The Boost VC Podcast

If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest?   Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology.   Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs.   On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’   Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to.   Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold.   Topics Covered   Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20 Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high school Got into Hopkins prep school on scholarship   How Maryanna got into venture capital Worked for early-stage company out of college Job offer from Daimler to figure out driverless cars Introduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus   The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VC Trust your intuition Don’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance   How Maryanna defines deep tech ‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’ Index on novelty at Future Ventures   What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right away Asks what she must believe about reality for YES to hold Discussion with partner to temper her excitement   Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in venture Ideal for its efficiency and intellectual honesty Never puts someone in tie-breaker position   Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investor Confident in ability to assess tech on first principles Know how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech    What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer to Structure of open AI Deep seabed mining, recycling battery technology   Maryanna’s definition of success Feel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted ‘Everything I could give to this, I did’   Connect with Maryanna Saenko   Future Ventures https://future.ventures/  Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVC Future on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/ Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/ Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/ Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko   Resources   Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/ DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles Airbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlab Beeflow  https://www.beeflow.com/ Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311 Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/ American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/  

Deep tech founders are either technically gifted or great at building a business. But it's seldom both, at least in the beginning.   So, what should venture investors pay attention to when we’re choosing founders in these disruptive technologies?   Greg Castle is Founder and Managing Director at Anorak Ventures, a firm that invests in early-stage deep tech startups.   An entrepreneur and corporate marketer turned VC, Greg has invested in 120 companies, including Oculus, Flexport and Mux.   On this episode of Boost VC, Greg joins us to explore how his view of venture investing has changed since he wrote his first check, explaining what he looks for in a founder and how he evaluates deep tech startups differently.   Greg shares his mixed feelings about the VR market right now and how he benefits from having a partner to engage in conviction-based decision-making.   Listen in for Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech and learn how Anorak chooses founders who apply disruptive technologies to business problems in any industry.   Topics Covered   How Greg got into venture capital Curious person who advocates for people he believes in Got lucky in first few personal investments, e.g.: Oculus   The most important lessons Greg has learned as a VC What high-functioning teams and companies look like Not to take it personally when things don’t go as planned   What Greg pays attention to when he’s choosing founders How they interact with cofounders, react to feedback Punctuality at meetings, preparedness and responsiveness   The questions Greg asks himself before he invests in a startup Do I believe in the founder? Do I believe in the market?   How Greg evaluates deep tech companies differently Move forward with presumption that anything’s possible Consider if technically gifted person can build business   Greg’s mixed feelings about the VR market right now Viable platform where developers make real money Frustrated by lack of competition, Meta fumbling the ball   Greg’s thoughts on Apple entering the VR/AR market ‘Nobody can make a product cool like Apple can’ Not well-positioned in immersive gaming (primary use case)   The Anorak investment thesis Handful of technologies will have outsized impact on future Find teams leveraging those technologies, industry agnostic   Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech Always comes down to people Build out ecosystem of investors, founders   How Greg thinks about scale in venture investing Find great people in areas that are not your strengths Scale of funds = $15M to $25M per partner   How Greg benefits from taking on a partner Need to explain yourself to thought partner Can still move quickly when he needs to   Greg’s biggest accomplishments before age 20 Building group of friends in college Still works with many of them   Greg’s definition of success Confident and comfortable in your own skin Content with what you have   Connect with Greg Castle   Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/ Anorak on Medium https://anorakvc.medium.com/ Anorak on Twitter https://twitter.com/AnorakVentures Anorak on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/anorak-ventures/ Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycastle/ Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12   Resources   Greg Castle on Boost VC EP001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyO3LpZD9Q Greg Castle on Boost VC EP089 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qYRcDMoemjrMHDxKONu4A Oculus https://www.meta.com/quest/ GOLF+ https://www.golfplusvr.com/ FitXR https://fitxr.com/ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman https://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman-ebook/dp/B000FC130E Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B000FBJCJE/ Hyperion by Dan Simmons https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004G60EHS/ Neuromancer by William Gibson https://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-Sprawl-Trilogy-William-Gibson-ebook/dp/B000O76ON6/  Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper & William Henry Draper, III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF ‘Perception Is Reality’ Presentation https://www.anorak.vc/post/perception-is-reality-8-startup-marketing-principles   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

