Investment Are Evolving 43:56 The Future of Venture Capital and Private Equity 49:13 Resilience: The Entrepreneur's Real Edge Mike's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-zisman-51528/ Website – https://golfgenius.com/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

  8. Aug 13

    Ron Levin from Alumni Ventures on What a Real Moat Looks Like

    I am thrilled to have Ron Levin, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Seed Fund and co-founder of Perk, formerly TravelPerk, which scaled to a $2.7 billion valuation. He has backed 1,600+ companies and written Higher Purpose Venture Capital. In this episode, Ron Levin, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures and co-founder of TravelPerk, shares insights on venture capital, startup fundraising, and the future of AI. Discover how founders can decode a VC pass, what a real moat looks like for AI companies, and why social impact and strong returns aren't mutually exclusive. Timestamps 00:26 From McKinsey to Booking.com to Co-Founding TravelPerk 02:53 Building TravelPerk: The First 12 Months and Manual Grind 05:48 Crossing the Table: What Founders Get Wrong 08:11 The Alumni Ventures Model: Co-Investing Alongside Top VCs 09:44 Decoding a VC Pass: When It's Really About the Team 13:18 Securing a Lead Investor Without Social Proof 16:13 What's Moving the Needle: AI-First Investing Now 17:44 The AI Wrapper Trap and What a Real Moat Looks Like 20:08 Why SaaS Metrics Don't Map to AI Companies 21:49 Who Wins the AI Model War 23:42 The Anthropic IPO and AI Valuations 26:06 Higher Purpose Venture Capital: Returns Meet Social Impact 29:30 IPOs, Secondaries, and Staying Private Longer 31:48 Should VCs Ignore Price for Generational Companies? 33:50 Structuring a Seed Raise With No Warm Network Ron's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/levinron/ Website – https://www.av.vc/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

See All (300)

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Life Self Mastery Podcast is an interview based show where I interview online entrepreneurs who started their businesses and scaled up their businesses to improve their lifestyles. Previous guests include Guy Kawasaki, Brad Feld, James Clear, Shu Nyatta, Ida Tin, Elizabeth Yin, Polina Pompliano, Evgenia Plotnikova, Anna Khan, Minnie Ingersoll, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Mac Conwell, Danielle Strachman, Jake Gibson, Wes Kao, Brian Requarth, Vivek Sodera, Eric Siu, Amit Garg, Nischal Shetty, Pranav Pai, Nir Eyal, Paul Shapiro, Nick Huber, Rob Walling, Andrew Dsouza, Fabrice Grinda, and 300+ incredible guests. partnergrow.substack.com

Information