Episodes

  • Unlocking Extraordinary Leadership in Startups ft. Kelly Perdew (Throwback)

    Unlocking Extraordinary Leadership in Startups ft. Kelly Perdew (Throwback)
    Feb 20 2026
    In this conversation, Kelly Perdew, co-founder and managing partner of Moonshots Capital, discusses the critical role of extraordinary leadership in startup success, drawing from his military background and experience as a venture capitalist. He emphasizes the importance of personal branding for founders, the challenges of navigating government contracts, and the necessity of transitioning from a hands-on founder to a more strategic CEO role. Perdew also shares insights on identifying red flags in startups and the future vision for his investment firm.

    Chapters
    00:00 The Importance of Extraordinary Leadership
    02:52 Military Experience and Its Impact on Leadership
    05:43 The Role of Media and Personal Branding for Founders
    08:46 Navigating Government Contracts and Dual-Use Technologies
    11:51 The Transition from Founder to CEO
    14:35 Identifying Red Flags in Startups
    17:22 The Future Vision for Moonshots Capital


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    29 mins
  • The Engineer Who Invests Millions in Seattle Startups

    The Engineer Who Invests Millions in Seattle Startups
    Feb 19 2026
    Evan Poncelet discusses his journey from engineering to investing, focusing on the importance of supporting Black founders and addressing the challenges within the Seattle investment ecosystem. He emphasizes the need for more early-stage investments and the significance of understanding customer needs in building successful startups. The discussion also highlights the cultural differences in risk-taking between Seattle and other tech hubs, as well as the importance of creating a supportive network for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction to AI in Graduation Ceremonies
    00:07 Evan Poncelet's Journey to Investing
    02:08 Legacy of Economic Development and Gentrification
    04:18 Building the Washington State Black Angel Network
    05:31 Challenges in the Seattle Investment Ecosystem
    09:47 Investment Strategies and Founder Characteristics
    16:58 Red Flags in Founders
    20:30 Engaging with Founders and Customer Discovery

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    25 mins
  • Why Warm Intros are Non Negotiable

    Why Warm Intros are Non Negotiable
    Feb 18 2026
    In this conversation, Chris discusses the challenges of cold emailing investors and emphasizes the importance of building relationships for successful fundraising. He shares insights from interviews with investors, highlighting that cold outreach is largely ineffective. Instead, he provides practical steps for founders to connect with investors through warm introductions and leveraging their networks, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn. Chris encourages founders to focus on specific areas of expertise and to make it easy for their connections to help them.


    Chapters
    00:00 The Intro
    00:06 Cold Intros Suck
    02:32 Building Relationships for Fundraising
    05:40 Practical Steps for Warm Introductions

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    8 mins
  • Why Adaptability is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage ft. Marlon Evans

    Why Adaptability is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage ft. Marlon Evans
    Feb 17 2026
    Marlon Evans shares his journey to investing, highlighting his diverse career background and the pivotal moments that led him to venture acceleration. The conversation delves into the entrepreneurial mindset, founder qualities, red flags in founders, the importance of networking and validation, pre-seed investment and traction, and the challenges in AI business models.

    Chapters
    00:00 Marlon Evans' Journey to Investing
    02:27 The Mindset of a Startup Founder
    05:38 Identifying Green Flags in Founders
    08:23 The Importance of Thought Leadership
    11:22 Red Flags to Watch Out For
    13:55 Understanding Traction in Pre-Seed Investing
    16:42 Navigating Business Models in a Fast-Paced Market


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    24 mins
  • Lessons from $3B Raised Itamar Novick of Recursive Ventures

    Lessons from $3B Raised Itamar Novick of Recursive Ventures
    Feb 16 2026
    In this episode, Chris interviews Itamar from Recursive Ventures, who shares his extensive experience in startups and venture capital. Itamar discusses his journey from being a serial entrepreneur to an investor, emphasizing his passion for supporting founders. He highlights the characteristics he looks for in ideal founders, the importance of balancing confidence with humility, and the red flags he notices in potential investments. Itamar also reflects on missed opportunities in his career and offers valuable advice for founders seeking investment.


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    26 mins
  • Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship ft. Yuko Oaku

    Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship ft. Yuko Oaku
    Feb 13 2026
    The conversation with Yuko Oaku from the University of Washington's Foster School of Business covered the university's role in entrepreneurship, the impact of AI on startups, student engagement in entrepreneurship, and mentorship and support for student founders. The discussion also delved into the future of University of Washington in entrepreneurship, the preparation for entrepreneurship competitions, and the Dempsey Startup Competition she manages in the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as other events at the university. Yuko Oaku shared insights on the importance of business plans, the value of mentorship and feedback, and her favorite aspect of the program.

    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction to Yuko Oaku and the Burke Center
    01:58 Programs and Opportunities for Students
    05:04 The Importance of Business Planning
    07:02 Mentorship in the Startup Community
    08:46 AI's Role in Entrepreneurship
    10:24 The Future of Entrepreneurship at UW
    12:35 Student Interest in Entrepreneurship
    15:03 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
    16:55 Personal Insights from Yuko Oaku
    18:39 The Dempsey Competition Overview
    20:46 Engagement Opportunities for Founders

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    22 mins
  • Arklydian: Revolutionizing Data Insights w/ Isaac Miller

    Arklydian: Revolutionizing Data Insights w/ Isaac Miller
    Feb 12 2026
    In this conversation, Chris interviews Isaac, the founder of Arklydian, about his journey from military service to entrepreneurship. Isaac shares the inspiration behind Arklydian, a tool designed to help founders and executive teams gain insights from their data to make informed decisions quickly. He discusses the challenges he faced in building the product, the traction they've gained through early partnerships, and their fundraising strategy. Isaac emphasizes the importance of understanding the market and distribution strategies for startups, particularly in the AI space.

    Chapters
    00:00 From Military to Entrepreneurship: The Genesis of ArcLydian
    02:50 Building a Viable Business: Insights and Early Traction
    05:28 Navigating Partnerships and Funding Opportunities
    08:09 Product Development and Customer Engagement
    11:14 Fundraising Strategy and Investor Relations
    13:41 Market Entry and Distribution Strategy


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    16 mins
  • Five AI Companies for 2026

    Five AI Companies for 2026
    Feb 11 2026
    In this conversation, Chris discusses the evolution of AI, focusing on the emergence of Vertical AI as a transformative force across various industries. He highlights specific companies and tools that exemplify this trend, such as Co-Pilot and workflow automation tools, and emphasizes the importance of data extraction and AI native platforms. Chris also explores the concept of the intelligence layer, which enhances existing software without replacing it, showcasing how these advancements are reshaping the way we work and interact with technology.



    Chapters
    00:00 Intro
    00:25 Vertical AI Overview
    03:06 Co-pilot
    05:14 Workflow Automation
    08:01 Data Extraction and Intelligence in AI
    10:26 AI Native Platforms
    13:03 The Intelligence Layer in AI

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    16 mins