High Stakes

Paige Soya
  • 5.0 (7)
  • INVESTING
  • SEMIWEEKLY SERIES

Join seasoned investors and successful start-up founders as they weigh in on topics and trends currently dominating the venture capital space. Each episode brings together a founder and an investor to provoke a deepened understanding of the topic at hand. If you want to learn about how early-stage venture capital investing works, this show is for you.

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  1. An Introduction to Venture Capital: Meet your hosts | Paige Soya & Nick Duafala at K Street Capital: Season 4 of High Stakes

    EPISODE 1

    An Introduction to Venture Capital: Meet your hosts | Paige Soya & Nick Duafala at K Street Capital: Season 4 of High Stakes

    Welcome to Season 4 of High Stakes and this season we’re starting with the fundamentals. In Venture Capital 101, K Street Capital Managing Partner Paige Soya and Principal Nick Duafala break down how venture capital actually works for founders, investors, and anyone curious about the startup ecosystem. In this opening episode, Paige and Nick share the origin story of K Street Capital and their own paths into venture, from Wall Street and investment banking to founding and exiting a fintech company. They discuss: How K Street Capital started as an angel syndicate and evolved into a venture platformWhy early-stage investing is different from traditional financeWhat makes venture capital unique compared to other asset classesHow investors evaluate startups and work alongside foundersAlong the way, they also talk about some of the companies K Street has backed, from digital health platforms to AI-powered robotics, and what makes those opportunities exciting. This episode sets the stage for the rest of the season, where Paige and Nick will walk through the full venture capital playbook, including angel investing vs. VC, startup evaluation, deal terms, portfolio strategy, and more. If you're a founder thinking about raising capital, an investor interested in venture, or just curious about how the startup funding world works, this season is designed to be your starting point. Listen to the full episode and follow along as we break down Venture Capital 101.

    36 min
  2. Not All Capital Is Created Equal: Venture Capital vs. Other Funding | Paige Soya & Jill Ralph (Former Chemonics Capital and Motley Fool)

    EPISODE 2

    Not All Capital Is Created Equal: Venture Capital vs. Other Funding | Paige Soya & Jill Ralph (Former Chemonics Capital and Motley Fool)

    Venture capital is one of the most misunderstood asset classes in investing and one of the most powerful when approached correctly. In this episode of High Stakes, K Street Capital Managing Partner Paige Soya sits down with investor Jill Ralph (Motley Fool’s former President of Global Membership, and former VP of Chemonics Capital) to break down Venture Capital 101, from both the investor and founder perspective. They unpack what venture capital actually is, how it fits into the broader investing landscape, and why it operates so differently from traditional asset classes like public equities. From risk and liquidity to diversification and portfolio strategy, this conversation covers the fundamentals every new investor should understand before entering the space. But this episode isn’t just for investors. For founders, Paige and Jill dive into a critical question: Is your company even a fit for venture capital? They explore what types of businesses are best suited for VC, what taking on venture funding really means for your company’s future, and how it can fundamentally shape your growth trajectory. They also cover: Why venture capital is considered one of the highest-risk asset classesWhat diversification looks like in a venture portfolioHow long it typically takes to see returnsWhat it means to be an accredited investor and how much capital you need to get startedHow venture-backed companies differ from traditional businessesWhether you’re an aspiring investor looking to break into venture or a founder evaluating funding options, this episode provides a clear, foundational understanding of the risks, rewards, and realities of venture capital. Because while venture is high risk and long-term, it also offers something unique: the opportunity to back innovation early and watch it grow from the ground up.

    32 min
  3. How VCs Source Deals | Paige Soya, Nick Duafala & Taylor Margot (Partner, Lytical Ventures)

    EPISODE 3

    How VCs Source Deals | Paige Soya, Nick Duafala & Taylor Margot (Partner, Lytical Ventures)

    How do venture capitalists actually find deals and how can founders break into those conversations? In this episode of High Stakes, Paige Soya and Nick Duafala are joined by Taylor Margot (Partner at Lytical Ventures) to break down one of the most important, and often misunderstood, parts of venture capital: deal sourcing. They unpack where deals really come from, from warm referrals and deep networks to unexpected moments of curiosity, and why the strongest opportunities are often driven by relationships, not cold outreach. The conversation goes beyond surface-level advice to explore how sourcing has evolved, the role of personal brand, and why depth matters more than breadth in today’s market. For founders, this episode is a playbook. The group shares practical strategies for getting in front of VCs, from leveraging your network the right way to standing out at events, and what not to do if you want to build lasting investor relationships. They also dive into the psychology behind cold outreach, why most inbound gets ignored, and how to increase your odds of getting that first meeting. Whether you're an investor looking to build deal flow or a founder trying to raise capital, this episode offers a clear, tactical look at how connections actually turn into deals and how to position yourself on the right side of that equation. What you’ll learn: -How VCs really source deals (and why it’s not just about “who you know”) -The difference between warm intros, cold outreach, and organic discovery -Why deep relationships outperform wide networks -How founders can effectively get in front of investors -The biggest mistakes founders make when approaching VCs -Why venture is a long game—and how to play it

    50 min
  4. Angel Investors vs. VCs | Paige Soya & Dadi Akhavan (Startup-to-IPO Founder)

    EPISODE 4

    Angel Investors vs. VCs | Paige Soya & Dadi Akhavan (Startup-to-IPO Founder)

    In this episode of High Stakes, Paige Soya sits down with Dadi Akhavan, a startup-to-IPO founder and angel investor, to break down one of the most important dynamics in early-stage investing: angel investors vs venture capitalists. While both play critical roles in the startup ecosystem, the way they invest and what they need from their investments iis fundamentally different. We explore how those differences shape everything from deal selection to decision-making to founder outcomes. Key themes include: Why venture capital funds are structurally driven to pursue “outlier” returnsHow fund size, LP expectations, and mandates influence VC behaviorWhy angel investors have more flexibility in what and when they investHow early-stage founders should think about which type of capital to raise — and whenThe tradeoffs between taking institutional money vs. staying in the angel ecosystemWhat “stage of company” really means in practice for fundraising strategyHow experienced investors evaluate opportunity differently based on structure, not just preferenceDadi also shares insights from his own journey, from building companies to taking one from startup all the way to IPO, and how that experience shapes his approach to investing today. This episode is a deep dive into the mechanics behind startup funding decisions, and what founders often overlook when choosing between angels and VCs.

    40 min
See All Season 4 (4)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Join seasoned investors and successful start-up founders as they weigh in on topics and trends currently dominating the venture capital space. Each episode brings together a founder and an investor to provoke a deepened understanding of the topic at hand. If you want to learn about how early-stage venture capital investing works, this show is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Paige Soya
  • Episodes
    65
  • Seasons
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    High Stakes

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