Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

Rohit Malhotra
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Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

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. 2 DAYS AGO

    Guy Rubin from Ebsta on AI, Benchmarking, and Building Relationships in B2B Sales

    I am thrilled to have Guy Rubin, the founder and CEO of Ebsta, the Revenue Intelligence Platform for Salesforce and Hubspot customers.  Ebsta delivers real-time forecasting tools and uses engagement trends to benchmark live pipeline against previously closed won deals. In this episode Guy Rubin, founder and CEO of Ebsta, a revenue intelligence platform for Salesforce and HubSpot customers shares insights into the role of AI in automating sales admin tasks, freeing up reps to focus on building relationships. He also discusses the importance of benchmarking sales data to improve performance, the challenges of scaling from SMB to enterprise, and advice on hiring for early-stage startups. Guy emphasizes the need to focus on human connections in sales, even in a world increasingly driven by AI tools and automation, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * When is the right time to hire your first sales rep? * Should the founder be the one to create the sales playbook? * How important are logos? Does social validity really work in the enterprise? * How should sales teams use discounting in enterprise sales most effectively? * What is your favourite business book? –Crossing the chasm * What is your favourite online tool? –Slack * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Thinking and planning in advance Timestamps 2:45: The role of AI in reducing the administrative burden for sales teams. 3:30: The importance of relationships in B2B sales and how AI enhances, but doesn’t replace, human connection. 4:45: Analyzing sales data to identify key differences between top performers and average performers. 6:00: The role of AI in benchmarking and recreating unrecorded sales activities. 8:15: The impact of time on win rates and the importance of closing lost opportunities early. 10:45: Differences between selling to small, medium, and enterprise customers. 12:00: The importance of choosing the right customer profile for a successful sales process. 13:15: The value of company logos and social proof when selling to enterprises. 16:00: Budgeting for enterprise sales and managing slow-burn deals. 18:45: Guy’s advice on outbound sales and building human connections during sales calls. 20:00: The importance of relationships in B2B sales and becoming an expert advisor. 23:45: Guy’s advice on hiring the first sales representative versus a VP of Sales. 26:15: The difference between people who can turn zero into one versus those who follow existing processes. 27:30: Domain expertise in new hires and the importance of a startup mentality. 30:00: Pros and cons of hiring from your own network versus using recruiters for early hires. 32:00: How Ebsta analyzes sales data to understand revenue signals. Guy’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinguy Sales report - https://www.ebsta.com/2024-b2b-sales-benchmarks/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    37 min

  2. OCT 18

    Scaling Startups and Cybersecurity with Reinout Vander, Partner at TIN Capital

    I am happy to have Reinout Vander Meulen, a partner at TIN Capital. He was a co-founder at Type22, an airport baggage handling innovator MSc in Aerospace Engineering. In this episode, Reinout Vander, Partner at TIN Capital shares his journey from co-founding Type 22, a baggage handling innovator, to transitioning into venture capital. He discusses his experiences scaling international startups, the importance of product localization in Europe, and the challenges in cybersecurity investments. Reinout also highlights key lessons from working with cybersecurity founders and navigating the complexities of market timing, scaling, company exits, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * What are the most pressing cybersecurity challenges facing European businesses today? * How does Reinout approach when to sell vs when to hold a position? * What does Reinout know now that he wishes he had known when he got into VC? * What is your favourite business book? –Spin Selling * What is your favourite online tool? –iharvest * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – NA Timestamps 4:10 - How Type 22 pivoted to focus on product innovation in self-service baggage systems. 7:00 - Reinout’s involvement with the Delft University incubator 8:10 - Reinout discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry. 10:00 - TIN Capital’s focus on cybersecurity investments. 12:45 - Differences in scaling startups between Europe and the U.S. 14:05 - Importance of localizing products for different European markets. 18:00 - Key cybersecurity challenges for European businesses. 20:00 - How cybersecurity regulations in Europe impact startups and investments. 22:30 - The competitive advantage of being a European cybersecurity startup. 28:00 - Deciding when to sell portfolio companies and the importance of timing. 30:00 - The importance of maintaining ownership and how to manage dilution. 34:00 - Reinout’s biggest lessons in market timing for cybersecurity investments. 36:00 - Mistakes made in investing in too niche markets. 40:00 - Importance of relationships and trust in cybersecurity VC investments. 42:30 - Reinout’s advice for emerging managers in the VC ecosystem. Natalia’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/reinoutvandermeulen Website – https://www.tiincapital.nl/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com Newsletter: partnergrow.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    40 min

