The {Closed} Session

Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, super{set}
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The {Closed} Session

Building a company from scratch is soul-sucking and mind-numbingly hard - but it’s the best thing ever. We know this because we’ve built a couple ourselves - and we’re building a lot more right now. We’ve made a lot of money for our employees, our shareholders, ourselves - we’re proud of that - and that’s why we want to talk about how it’s done. Join us - Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya - in The Closed Session, where we reveal all the joys and sorrows of company building. From the guttermost to the uttermost, we’re not going to hold back.

  1. The Brothers Chavez In Conversation: Tom & Marty Chavez on AI, Investing, + More

    06/25/2024

    The Brothers Chavez In Conversation: Tom & Marty Chavez on AI, Investing, + More

    Tom Chavez, Founding General Partner at super{set}, in conversation with his brother - R. Martin Chavez, Partner and Vice Chairman, Sixth Street, Board Member at Google, and former CFO of Goldman Sachs.

    1h 4m
  2. super{set} Celebrates First Exit: LiveRamp Acquires Habu for $200M

    04/26/2024

    super{set} Celebrates First Exit: LiveRamp Acquires Habu for $200M

    Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, and Habu co-founders Matt Kilmartin and Mike Moreau lift the veil on what really happened at Habu's build-out and eventual successful acquisition in just four short years as super{set}'s first-ever exit.

    59 min
  3. super{set} Fund II: Intensifying Our Serial Focus on Data+AI Company Building

    03/28/2024

    super{set} Fund II: Intensifying Our Serial Focus on Data+AI Company Building

    Announcing super{set} Fund II! The world has tilted in our favor. We’ve been building companies in the data+AI space for 25 years, mostly while it was niche and nerdy. With the AI revolution fully upon us, we’re thrilled to announce that super{set} has closed a $90 million second fund to invest in companies at inception. Since launching our first fund, super{set} has founded, funded and scaled 16 data+AI startups. Fund II brings our committed capital in active funds to $176M and comes on the heels of super{set}’s first exit: the acquisition of leading data collaboration company Habu for $200 million in January 2024. super{set} General Partner Jeremy Klein joins Tom and Vivek for this special episode digging into Jeremy's background and early work at the inception of super{set}, the immense data+AI opportunity today, why super{set} has raised Fund II, and how super{set} will partner with co-founders in Fund II. Don't miss this big news! Learn more about the Fund II announcement at superset.com/feed/super-set-fund-ii-90-million-to-intensify-our-serial-focus-on-data-ai-company-building Learn more about our VECTOR program - a 12-week fully-paid launchpad for technical product leaders to receive direction, build magnitude, and co-explore company creation alongside super{set} - at superset.com/vector

    43 min
  4. Creating a People-First Performance Culture for Startups

    02/07/2024

    Creating a People-First Performance Culture for Startups

    Talent and career development in startups is typically nonexistent - so at super{set}, we're changing that. While a startup’s opportunities for rapid growth and trial by fire are incredible, we believe startup employees can still benefit from intentional mentorship and development. No - it's not about bringing in professional coaches who lack hands-on company-building expertise. And no, it's more than advice from the balcony unmarried to what life is actually like in the startup trenches. Joining Tom and Vivek in the studio are the first graduates of super{set}’s coaching program for its employees: Jen D’Amico (Head of Business Development at Ketch), Anupam Gupta (Head of Customer Success at Ketch), and Ted Flanagan (Chief Customer Officer at Habu, recently Acquired by LiveRamp). How can startups improve outcomes by becoming more self-aware and assessing strengths and development areas better? How can entrepreneurs create the soil conditions for their employees to perform, even within the fast-paced startup environment? What advice do Jen, Anupam, and Ted have for startup employees - and the founders at the helm - around the globe?

