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. 1d ago

    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/

  2. 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/

  3. Aug 6

    Mike Ryan from Bullet Point Network on Building the AI Wall Street Will Rely On

    I am thrilled to have Mike Ryan, CEO of Bullet Point Network, who was earlier Partner at Goldman Sachs, Global Co-Head of Equities, investment committee at Harvard's endowment. In this episode, Mike Ryan, CEO of Bullet Point Network and former Goldman Sachs Partner and Global Co-Head of Equities, shares insights on AI in investing, disciplined capital allocation, and building a startup late in a storied career. Discover why quality control is the real battleground in AI, how the "AI + 1" model keeps humans in the loop, what decades on Harvard's investment committee taught him about betting on people, and why return on capital still matters most in an age of sky-high private valuations. Timestamps 00:36 — Allocating capital at Harvard's endowment vs. running a trading desk at Goldman 02:21 — The moment he decided to leave Goldman and Harvard to build a company 04:12 — "AI + 1": where the system stops and human judgment starts 07:01 — Selling AI into skeptical investment teams — the sales cycle and quality control 09:15 — Turning a geopolitical/macro signal into an investable thesis vs. a narrative 12:28 — From the token subsidy era to the token shortage era 14:54 — Where AI creates real leverage in the deal lifecycle — and where it's hype 17:40 — Patterns from the dot-com and subprime cycles; are we in a bubble? 21:43 — Why companies stay private longer, secondaries, and the IPO question 25:08 — Creativity, persuasion, judgment, and the death of apprenticeship learning 27:59 — The operator problems Goldman and Harvard never prepared him for 30:26 — GTM motion: who the first buyer is inside an investment firm 32:12 — McKinsey's 12M-jobs projection and whether firms are ready 34:53 — Value vs. growth investing at high valuations Mike's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ryan-bpn/ Website – https://bpnai.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/

  4. Jul 30

    Rebuilding Finance Operations with Tal Kirschenbaum of Ledge

    I am thrilled to have Tal Kirschenbaum, co-founder and CEO of Ledge. He's not building software that tracks the month-end close. He's building AI agents that that tracks the month-end close. In this episode, Tal Kirschenbaum, CEO of Ledge, shares insights on AI in finance, startup growth, and go-to-market strategies. Discover how AI is transforming accounting, the importance of deterministic models, and lessons from building a successful AI company. Timestamps 01:12 Understanding Corporate M&A and its Relevance to Startups 02:42 Insights from Corporate M&A Experience and Building Ledge 03:28 Origin of Ledge: Market Gap in Finance Operations 04:56 The Build vs. Buy Dilemma in AI Solutions 09:01 The Importance of Consistency in AI for Finance 11:03 Sales Strategies: Founder-Led and Multi-Channel Outreach 13:51 Leveraging Social Media and Content for Pipeline Growth 14:55 Balancing Founder Involvement in Sales and Scaling 16:54 Managing Distributed Teams Across Time Zones 18:45 Early Hiring Challenges and Lessons Learned 24:52 AI's Impact on Jobs in Finance and Future Outlook 27:53 AI Investment Mistakes and Market Trends 29:58 Global AI Race: US vs. China 31:04 Effective Go-to-Market Tactics for AI Startups 33:50 Staying Productive and Avoiding Burnout Tal's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-k/ Website – https://ledge.co/ 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. Jul 23

    How Sudhir Syal, President at ORIOS Venture Partners, evaluates GTM before writing a check