  3. OCT 11

    Building real relationships with peers with Natalia Cebotari from Osmos

    I am thrilled to have Natalia Cebotari, the co-founder of Osmos building the first networking platform for entrepreneurs and professionals that saves time and finds relevant people in less than a minute.  In this episode, Natalia Cebotari, founder of Osmos, talks about the networking platform designed to save time and connect professionals quickly. Natalia shares her journey, from working alongside her husband on their first startup to becoming Chief Strategy Officer at Yandex, where she built new ventures within the corporation. She discusses the challenges of building a social platform, the growth of Osmos, the importance of conversations in expanding one’s network, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * What are the key metrics Natalia focuses on to measure the success of Osmos? * What strategies have been most effective in growing the user base of Osmos? * Will companies actually make more revenue from having AI in products * What is your favorite business book? –Lean Analytics * What is your favorite online tool? –iPhone notes * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Talk to customers Timestamps * 03:30 – Learning to navigate challenges and becoming resilient in entrepreneurship. * 05:00 – Natalia’s transition to working at Yandex as Chief Strategy Officer. * 06:30 – Building new ventures inside Yandex and the differences from a small startup. * 08:15 – The importance of collaboration and communication in large companies like Yandex. * 11:00 – The vision behind Osmos and Natalia's motivation to create an alternative to LinkedIn. * 13:00 – Challenges entrepreneurs face with loneliness and isolation. * 14:30 – How conversations with new people can bring fresh energy and ideas. * 16:00 – Natalia discusses how Osmos grew its initial user base through networking. * 17:30 – The effectiveness of attending online conferences for user acquisition. * 19:00 – The role of email integration in Osmos' growth strategy. * 23:00 – The importance of tracking the number of conversations and user satisfaction. * 26:00 – How paid users behave differently and take conversations more seriously. * 28:00 – Insights on product development from feedback received from paid users. * 30:00 – Balancing user growth with maintaining a high-quality user experience. * 32:00 – Natalia’s perspective on growth as an art, not just a science. * 33:30 – The right time to hire a growth team Natalia’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliechebotar Website – https://osmos.social My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    39 min

  4. OCT 4

    Building a Marketplace for Home Chefs with Ajith Govind from Cravd

    I am excited to have Ajith Govind, the founder of Cravd, an online marketplace to book a home chef to visit and cook right in your kitchen. He earlier co-founded Turing Labs, achieving Series A funding backed by Y Combinator and top investors, including Insight Partners, raising over $20M. In this episode, Ajith Govind, co-founder of Cravd, an online marketplace for booking home chefs shares his entrepreneurial journey, including his experience with Turing Labs. He discusses the challenges of launching a startup, the importance of product-market fit, and the significance of culture in building a successful company. Ajit also talks about Cravd’s expansion strategy, focusing on empowering home chefs, providing healthy, home-cooked meals for busy families, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * How can marketplace founders be strategic in building moats around their business? * What is the single most important metric for Cravd * Does Ajith pay attention to CACs at all? * What is your favourite business book? –Hard things about hard things * What is your favourite online tool? –Sunsummer * If you could go back to when you started working on Energy Capital Ventures, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Focus on culture Timestamps 3:30 Ajit shares insights from his experience co-founding Turing Labs. 6:30 The significance of Y Combinator in Ajit’s entrepreneurial journey. 10:30 Ajit’s thoughts on the importance of mentorship and Y Combinator experience. 12:30 The concept behind Cravd , an online marketplace for home chefs. 14:30 Crave’s initial model and its evolution based on customer feedback. 17:30 The unique selling point of Cravd  in providing healthy, home-cooked meals. 20:30 The importance of GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) as a key metric for Cravd . 22:30 Crave’s ideal customer profile: busy, working families with disposable income. 25:30 Ajit discusses the challenges faced by home chefs in the marketplace. 27:30 The importance of building a moat around Cravd ’s business to ensure defensibility. 29:30 How Cravd ’s low take rate (10%) differentiates it from other predatory platforms. 33:30 The importance of launching products quickly and iterating based on user feedback. 34:30 Ajit’s advice for founders: Focus on culture from the beginning to drive success. Ajith’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajith-govind Website – https://cravd.com My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    43 min