    51 min
  5. Rachel Gollub on Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Leading Healthcare AI

    12/20/2023

    Rachel Gollub on Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Leading Healthcare AI

    Rachel Gollub is a distinguished engineer, programmer, and entrepreneur with a storied career in Silicon Valley: she started her career as part of the founding team behind the Java programming language and ended it as CTO of healthcare giant Optum. Along the way, Rachel managed to start several companies on top of a quick stopover at Stanford. In this episode, Rachel reflects on her experiences working alongside tech luminaries like James Gosling and dives into the challenges and triumphs she encountered while navigating the male-dominated field of technology. What does it take to build a successful team in the fast-paced world of startups? How do you bounce back from setbacks and learn from failed ventures? Rachel shares her insights, drawing from her rich experience in taking ideas from inception to reality, and the critical role of adaptability and innovation in entrepreneurship. Join Vivek and Rachel in this episode of 'The {Closed} Session' as they explore the intersection of engineering, entrepreneurship, and healthcare AI. The conversation delves into her thoughts on the current state and future of AI, particularly in healthcare, where she's been a driving force in integrating advanced technologies to revolutionize patient care and outcomes. Stay for Rachel’s unique perspective on where technology is headed, especially in the realm of healthcare AI.

    35 min
  6. How OpenAI Can Build an Ethical and Effective Board

    12/01/2023

    How OpenAI Can Build an Ethical and Effective Board

    Everyone’s talking about what went down at OpenAI - but what does it mean for ethical and responsible AI, and what are the lessons for entrepreneurs on startup board governance? With the abrupt dismissal of CEO Sam Altman, questions loom over the stability and direction of one of AI's most influential entities. Let’s uncover the twists and turns in this high-stakes boardroom drama. Why was Sam Altman abruptly dismissed - only to be brought back again? What role did board member Helen Toner and the responsible AI community play in the firings? Who is on deck next as the newest members of the board - and who else should OpenAI consider bringing? What choices face Sam Altman - and key partner at Microsoft Satya Nadella - and what should these leaders do next? Finally, what can the AI and startup communities learn from how it all went down? Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya give us their timely takes on what happened at OpenAI. With incisive commentary and expert insights, they explore the events leading to Altman's sacking and the broader implications for AI governance. Note this episode was recorded on November 27th, 2023, and published on December 1st, 2023 so it may not reflect the most current developments at OpenAI. Read Tom Chavez’s op-ed in Tech Crunch on the need for an interdisciplinary approach to AI alignment: https://www.superset.com/feed/tom-chavez-in-tech-crunch-answering-ais-biggest-questions-requires-an-interdisciplinary-approach Listen to more episodes at www.theclosedsession.com

    29 min
  7. What Consumers Think of AI and Their Privacy

    11/28/2023

    What Consumers Think of AI and Their Privacy

    Everyone’s talking about AI - so The Ethical Tech Project decided to listen. Joining forces with programmatic privacy and data+AI governance platform Ketch, The Ethical Tech Project surveyed a representative sample of 2,500 U.S. consumers and asked them about AI, the companies leveraging AI, and their sentiment and expectations around AI and privacy.  On the latest episode of The {Closed} Session, get an inside look at the survey results in a deep-dive conversation with the team at The Ethical Tech Project. Are Americans aware of the rapid pace of change in AI? How do they feel about companies mining their personal data and leveraging that data into LLMs and other AI tools? What are consumer expectations of the right to privacy alongside ethical data principles like transparency, fairness, agency, and accountability? In test purchase scenarios, will consumers choose products with ethical AI features? Joining Tom and Vivek on The {Closed} Session are Slingshot Strategies partner and pollster Evan Roth Smith and Ketch Head of Solutions Jonathan Joseph to dig into the survey results and get us into the head of the typical American consumer. Find out just how much consumers will reward ethical AI - with their hard-earned cash and trust - when offered by the companies and products they love.

    29 min
  8. Spotlight Series: Lindsey Meyl, Co-founder of RevAmp

    11/20/2023 · BONUS

    Spotlight Series: Lindsey Meyl, Co-founder of RevAmp

    The {Closed} Session Spotlight Series showcases a different co-founder from the super{set} portfolio every episode. Today's guest is Lindsey Meyl, Co-founder at RevAmp (rev-amp.ai), a "Datadog for RevOps" platform that offers observability across the revenue engine, monitoring performance, flagging when something is amiss, and determining the root cause of how to fix it.

    10 min
See All (50)

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Building a company from scratch is soul-sucking and mind-numbingly hard - but it’s the best thing ever. We know this because we’ve built a couple ourselves - and we’re building a lot more right now. We’ve made a lot of money for our employees, our shareholders, ourselves - we’re proud of that - and that’s why we want to talk about how it’s done. Join us - Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya - in The Closed Session, where we reveal all the joys and sorrows of company building. From the guttermost to the uttermost, we’re not going to hold back.

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, super{set}
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019-2022
  • Show Website
    The {Closed} Session

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