How does a venture firm approach investments in deep technology?   Seth Winterroth is Partner at Eclipse Ventures, a VC firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build companies that redefine physical industries.   Seth has nine years of experience in venture capital, serving as Associate at GE Ventures before he joined the team at Eclipse.    On this episode of Boost VC, Seth joins us to explore how Eclipse thinks about investing in emerging technologies, explaining how the team engages with customers and leverages internal expertise to identify high-magnitude market opportunities.    Seth shares his interest in robotics, discussing why the acquisition of Kiva Systems sparked his interest in this particular deep tech field and how he identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems—the first deal he led at Eclipse.    Listen in for Seth’s advice to young VCs on cultivating patience and responding to chaos with calm, engaging with founders in a way that’s rational and devoid of fear.   Topics Covered   The thesis at Eclipse Ventures Small teams of engineers solving hard development problems Industries that operate in physical world (80% of global GDP)   How Seth thinks about investing in emerging technology Start with markets, customer pain points Find specialist to develop n-of-1 solution Add traditional engineers with experience scaling technology   What gets Seth excited about robotics Kiva Systems acquisition by Amazon sparked interest Saw market trends driving adoption of autonomous systems   The success of Seth’s first investment at Eclipse, 6 River Systems Robotics company in supply chain logistics Acquired for $500M by Shopify in 2019   How Seth identified the opportunity to invest in 6 River Systems Ideal team profile and product differentiation Gap in market to replace Kiva Systems   Eclipse’s institutional process of thesis development Engage with customers, purchasing decision-makers Internal engineering expertise to identify gaps   Eclipse’s internal venture equity program Cases where did research but didn’t find right opportunity  Engineer storm vs. wait for lightning to strike   What Eclipse does to win deals Build relationships with founders Provide evidence of value-added capital   The part of a deal Seth is most excited about Find high-magnitude market opportunity to match worldview Go to partners with conviction and say THIS ONE   What Seth would tell his 25-year-old self Be patient, don’t rush to have track record in venture Respond to chaos with calm, be rational and devoid of fear   What differentiates Eclipse from other venture firms Tackle category of economy traditional VCs shy away from Deep involvement with companies to improve odds   Seth’s biggest accomplishments before age 20 Live on own and travel world Spend meaningful time with and learn from grandfather   Connect with Seth Winterroth   Eclipse Ventures https://eclipse.vc/ Eclipse on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eclipse-vc/ Eclipse on Twitter https://twitter.com/eclipseventures  Seth on Twitter https://twitter.com/Sethwinterroth Seth on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterroth/   Resources   Kiva Systems Acquisition https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/19/amazon-acquires-online-fulfillment-company-kiva-systems-for-775-million-in-cash/ Willow Garage https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-back-at-willow-garage-2016-2 DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles 6 River Systems https://6river.com/ Bright Machines https://www.brightmachines.com/ BrightInsight https://brightinsight.com/ Foxglove Studio https://foxglove.dev/ Kevin Kelly’s Blog ‘You Are Not Late’ https://medium.com/message/you-are-not-late-b3d76f963142 Richard Hamming’s Talk ‘You and Your Research’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zDuOPkMSw Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin https://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0743270754 Lincoln https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