  5. SEP 27

    Energy Transformation Insights with Victor Pascucci from Energy Capital Ventures

    I am thrilled to have Victor Pascucci III, the co-founder and Managing General Partner of Energy Capital Ventures.  The only early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to the resilience, sustainability and digital transformation of the natural gas industry. Vic has over 20 years of experience in venture capital and financial services encompassing over $750 million in VC and M&A transactions. In this episode, Victor Pascucci III, co-founder and Managing General Partner of Energy Capital Ventures shares his unique journey from trial attorney to venture capitalist, offering insights into the natural gas industry’s digital transformation and sustainability efforts. He discusses emerging trends in green molecules, hydrogen technology, and renewable natural gas. Victor also offers advice for aspiring VCs, highlighting the importance of perseverance, non-dilutive funding, building strong teams, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * How do you evaluate the potential of a startup when considering an investment? * What advice would you give to aspiring venture capitalists looking to enter the industry today? * How does Victor approach market sizing? * What is your favourite business book? –The advantage * What is your favourite online tool? –Slack * If you could go back to when you started working on Energy Capital Ventures, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Use a broader approach Timestamps 04:25: Victor’s journey into venture capital through corporate partnerships and investments. 06:15: Victor’s advice for those wanting to enter venture capital without traditional paths. 07:35: Discussion about the recent boom in new seed VC firms and their challenges. 09:00: Victor shares insights into the difficulty of starting a VC fund and the path to success. 13:30: Why natural gas and its role in future energy needs remain critical. 14:20: Game-changing emerging trends in the energy and natural gas sector. 15:10: The future of hydrogen and its potential in the aviation industry. 16:40: Evaluating startups based on team, technology, market, and competitive advantage. 21:30: The potential for Europe to become a leader in deep tech and climate tech innovations. 22:40: The biggest missed opportunities in VC and lessons learned from early mistakes. 25:10: Approaching market sizing and the importance of creating new markets in green molecules. 26:30: When to sell or hold a position in venture capital. 28:00: The role of VC in helping founders and where they can add value. 31:20: Advice for operators transitioning from big companies like Google and Amazon to startups 33:40: Discussion on the mental model shift required for operators moving from big companies to startups. Victor’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorpascucci Website – https://www.energycapitalventures.com/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal 5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com Newsletter: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    42 min

  6. SEP 20

    Julio Avalos from Shades News on the Future of Media

    I am excited to have Julio Avalos, the founder of Shades News which brings you daily bites of news and culture, presented from multiple points of view so that you can see the whole picture quickly. The mission is to unlock the potential of the internet to help people stay informed in a fun and positive way. In this episode, Julio Avalos, founder of Shades News and former Chief Strategy Officer at GitHub Julio shares his journey from law to tech startups, his early experience with Facebook, and his pivotal role in GitHub’s open-source and remote-first culture. He discusses the motivation behind founding Shades News, a platform aimed at providing multiple perspectives on news and culture for Gen Z. Julio also talks about the impact of generative AI in content curation, the rise of one-person media companies, and the future of legacy media, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes  Learn * How does Shade News aim to address the issue of biased reporting and fake news? * How does Julio see the future of news consumption evolving * What does Julio believe are the biggest mistakes early-stage founders make when telling stories? * What is your favourite business book? – Zero to one * What is your favourite online tool? –Figma slides * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – less focus on paid ads Timestamps 04:15 - Impact of Early Startups 06:00 - Humanizing Big Tech 08:10 - Working with Mark Zuckerberg 10:00 - The Reality of Startup Founders 12:30 - Transition to GitHub 15:45 - Open Source and Remote Culture at GitHub 18:15 - Lessons from Remote Work 21:00 - Founding Shades News 24:00 - Challenges in Journalism 28:10 - Gen Z and Information Consumption 30:30 - Bias in News Media 33:00 - The Role of Generative AI in Curating Content 36:15 - The Rise of One-Person Media Companies 39:00 - Consolidation in Media 41:30 - Shades News Revenue Model 43:45 - Insights on Gen Z Search Habits 47:00 - AI's Impact on Content Creation 50:15 - Fundraising Challenges for Startups 52:45 - Balancing Optimism and Realism 55:30 - Future of AI in Product Development Julio’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-avalos-who/ Website – https://www.shadesnews.com/ My Links   Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes  YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery  Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal  5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com  Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    1h 2m