    I am happy to have Sudhir Syal, President at Orios Venture Partners. Sudhir spent fifteen years on both sides of the table. He covered India's earliest startups as a journalist, then went and grew three of them himself across Indonesia, UAE, SGP, and India. In this episode, Sudhir Syal, President at ORIOS Venture Partners, shares insights from his 15+ years of startup and investment experience across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He discussed startup scaling, international expansion, GTM strategies, and the future of AI and tech in emerging markets. Timestamps 00:00 The Journey from Journalism to Entrepreneurship 02:58 Scaling Startups: Insights from Founders 06:08 Market Expansion Strategies: Lessons from BookMyShow 09:09 Navigating Market Entry: India vs. US 12:10 Building Stratify: A Go-To-Market Enabler 15:19 Transferable GTM Playbooks Across Industries 18:13 Pitching to VCs: What Founders Get Wrong 20:37 The Rise of First-Time Fund Managers in India 21:17 Evaluating Go-To-Market Strategies 24:01 The Role of Capital in GTM Success 26:34 Navigating the Fractional Resource Landscape 27:52 The Future of Sales in an AI-Driven World 30:30 Preparing for the Job Market in an AI Era 32:30 Expanding Indian Brands into the UAE Market 33:52 Emerging Industries in the UAE 36:19 The Resilience of the UAE Startup Ecosystem 38:28 Metrics that Matter: Operators vs. VCs 40:33 Reflections on Career Decisions and Tools Sudhir's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhirsyal/ Website – https://www.oriosvp.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. Jul 16

    How Alex Chompff, co-founder of Evolution Ventures invests in the AI Repricing

    I am excited to have Alex Chompff, the Co-founder and Executive Director of Evolution Ventures and Lead General Partner of MinervaFund, an active early stage venture capital firm investing in women and traditionally underrepresented founders. In this episode, Alex Chompff, co-founder of Evolution Ventures, shares his journey from military service to venture capital, explores the impact of AI on the future of work, and discusses how startups can leverage new technologies and investment strategies. Timestamps 00:00 The Journey into Venture Capital 02:59 Military Influence on Leadership 06:09 Comparing Dot Com Boom and AI Revolution 09:00 Understanding Evolution Ventures and Minerva Fund 12:14 The Role of Evolution Labs 15:17 Unlocking Value with AI 18:03 AI and Labor Displacement 21:06 Reskilling in the Age of AI 24:14 The AI Co-Pilot Framework 27:12 Investing in AI: A Call to Action 31:43 Learning from Failures and Struggles 32:45 The Importance of Distribution in Software 35:34 The Changing Landscape of Venture Capital 40:10 Investing in Startups: Strategies and Considerations 44:09 The Role of Founders in Fundraising 48:01 Engaging with Venture Capital Firms 50:31 Reflections on Business and Personal Growth Alex's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexchompff Website - https://www.evolutionacceleration.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/

  7. Jul 9

    Fundraising for the Rest of Us with Allison Byers

    I am thrilled to have Allison Byers, founder and CEO of Scroobious. She is the author of the book, Fundraising for The Rest of Us. In this episode, Alison Byers shares her journey from entrepreneurship to venture capital insights, discusses biases in the industry, and introduces her relationship-first platform, Scroobius. She offers valuable advice for founders and emerging fund managers navigating the complex world of startup funding. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital 03:07 The Challenges of Fundraising and Gender Bias 06:13 Understanding Venture Capital Dynamics 09:17 The Importance of Relationships in Fundraising 11:58 Navigating Educational Backgrounds and Networking 15:24 The Role of Angel Investors vs. VCs 18:15 Introducing Scroobius: A Relationship-First Approach 22:44 Fundraising for the Rest of Us: Key Insights 25:38 Advice for Emerging Fund Managers 28:33 The Future of Venture Capital and Wealth Distribution 31:44 Closing Thoughts and Resources Allison's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-byers/ Website – Fundraising for the Rest of Us 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. Jul 2

    Navigating Southeast Asia: Jeremy Au on Building, Investing, and Career Pivots

    I am thrilled to have Jeremy Au was earlier COO of cancer-biotech Lucence. He's now CEO of Cosmetic Physician Partners Asia. Forbes 30 Under 30, 50+ startups backed, host of BRAVE. In this interview, Jeremy Au shares his diverse journey from founder to CEO, insights on startup building, cross-border healthcare, Southeast Asia tech, and investment strategies. A must-listen for entrepreneurs and investors aiming to navigate the complex Asian landscape. Timestamps 00:00 Journey of a Builder: From Founder to CEO 07:22 Navigating the Global Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities 10:49 Southeast Asia's Untold Stories: The Ground Realities 18:29 Climate Capital: The Next Big Opportunity? 22:20 Investing in the Future: Insights for Emerging VCs 35:15 Connecting the Dots: Career Transitions and Advice Jeremy's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyau/ Website – https://cosmeticphysicianpartners.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/

See All (303)

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