The Learning Corner by Precursor

Mia Farnham, Charles Hudson
  • 5,0 (7)
  • ИНВЕСТИЦИИ
  • ЕЖЕНЕДЕЛЬНО

Welcome to the Learning Corner, a weekly Precursor Ventures podcast, where members of the Precursor team walk through their favorite articles and news snippets across the venture ecosystem.

  1. -5 ДН.

    Episode #67: Always In The Office, Bubbles vs. Balloons, Tool Shaped Objects

    This week we're joined by a special guest, Ariana Ferwerda, CEO and co-founder of Halfdays, a women's ski and outdoor wear brand, to discuss her piece on why her team will always be in the office and the inflection points that brought them from remote to fully in-person. Then, Charles and Mia dig into Kanyi Maqubela's "Bubbles and Balloons," which argues the 2021 market wasn't a bubble but a slow deflation, and whether the AI boom is simply re-inflating the same balloon. They close with Will Manidis' "Tool Shaped Objects," a sharp response to viral AI doom content that challenges whether the current AI infrastructure boom is producing real productivity or just the feeling of it.

    27 мин.

  2. 12 ФЕВР.

    Episode #66: AI Fatigue Is Real, Patient Capital Will Eat VC, Building a GP Reference List

    This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles unpack why AI is making engineers more productive but more exhausted, exploring the hidden cost of constant tool evaluation and "thinking atrophy." They then dig into a provocative argument that venture capital's traditional model is fundamentally breaking down and why the future looks more like permanent capital than ten year fund structures. Finally, they walk through Julia Maltby's tactical guide on building a GP reference list that actually closes LPs, including why your best reference might be a founder from a deal that didn't work out.

    23 мин.

  3. 5 ФЕВР.

    Episode #65: I See Dead VCs, Tech Media Echo Chambers, VC-Backed Startups' Status Collapse

    This week features Beezer Clarkson from Sapphire Partners discussing her analysis on venture's first substantial firm contraction in 20+ years, with fewer than half of existing VC firms actively investing. We examine Om Malik's critique of access journalism dominating tech media, where velocity trumps substance. Finally, Michael Dempsey's essay argues that VC-backed startups have undergone the same status collapse as investment banking, becoming the unremarkable default path for ambitious talent rather than a signal of contrarian vision.

    26 мин.

  4. 29 ЯНВ.

    Episode #64: Hubristic Fundraising's Hidden Costs, VCs Can't Win Talent, SaaS Death Greatly Exaggerated

    This week we discuss Jason Lemkin's analysis of Brex's $5.15B exit and how hubristic fundraising creates impossible success benchmarks, Auren Hoffman's controversial claim that VCs overpromise their ability to help with hiring in today's AI talent war, and Saanya Ojha's defense of SaaS business models against claims of obsolescence. We explore why massive valuations attract mercenaries over missionaries, whether venture capital firms can truly move the needle on talent acquisition, and how vendor fatigue and data moats protect incumbents from AI disruption. Join us as we challenge conventional wisdom on fundraising strategy, investor value-add, and the future of enterprise software.

    21 мин.

  5. 22 ЯНВ.

    Episode #63: Sequoia Breaks Portfolio Conflict Rules, Pre-Seed Is Dead?, FAANG to Startup Regret

    This week we discuss Sequoia's groundbreaking decision to invest in Anthropic despite existing stakes in OpenAI and xAI, challenging traditional VC taboos around backing competitors. We explore why pre-seed fundraising has fundamentally changed, with most founders now needing $300K ARR just to get meetings. Finally, we examine a candid reflection from an ex-Amazon employee who regretted leaving FAANG for a startup, highlighting the mission-driven intensity required to succeed in early-stage companies.

    23 мин.

  6. 15 ЯНВ.

    Episode #62: Firm Over Fund, Relevance Decays, The Privilege of Belief

    This week we explore David Haber's framework on why most investors run funds but few build lasting firms, and what it takes to create a defensible moat in venture capital. Sarah Guo reminds us that relevance decays without constant market engagement, especially in the compressed timelines of AI companies where first principles thinking matters more than inherited pattern matching. We close with Michael Dempsey's piece on the privilege of belief in early-stage investing, examining what steadfast conviction looks like when operating with incomplete or no data. From institutional durability to personal conviction, we unpack what separates temporary success from lasting impact in venture.

    19 мин.

  7. 8 ЯНВ.

    Episode #61: AI-Generated Reddit Hoax, Tech Career Crisis, Venture FOMO Reality

    This week we unpack the viral AI food delivery hoax that fooled thousands on Reddit and what it reveals about misinformation in 2026. We discuss the crisis of career fulfillment in tech as layoffs continue while startups struggle to find talent. Finally, Roger Ehrenberg shares an honest take on the insecurities every venture investor faces and why playing your own game matters more than ever.

    22 мин.

  8. 18.12.2025

    Episode #60: The 2025 Venture Review feat. Hunter Walk (Homebrew, Screendoor) and Peter Walker (Carta)

    This end‑of‑year episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor brings together our first podcast guests, Hunter Walk (Homebrew, Screendoor) and Peter Walker (Carta) for a wide‑ranging conversation on how venture capital has evolved in 2025. We unpack ballooning early‑stage valuations, the distortion created by media attention, and how few companies actually sit at the top of the market. We also discuss today’s exit landscape, growing pressure for liquidity, the rise of secondaries, and what recent IPOs and M&A activity mean for funds of different sizes. We close by examining what early‑stage venture really looks like today, from changing GP‑LP dynamics to faster paths to scale and the push to build more with smaller teams.

    33 мин.
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Welcome to the Learning Corner, a weekly Precursor Ventures podcast, where members of the Precursor team walk through their favorite articles and news snippets across the venture ecosystem.

Информация

  • Автор
    Mia Farnham, Charles Hudson
  • Годы выхода
    2024 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    68
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © Copyright 2026 The Learning Corner by Precursor
  • Сайт подкаста
    The Learning Corner by Precursor

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