  7. SEP 13

    Building 10x Better Products and Scaling Growth with Asya Kuznetsova

    I am thrilled to have Asya Kuznetsova, a product and growth expert who has led the product growth unit at Wise, a global FinTech company that processes more than £8B worth of international transactions for over 16M people and businesses. In this episode, Asya Kuznetsova, a product and growth expert with experience at Wise and Yandex discusses building products that are ten times better than competitors, optimizing growth through referrals, and the differences between B2C and B2B scaling. She also highlights data-driven decision-making long-term growth strategies, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * What are the most effective metrics to measure the success of organic growth initiatives? * How to structure and optimize referral programs to maximize their impact on user acquisition? * What are the biggest mistakes founders make when scaling into an enterprise? * What is your favourite business book? – Cold start problem * What is your favourite online tool? –Figma * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Build 10x better product Timestamps 06:30 - Yandex Lessons 08:45 - 10x Approach 11:30 - Fail Fast, Learn Fast 13:45 - B2C vs B2B 15:00 - Customer-Centric Approach 17:10 - Metrics for Growth 19:00 - Word of Mouth Growth 22:30 - Referral Programs 25:10 - Customer Delight 27:00 - Product-Led Growth 30:00 - Localization 33:00 - Managing Scale and Quality 35:10 - Data-Driven Growth 39:45 - Enterprise Scaling 42:30 - Building for Enterprises Asya’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/asya-kuznetsova/ Website – wise.com My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes  YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery  Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal  5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com  Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    43 min

  8. SEP 6

    Manish Patel from Nava Ventures on Navigating Venture Capital and the Future of AI

    I am thrilled to have Manish Patel, a GP at Nava Ventures who has led teams that have designed, developed, and scaled products with global impact from enterprise advertising systems like AdWords to consumer experiences like Google Maps. In this episode, Manish Patel, General Partner at Nava Ventures discusses the importance of market conditions for startups, early-stage companies' challenges, and the critical role of founder-market fit in venture capital. Manish also reflects on the evolving landscape of AI, venture capital, the lessons learned from his investment experiences, and much more! Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Learn * How does Manish approach market sizing? * Is Manish willing to take market timing risk? * How does Manish prioritise between founder vs market? * How does Manish approach mentorship and supporting other entrepreneurs in the network? * What is your favourite business book? – Creative confidence * What is your favourite online tool? –Google Maps * If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Raise a bigger fund Timestamps [00:04:10] - Stanford's entrepreneurial culture and its impact on Manish. [00:06:15] - Manish's experience at Google, working on Google Maps and Adwords. [00:10:30] - The role of market conditions in the success of startups. [00:12:45] - Discussion on the impact of AI and platforms like ChatGPT on search engines. [00:15:20] - Challenges faced by early-stage startups in today’s market. [00:17:50] - Importance of being aware of market conditions as a founder. [00:19:10] - The Series A crunch and its impact on startups. [00:21:30] - Insights on raising Series A and the importance of showing results. [00:23:00] - How venture capitalists provide mentorship to founders. [00:25:00] - The significance of market sizing in venture capital decisions. [00:27:20] - Discussion on how the best companies expand their markets. [00:29:10] - Market timing risks and lessons on timing in startups. [00:31:15] - Manish’s preference between new and experienced founders. [00:33:00] - The role of venture capitalists in the success of founders. [00:35:10] - Importance of board management in startups. [00:37:30] - Areas where VCs and founders are often not aligned. [00:42:15] - Discussion on founder-market fit and its importance in investments. [00:44:30] - Reflections on missed investment opportunities in venture capital. Manish’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishpatelli/ Website – nava.vc My Links   Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes  YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery  Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal  5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com  Newsletter:  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit partnergrow.substack.com

    41 min
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5
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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

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