Nick Kateris is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University, where his research is focused on new battery technology, and computer modeling to help develop new types of battery technology, as well as on detonation engines. (Recently, along with colleagues from Stanford and Dartmouth, Nick developed a new type of lithium-sulfur battery that performs much better than any lithium-sulfur batteries developed previously.) In this episode we talk about the future of new battery technology innovation and how it will change the world. Nick completed his PhD at Stanford University, and his bachelor's and master's degrees at Cambridge University in the UK. He is originally from Athens, Greece.

Next Unicorn podcast episode 6. The video version of this episode is available on the Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nextunicorn

Follow Nick Kateris
🐦Twitter: @NickKateris

Follow Sasha Earnheart-Gold:
🐦Twitter: @EarnheartGold
📸Instagram: @EarnheartGold
📬Subscribe to the Next Unicorn email newsletter on Substack: https://nextunicorn.substack.com
💻Next Unicorn website: https://www.nextunicornpodcast.com/
🎥Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nextunicorn

Video Contents:
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:41 The Most Exciting Areas of Battery Technology
0:01:25 How New Battery Technology Could Dramatically Reshape Our Economy
0:02:45 The Most Exciting Battery Technology Startups Today
0:03:55 Step Change in New Battery Technology
0:06:26 How Does a Battery Work?
0:09:38 Energy Density and Efficiency in Battery Technology
0:12:05 The Different Types of New Battery Technology
0:30:03 Will Future Electric Vehicles Have a Much Longer Range?
0:31:29 Will Airplanes Become Electric?
0:33:50 What Are Detonation Engines and Why Are They Useful?
0:37:39 Why Are Batteries So Important for Storing Energy for the Electric Grid?
0:48:50 Environmental Issues with Lithium-Ion Batteries
1:01:28 Use of Computer Modeling to Develop New Battery Technology
1:08:01 Why is Political Will Important For New Battery Technology?
1:15:16 What is a Quantum Battery?
1:16:26 What is a Super Battery?
1:18:12 Nick's Personal and Career Background
01:19:09 Nick's Lab Research
01:20:59 An Unexpected Turn in Nick's Career Path
01:23:14 Bonus Round

Our recording setup:
-Webcam used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3NZNOhH
-Cheaper version of the webcam (if you just want to level-up your Zoom calls): https://amzn.to/3Sb4QMe
-Microphone used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3Sf9o40

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach

Collin Wallace is the Former Head of Techstars Silicon Valley (one of the top startup accelerators), co-teaches the Startup Garage accelerator class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), and is a partner at Lobby Capital (formerly August Capital), a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Previously, as a repeat founder, he also was a participant in Techstars and Y Combinator (YC is, of course, also a top startup accelerator). One of the startups that he founded (FanGo) was acquired by Grubhub pre-IPO, where he became Head of Innovation. In this interview, we talk about startup accelerators, how they've changed, and whether they are worth it for founders. We also talk about how much equity startup accelerators take, the amount of funding they provide, and some details regarding SAFEs and other startup accelerator financing terms, as well as differences between startup accelerators. We also talk about the types of problems startup accelerators are especially good at helping founders solve. In addition, we discuss the differences between accelerators: Y Combinator vs Techstars vs Pear VC, etc. Collin has invested in over 80 early-stage companies, including PayJoy, Landed, Mosaic Voice, Postscript, and Vellum. He has a BS from Georgia Tech, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In addition, he speaks Mandarin Chinese.

🎥 Watch the video version of this episode on the Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/sGBS8w0iLv0?si=2Sb8FhmMX_fnrZyy

Follow Collin Wallace
👥LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-wallace/
🐦X: https://twitter.com/pithyprof
💻Lobby Capital: https://lobby.vc/

Follow Sasha Earnheart-Gold
👥LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashaearnheart-gold/
🐦X: https://twitter.com/EarnheartGold
🎥Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nextunicorn
📬Subscribe to the Next Unicorn email newsletter on Substack: https://nextunicorn.substack.com
💻Next Unicorn podcast website: https://www.nextunicornpodcast.com/

Interview Contents:
0:00 Intro
1:07 What are startup accelerators and why are they important?
5:05 Differences between startup accelerators: YC vs Techstars vs Pear
9:32 Are startup accelerators worth it for founders?
13:38 Why speed is so important for startups
19:38 Startup accelerator funding and equity details
26:29 Startup problems that can be solved in an accelerator
31:33 Stanford GSB's Startup Garage
36:15 How to find user empathy
38:42 If Collin started a new type of accelerator today...
41:32 Techstars' partnerships with big companies
47:17 Lobby Capital
1:02:15 How to get into venture capital
1:07:14 Career advice: finite and infinite games
1:09:49 Something unexpected in Collin's career
1:11:31 Bonus round!

Books mentioned in this episode:
📖 The Innovator's Dilemma, by Clayton M. Christensen: https://amzn.to/3TS2N0H
📖 Finite and Infinite Games, by James Carse: https://amzn.to/41RR0lc

Our recording setup:
-Webcam used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3NZNOhH
-Cheaper version of the webcam (if you just want to level-up your Zoom calls): https://amzn.to/3Sb4QMe
-Microphone used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3Sf9o40

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach

Ali Abouelatta is the author of the First 1000 newsletter on Substack (with over 85,000 subscribers at the time of publishing this episode), which is about just that! It also contains all kinds of tips, tricks, and hacks relating to getting your first 1,000 customers and beyond, including: pricing, product design, product management, growth hacks, startup stories, and much more. By day he is a product manager at the popular language learning app Duolingo, and by night he is the author of the popular email newsletter First 1000. Originally from Egypt, he received his bachelor's degree from NYU, and his Master's degree from Cornell Tech. He's worked in a wide range of roles from product management to venture capital.

Next Unicorn podcast episode 4. Watch the video version of this episode on the Next Unicorn 🎥YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/0tKLOpylbNY?si=Tp5OBN71nCLp4XIV

Follow Ali Abouelatta
👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-abouelatta/
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/abouelatta_ali
💻 First 1000: https://read.first1000.co/

Follow Sasha Earnheart-Gold
👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashaearnheart-gold/
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/EarnheartGold
🎥 Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nextunicorn
📬 Subscribe to the Next Unicorn email newsletter on Substack: https://nextunicorn.substack.com
💻 Next Unicorn podcast website: https://www.nextunicornpodcast.com/
Resources mentioned in this episode:

❤️⭐️ One of Ali's favorite issues of the First 1000 newsletter: 53 ideas to get your first customers: https://read.first1000.co/p/53-ideas-to-get-your-first-customers

Books mentioned in this episode:
📖 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (the greatest emperor of Rome): https://amzn.to/3vtFeBf

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach