This Week in Startups ThisWeekIn

First Jason and Molly cover how 5G rollouts are causing problem with airlines (2:03) and Lina Khan’s remarks on reworking antitrust regulation to not only consider deals inflicting consumer harm, but those lessening competition (10:10).



Then, David Rosenthal for Season 6 Episode 2 of Angel (29:00)



- David’s been a VC for a while, but he just launched a new $2.8M fund part-time with Nat Manning

- We get into why his small fund size is actually so significant and represents new possibilities in venture

- How he uses his podcast and community to get dealflow

- What he thinks you need before starting your own VC fund

Microsoft has announced its intention to make the largest tech acquisition ever by buying Activision-Blizzard for ~$75B ($68.7 when you net out Activision's cash). This is Microsoft's 3rd major gaming acquisition as it attempts to build the “Netflix for Gaming" with its Game Pass service.



We cover the details of the deal: what the combined company will look like, how this fits into Microsoft's metaverse strategy, Microsoft's commitment to change the Activision-Blizzard culture, the $3B “breakup fee” that Activision is on the hook for if deal falls through, the potential challenge from the FTC and more!

Frank is the Chairman & CEO of Snowflake, a company he joined and rapidly accelerated in 2019. Frank led Snowflake to the largest software IPO in history (his third massive IPO as CEO). Previously, he grew Data Domain from $0 in revenue in 2003 to a ~$776M IPO in 2007 and then grew ServiceNow to a $22B market cap. In this episode you will learn the principles Frank uses to achieve outlier outcomes.



1 - Attracting and cultivating performing talent. Getting the wrong people off the bus fast is critical. Frank prefers "drivers" to "passengers."

2 - Without risk-taking, the business will stagnate. Left to their own devices things slow to a "glacial pace." CEOs should push to find the true limits of the organization.

3 - Intellectual honesty is required. Copy-pasting strategy from previous roles is unacceptable. You need to develop deep conviction, while maintaining humility to course correct when you are wrong.

4 - Culture and reputation are defined by your actions. CEOs must maintain an incredibly high bar.



Get his book "Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity" https://ampitupbook.com/

News: Jason covers the how Signal messages led to the Oath Keeper sedition indictments (1:47) and how Google, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter are being subpoenaed by the House committee investigating Jan 6th, 2021 (15:32).



Producer Rachel "OK Boomer" with French Gen Z entrepreneur Alex Masmej (27:10). You Will learn

- How he raised $20K in 100 hours by selling a "personal token"

- How $ALEX token holders were allowed to vote on his life decisions

- The actual steps to issue a personal token

- A re-usable strategy to generate media hype to catalyze your career

First Jason covers the recent college enrollment decline (1:23) and lays out his alternative (9:56).



Then Zach Coelius joins for an Ask an Angel session, where they answer 12 audience questions about investing and startups (20:37).





You will learn:

- What is the definition of an outlier success in VC?

- Are investors okay with founders that use no-code software like Bubble as an MVP?

- How does a seasoned investor deal with a founder who is headed in the wrong direction?

- Common pitch failures?

- When should you go for top line versus bottom line?

- Would VC funds do better with individuals instead of institutions?

- What industries Zach and Jason would like to see disrupted

- How much of an impact does bad reputation have on investing?

- What makes a good Board Meeting?

- As a VC, is it better to stay off the board from a liability standpoint?

- What is too expensive at the seed stage?

First we talk about how the top streaming platforms projected to spend $140B on content in 2022 (2:18) and Elizabeth Warren’s bad take on grocery stores. Then Mac the VC joins the show as the first guest for Angel Season 6 (49:29) to share his story and how he invests.