Nothing Ventured Aarish Shah - EmergeONE

On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah chats with Kiran Mehta
from Mercia Ventures about the importance of doing what you love and
excelling at it rather than trying to live in a parallel universe. They
discuss the significance of working with smart people, navigating the
chaos of venture capital, and how good founders can succeed in any
market condition. Kiran emphasizes the need for founders to prioritize
growth while being capital efficient and focusing on actionable steps to
reach milestones. Tune in to gain insights into the world of venture
capital and the strategies that lead to success.

🕒 Time stamps -
01:36 - Guest Introduction: Kiran Mehta
01:47 - Thoughts on Education and Career Choices
03:08 - Impact of AI and Changing Job Market
03:38 - Humanities Backgrounds in Tech
04:55 - Personal Career Reflections
05:06 - Education System and Career Paths
06:12 - Evolution of Job Market and Skills
06:39 - Career Decisions and Luck
07:19 - Joining Mercia Ventures
07:33 - Breaking into Venture Capital
09:14 - Day-to-Day Life in Venture Capital
10:05 - Assessing Deals and Building Relationships
10:57 - Importance of Founder-Investor Fit
11:28 - Transaction and Portfolio Management
12:33 - Managing a Large Portfolio
13:59 - Scalability Challenges in Venture Capital
15:22 - Support Structures at Mercia
16:57 - Building Effective Boards
17:08 - Scalability and Network in Venture
18:01 - Economies of Scale in Venture Capital
18:47 - Proactive Problem Solving in Portfolio Management
19:08 - State of Venture Capital Today
19:43 - Shift from Growth at All Costs to Capital Efficiency
20:56 - Balancing Growth and Profitability
21:10 - Intersection of Growth and Capital Efficiency
22:14 - Profitability vs. Growth Dilemma
23:25 - Strategic Decision-Making for Founders
24:18 - Optionality in Funding Strategies
25:10 - Trends in Software and SaaS Businesses
26:56 - Role of Venture in R&D Heavy Businesses
27:20 - Challenges in Software Sales
28:00 - Market Changes and Founder Strategies
29:06 - Venture as a Goal vs. Business Fundamentals
30:19 - Survivorship Bias in Venture Success Stories
31:08 - Importance of Revenue-Driven Businesses
32:03 - Preference Stacks and Founder Outcomes
32:34 - Differences in Venture Ecosystems: US vs. UK/Europe
33:13 - Factors Affecting Unicorn Rates
34:00 - Founder Motivations and Market Realities
34:59 - Future of Venture Capital
35:15 - Desired Changes in Venture Capital
35:58 - Evolution of Fundraising Processes
36:40 - Importance of Articulating Vision
37:01 - Focus on Societal Impact and Innovation
37:20 - Alternative Fundraising Approaches
38:03 - Value of Pitch Decks and Financial Models
39:08 - Long-Form Memos vs. Pitch Decks
39:57 - Nuances in Financial Models
40:50 - Transparency in Fundraising Process

Today on Nothing Ventured, Tamta Gamezardashvili discusses the challenges VCs face in raising capital, the dynamics of power and ego in investment, and the importance of equal opportunities. Tamta shares insights on gender differences in asking for money, her work in bringing women into the VC space, and her contrarian approach to questioning norms. Join host Aarish Shah as he delves into the stories shaping the venture capital ecosystem.

🕒 Time stamps - 00:46 Gender differences in fundraising.05:13 Fundraising as a sales process.09:32 Non-financial returns in investments.12:11 Dream investors and targeting strategies.16:18 What is equality?20:33 Gender disparities in psychology careers.24:23 Gender differences in risk appetite.26:30 Gender differences in decision-making.32:34 Female founder valuations in business.36:13 The evolution of feminism.39:33 Female founder communities.42:32 Female Founder Support Community.45:25 The power of understanding others.49:53 Female investor community on LinkedIn.

