Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have Dallas Price, a Venture Builder at Forum Ventures, where he helps launch and scale six B2B SaaS startups every year through their AI Studio. His work centres on turning early-stage concepts into real companies, guiding founders across product, go-to-market, and fundraising In this conversation, Dallas Price, a venture builder at Forum Ventures, discusses his journey into the startup world, the workings of a venture studio, and the current landscape of AI startups. Dallas shares insights on navigating chaos in startups, the importance of defensibility, new distribution channels, and evolving pricing models. He emphasizes the significance of customer traction and the need for founders to focus on their strengths when pitching to investors. The discussion also touches on the future of AI spending and the potential for full stack AI companies. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Dallas Price and His Journey 03:08 Transitioning to Venture Capital and Forum Ventures 06:10 Understanding the Venture Studio Model 09:18 Navigating the AI Landscape and Talent Wars 12:13 Defensibility in AI Startups 15:14 Emerging Distribution Channels in AI 18:07 Innovative Pricing Models for AI Startups 21:15 The Future of AI Native Companies 24:18 Spotlight on Startups: Credit Pulse and Scout Climate 26:52 Investor Signals and Customer Demand 30:07 The Importance of Founders in Startup Success 33:30 Current Trends in AI Spending and Future Outlook 36:21 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Dallas's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallascprice Website – https://www.forumvc.com/ My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am excited to have Seth Levine, venture capitalist and co-founder of Foundry, and Elizabeth MacBride, international business journalist and founder of Times of Entrepreneurship. Together, they co-authored The New Builders and now their latest book, Capital Evolution, explores how American capitalism is shifting—and why businesses, not government, may hold the keys to building a more inclusive and prosperous future. In this conversation, Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride discuss their new book, 'Capital Evolution,' which explores the shifting landscape of American capitalism. They delve into the challenges posed by neoliberal capitalism, the consequences of prioritizing shareholder value, and the need for a more inclusive economic model. The authors advocate for 'dynamic capitalism,' which emphasizes the importance of meritocracy, economic mobility, and the role of businesses in society. They also touch on the impact of AI on the workforce and the necessity for government reform to restore balance in power dynamics. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Capital Evolution 03:14 The State of American Capitalism 04:54 Neoliberalism and Its Consequences 05:19 The Rise of Business Over Government 08:28 Meritocracy and Economic Mobility 11:40 Global Perspectives on Capitalism 14:22 The Future of American Democracy and Business 17:16 Comparative Economic Models 20:35 Conclusion and Reflections on Capitalism 25:41 The Dynamics of the American Economy 27:07 Understanding Dynamic Capitalism 30:09 Elements of Dynamic Capitalism 31:45 Success Stories in Employee Ownership 33:44 The Impact of AI on Employment 37:34 Universal Basic Income: A Controversial Solution 41:30 Reforming Government for a Sustainable Future 44:58 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs Seth and Elizabeth's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethjlevine LDN - linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macbride-85a3806 Website – https://thecapitalevolution.com/ My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Marcos Rivera, the founder and CEO of Pricing I/O, where he helps B2B SaaS companies capture the value they've built. Former Head of Pricing at Vista Equity Partners, he's priced over 400 SaaS products and has authored Street Pricing. In this conversation, Marcos Rivera, founder and CEO of Pricing.io, discusses the intricacies of pricing strategies in B2B SaaS. Marcos shares his journey from product management to pricing, highlighting common mistakes companies make, especially in underpricing their products. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, the blend of art and science in pricing, and the impact of AI on pricing strategies. The discussion also covers diagnosing churn, building a pricing team, essential metrics for pricing decisions, and aligning sales and marketing efforts. Timestamps 03:04 Common Pricing Mistakes in B2B SaaS 06:22 The Art and Science of Pricing 09:02 AI and the Future of Pricing Models 12:18 Diagnosing Pricing Problems and Churn 15:10 Counterintuitive Pricing Strategies for Success 20:10 Innovative Pricing Strategies 22:20 Building a Team and Company Culture 25:07 The Role of Data in Pricing Decisions 26:28 Key Metrics for SaaS Pricing 29:11 Aligning Teams for Effective Pricing 32:28 Integrating AI into Pricing Strategies 36:08 Advice for Founders on Pricing Marcos's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcoslrivera/ Website – https://www.pricingio.com/ My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

Aabhas Khanna, is General Partner at MyAsiaVC, a venture syndicate and fund with $125M AUM backing 250+ companies, including 5 unicorns. Previously at HSBC and Deloitte, he now invests in pre-seed and seed AI-native startups across enterprise growth, healthcare, fintech, and advanced manufacturing, focusing on obsessive founders tackling overlooked challenges. In this conversation, Aabhas Khanna, a general partner at MyAsia VC, discusses his journey from working in large corporations to venture capital. Aabhas shares insights on evaluating AI startups, the importance of founder quality, and the unique challenges and opportunities in different Asian markets. He emphasizes the need for adaptability in business models, the significance of understanding market dynamics, and the flow of capital in the Asian tech ecosystem. Timestamps 00:00 From Banking to Venture Capital: A Journey Begins 04:49 Navigating the AI Landscape: Signal vs. Noise 11:42 Regional Insights: Building in Hong Kong vs. Silicon Valley 17:31 Market Expansion: Local vs. Global Strategies 22:07 Investment Strategies: Reserves and Follow-On Investments 23:55 Identifying Future Unicorns: The Role of Founders 26:40 Navigating AI Disruption in Startups 28:29 The Role of Investors in Founder Decision-Making 30:56 Defining Good Growth in the AI Era 34:32 Capital Flows in the Asian Tech Ecosystem 38:20 Common Mistakes Founders Make 41:45 Reflections on Venture Capital and Personal Growth Aabhas's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aabhaskhanna/ Website – https://www.myasiavc.com/ Sajid interview - https://lifeselfmastery.com/2020/05/30/ep-143-sajid-rahman-on-investing-in-emerging-markets/ My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

I am thrilled to have Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, Europe's leading sovereign cloud provider. She's built and scaled sales teams across Meta, Dataiku, Box, and Bloomberg, navigating Sydney, New York, London, and Paris. In this conversation, Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, shares her insights on sales leadership, cultural adaptability, and innovative strategies in the cloud computing industry. She discusses the importance of resilience in hiring, the evolving role of cold calling, and how to motivate teams against larger competitors. She also reflects on the impact of AI on sales roles and offers advice for women in sales leadership, highlighting the importance of taking initiative and seeking feedback for personal growth. Timestamps 02:12 Cultural Influences on Sales Leadership 04:10 Transforming Sales Strategies at Scaleway 06:13 Innovative Sales Outreach Techniques 08:22 Hiring for Resilience in Sales 10:20 The Evolving Role of Cold Calling 12:12 Identifying True Grit in Sales Hires 14:19 Motivating Teams Against Big Competitors 16:10 Balancing Celebrations and Reality in Sales 18:03 Selling on Values: Sustainability and Carbon Transparency 20:05 Supporting Startups and Sustainable Consumption 22:14 Using AI Tools in Sales 24:18 Future of Pricing in Cloud Services 26:14 Success Metrics for Scaleway's Go-to-Market Strategy 28:09 Advice for Women in Sales Leadership 30:23 Reflections on Career Growth and Feedback Doreen's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreen-pernel-1b30919b Website – https://www.scaleway.com/en/ My Links Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/