Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have Vineet Budki has spent fifteen years turning volatility into a career - from Emirates cabin crew to CEO of Sigma Capital, a $100M crypto fund with 300+ investments. In this episode, Vineet Budki from Sigma Capital shares his journey from building startups in India to running a crypto fund, and why education is still the biggest unlock for crypto adoption. He breaks down how to build a diversified portfolio, why NFTs are really membership clubs with utility, how AI will take emotion out of investing, and what it takes to build a fund that scales. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Vineet Budki's Journey 01:48 Early Startup Experiences in India 04:12 Transition into Crypto and Fund Building 05:20 The Role of Education in Crypto Adoption 06:45 Understanding Bitcoin's Utility 09:03 Crypto Portfolio Strategy and Diversification 12:13 Different Types of Cryptocurrencies and Use Cases 17:11 NFTs: Utility and Future Potential 20:12 Valuations and Market Growth in Crypto 21:52 Impact of AI on Crypto Investing 23:02 Building a Scalable Crypto Fund 25:51 Future Trends in Venture Capital and Crypto 28:55 Learning and Adapting in a Rapidly Evolving Space 31:01 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs and Investors Vineet's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vineetbudki/ Website – https://sigmavc.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/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

I am thrilled to have Sam Marchant a Partner at 21 Ventures, backing pre-seed and seed founders across MENA and Southeast Asia with $500K–$1.5M cheques in AI, FinTech, and Industrials. In this episode, Sam Marchant, a partner at Twenty One VC, shares his unconventional journey into venture capital, insights on investing in MENA and Southeast Asia, and the impact of AI on startups and investment strategies. Discover how regional markets are evolving and what founders need to succeed today. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Sam and his journey into VC 01:14 Sam's unconventional path into venture capital 02:09 Early entrepreneurial experience with a low sugar cereal business 03:00 Balancing IQ and EQ in VC decision-making 04:04 Launching AI-focused venture builder Inaugural 04:57 Joining Twenty One Ventures and regional market insights 07:15 Building media assets to highlight regional startups 08:32 Market inflection points in MENA and Southeast Asia 11:21 Sector focus: Overfunded and underfunded areas 13:51 Supporting founders beyond capital: fundraising, commercial, human 17:41 Leading rounds in a competitive market 20:32 Big vision and innovation in the Middle East 24:45 Key traits for founders: belief, focus, commitment 27:43 Cultural diversity and universal goals in Dubai 29:13 The future of AI agents and user experience 32:20 Building a media business to showcase regional talent Sam's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marchant/ Website – https://www.21vc.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/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

I am happy to have Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed.now, the leading news-by-SMS service reimagining how Americans stay informed without the bias and noise of traditional media. In this episode, Kira Shishkin, founder and CEO of informed.now, shares insights on building a bias-free, primary source-driven news platform, the importance of trust in media, and innovative growth strategies. Discover how his background and experiences shape his approach to creating healthier news consumption habits. Timestamps 00:00 Meet Kira Shishkin 02:16 The Path to Entrepreneurship 02:43 Navigating Today's Media Landscape 05:40 The News Compression Challenge 07:53 Measuring Impact on Misinformation 10:05 How informed.now Grows 12:18 Lessons from Past Ventures 14:15 Community vs Company 18:21 Hiring While Bootstrapped 19:44 How Background Shapes Trust 21:18 Fighting Sensationalism 23:55 Understanding Your Customer 25:40 Advice for Portfolio Founders 27:57 Lessons from the Investor Side 29:31 The Future of News Kira's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/ Website – https://informed.now/ 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/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/

I am excited to have Renat Gersch who is the co-founder of 10xGTM and a product marketing and go-to-market strategist with 15 years of experience scaling B2B SaaS companies. In this episode, Renat Gersch, a seasoned product marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience in B2B SaaS, shares insights on go-to-market strategies, positioning, and building successful startup teams. Discover how to translate vision into traction, avoid common pitfalls, and leverage AI for growth. ----------------------------------------------- Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Renat Gersch and Her Journey 02:52 The Unicorn Experience: Growth and Challenges 08:11 Positioning: The Key to Buyer Engagement 13:41 The Role of Sales in Building a Pipeline 23:59 Founders and Sales: Timing and Strategy 29:31 Building a Strong Co-Founder Relationship 33:23 The Go-to-Market Roadmap Across Industries 36:48 Healthy Conviction vs. Self-Deception in Founders 39:55 The Reality of Early Pipeline Building 42:52 Advice for Founders: Focus and Growth 45:05 Reflections on Career Growth and Loyalty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3G514tA5EuZ8Py9ofTXj8T Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/3G514tA5EuZ8Py9ofTXj8T

I am thrilled to have Raphaël Boukris, co-founder and CRO of Didomi. Roughly 2% of global web traffic runs through their SDK. He's raised three rounds, made two acquisitions, and sold majority control to private equity. Now the group does 40 to 60m ARR with under 200 people. In this episode, Raphaël Boukris, CRO and co-founder of Didomi, shares insights on compliance solutions, strategic acquisitions, and scaling SaaS businesses globally. Discover how to navigate international markets, build high-performance sales teams, and adapt to AI-driven sales tools. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Raphaël Boukris and Didomi 02:11 Raphael's journey from startups to compliance tech 04:04 What does Didomi sell and its market focus 06:12 Customer profile and who Didomidoes not serve 07:52 Pricing models and AI impact on SaaS 10:05 Acquisition strategy: Buying vs. building 13:01 Expanding into US and European markets 16:01 Fundraising journey and lessons learned 22:51 Building a high-performance sales team 32:00 The role of AI in outbound sales 35:01 Maintaining lean operations at scale 36:51 Advice for founders and investors Raphael's Links LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rboukris Website – didomi.io 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/ Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/outbound-sales-mastery/