On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah discusses the
misunderstood quick commerce space with Steve O'Hear, founder of O'Hear
& Co. They delve into attracting paying customers for convenience,
the role of journalists in the hype cycle, signals for early-stage
investors, and the impact of excessive press coverage on a company's
image. Tune in to gain insights into the world of venture capital and
startup storytelling.

⏱️Timestamps:
00:31 Quick commerce space misunderstood.06:26 Convenience in online retail.09:36 Premium product differentiation strategies.13:08 The importance of storytelling.19:26 Relationship dynamics in journalism.21:18 Machine learning in autonomous driving.25:15 The importance of effective messaging.32:24 PR strategy breakdown into three.34:51 Storytelling in media relations.39:48 The importance of storytelling.43:33 Work from home debate.45:41 Social mobility and remote work.49:41 Intent and human connection.

In this episode of "Nothing Ventured," Aarish Shah discusses how
Singapore has been stimulating the early stage tech ecosystem with
guests Henry Goodwin and Shwetank Verma from Leo Capital. They delve
into topics like the India Advantage, the global talent pool from India,
startups listing on the Indian Stock Exchange, entering the Nordics
market, and the importance of keeping the US market in mind for
scalability. The conversation touches on the evolving perception of
entrepreneurship in India and the diaspora. Tune in to gain insights
into the venture capital world and the global startup landscape.

🕒 Time stamps -
02:13 Singapore's early stage tech ecosystem.05:16 Singapore's forward-thinking approach.08:39 Indian talent powering global businesses.13:26 Advantages of Indian communal living.17:29 Tech ecosystem evolution.19:44 Global Expansion Strategies.22:40 Scaling startups in Europe.27:20 Building a global business.28:39 Scaling a Business Globally.33:43 Entrepreneurship journey and family acceptance.35:34 Generational businesses in Indian diaspora.

In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Mads Jensen
and Dan Bowyer, general partners at Superseed. They discuss the growing
interest in AI and its impact on business. They also delve into the
evolution of European venture capital, highlighting the increase in
funding over the years. The conversation touches on the need for a
European Nasdaq and the importance of speed in sales and scaling. The
episode explores the unique backgrounds of the hosts and how they came
together to form a VC fund. Tune in to gain insights into the world of
venture capital and the transformative power of AI in business.

🕒 Time stamps -
00:18 European venture capital growth.06:15 Fundraising challenges and environment.07:12 Longer investment timeframes.11:31 AI transforming businesses.14:37 State of venture in Europe.18:37 The Future Fund and Risk Aversion.21:34 Optimism in European Venture Capital25:36 Lack of awareness in founders.30:30 Building big European companies.31:35 Shifting focus to deep tech.36:00 Impactful investing in venture capital.38:16 European capital market challenges.43:55 Tech industry challenges in Europe.

Today on Nothing Ventured, Ash Arora, the youngest partner at LocalGlobe, shares her journey into venture capital, her deep dive into Bitcoin for Citibank, and her insights into the early days of the crypto community. She discusses her extensive interview process with LocalGlobe and explains the challenges in blockchain technology, highlighting the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Tune in to learn why Ethereum is considered the "hugging face" of blockchain.



⏱️ Time stamps:

01:31 The Heisenberg uncertainty principle in blockchain.

03:59 Bitcoin research project.

09:18 Trading crypto and impact.

12:31 Trusting celebrity endorsements in crypto.

14:03 Simplicity of tokenomics modeling.

16:55 New business models emerging.

19:34 Indian origin founders and investments.

23:55 Choosing the right VC fund.

28:13 Web3 and blockchain trends.

31:26 Blockchain in cross-border transactions.

33:39 Blockchain Trilemma discussed.

38:16 Blockchain in land registry.

41:25 The impact of blockchain.

43:36 Human judgment in AI and tech.

48:13 Community building in blockchain.

49:36 Developer ecosystems in tech.