What inspires a venture firm to focus on deep tech?   Ian Rountree is Founder and General Partner at Cantos, a venture fund that invests in potentially world-changing deep tech startups.    Cantos focuses on hardware and bio investing at the intersection of climate and industrials, life sciences and AI, aerospace and defense, and next-generation computing.   On this episode of Boost VC, Ian joins us to share his definition of deep tech and explain why he underwrites technical risk rather than market risk.   Ian discusses the value of founder empathy, challenging VCs to see the entrepreneur as their customer and LPs as shareholders in the portfolio.   Listen in to understand what drives Ian to make a global-scale impact, backing founders who tackle climate change, disease, armed conflict, poverty and existential risk.   Topics Covered   Ian’s biggest accomplishment before age 20 Getting Vanderbilt to accept him off waitlist  Refused to take NO as answer   Ian’s take on who is the customer in venture capital Founder = customer LP = shareholder   What inspired Ian to focus on deep tech Tackle big problems, e.g.: climate change, poverty Deep tech startups outperformed rest of portfolio   How losing his father early informs Ian’s work Feels hard deadline to career and life Wants to play small role in changing world   The criteria Ian uses to decide if a startup is ‘important’ Nonzero chance of global-scale impact Tackles climate, disease, armed conflict or poverty   How Ian defines deep tech Taking technical risk rather than market risk Cantos specializes in hardware and bio investing   How Ian thinks about growing the Cantos organization From solo GP to 4 equal partners ‘Fire’ himself by age 55   What’s behind Benchmark’s equal partnership structure Set up for generational turnover from jump May also be consequence of early success   Why a deep tech VC doesn’t need to be technical Ask expert if violation of physics involved Startups that change world challenge status quo   What differentiates software investing from deep tech Software involves market risk, easy to pivot Deep tech involves technical risk, hard to pivot   Ian’s diligence criteria Size of market, potential margins at scale Founder who understands their WHY   Connect with Ian Rountree   Cantos https://cantos.vc/ Cantos on Twitter https://twitter.com/cantos Ian on Twitter https://twitter.com/ianrountree Ian on LinkedIn    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianrountree/ Near Frontier Podcast https://nearfrontier.castos.com/   Resources   Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer’ https://avc.com/2005/11/the_vcs_custome/ Fred Wilson’s Blog ‘The VC’s Customer (Continued)’ https://avc.com/2009/07/the-vcs-customer-continued/ Radiant https://www.radiantnuclear.com/ Tim Urban’s TED Talk on Procrastination https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator/c Benchmark https://www.benchmark.com/ eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work by Randall E. Stross https://www.amazon.com/eBoys-Inside-Account-Venture-Capitalists/dp/0812930959 Benchmark Part I on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-capital Benchmark Part II on the Acquired Podcast https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/benchmark-part-ii-the-dinner Union Square Ventures https://www.usv.com/ Cerebras https://www.cerebras.net/ Eric Vishria on Twitter https://twitter.com/ericvishria   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Many independently minded, young scientists are too ambitious for academia… But the startup world isn’t quite right for them either.   How might decentralized science provide a space for these innovators to do their work?   Niklas Rindtorff is the classical scientist behind LabDAO, an online home for inventors that builds open tools for scientific research. Niklas coauthored his first paper before the age of 20, and he has expertise in CRISPR and cancer research.   On this episode of Boost VC, Niklas joins us to explain how classical science emerged after World War II and explore the problems with the NIH grant funding process.   Niklas shares his open-access approach to consuming scientific media and describes how DeSci is experimenting with different ways to measures the importance of new science.   Listen in to understand how decentralized science can serve as the bridge between research organizations and science startups, building an ecosystem for inventors who don’t fit into the nonprofit or for-profit world.   Topics Covered   How Niklas defines science Formal knowledge generation process Fishing at edge of what is known   How World War II changed the way we do science Conflict won because of US sophisticated tech NIH funding created class of full-time scientists System doesn’t always maximize progress   How the importance of new science is determined Measured by citations vs. markets DeSci experiments with different accounting   How Niklas consumes scientific media Used to use few free, open-access journals Now leverage Twitter bookmarks, preprints   What LabDAO does for scientists Provide tools to work wherever they are Current focus on computational biology   What inspired Niklas to build LabDAO Experience with inventions stuck in bureaucracy Measure number of patients treated vs. citations   The age distribution of NIH grant recipients Ages with scientists who were first No market discipline, don’t answer to public   How we might equalize the demographic of NIH winners Create more NIHs Private funding agency with philanthropic match   How we might invest in a portfolio of science Charge higher fee to run research-oriented fund Online collectives do research sponsorships   How LabDAO itself is funded Nonprofit governed by token Private investors buy token for stake on projects   The relationship between academia and DeSci Connective tissue among existing organizations Inventors who don’t fit in academia or startups   Niklas’ definition of success Strive toward personal values Invent cool stuff   Connect with Niklas RIndtorff   LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/ LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao LabDAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/labdao.eth LabDAO on Medium https://medium.com/@labdao LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao Niklas on Twitter https://twitter.com/niklas_tr     Resources   Broad Institute https://www.broadinstitute.org/ ‘Science the Endless Frontier’ 1945 Report to Congress https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/vbush1945.htm National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/ Public Library of Science https://plos.org/ bioRxiv https://www.biorxiv.org/ New Science https://newscience.org/ VitaDAO https://www.vitadao.com/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

In academia, most scientists publish their ideas and stop there. But if we want our breakthroughs to benefit society, we have to take it a step further.    So, what does it look like to commercialize scientific research? What mindset do academics need to work at the intersection of science and industry?   Ben Lamm has a career of building successful deep tech businesses, and George Church has a career of commercializing academic science.    Together, they are the cofounders of Colossal, a breakthrough bioscience and genetic engineering company that is pioneering animal de-extinction technology to restore lost ecosystems for a healthier planet.    On this episode of Boost VC, Ben and George join us to explain how bringing back the woolly mammoth addresses climate change and explore their approach to the ethical concerns around de-extinction.   They discuss the benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding, describing how their work helps endangered animals and promotes conservation.   Listen in for Ben and George’s insight on commercializing science and learn how to get comfortable enough with risk to turn academic ideas into industry.   Topics Covered   How George defines science Predict and create new options for humanity Goal to build better world   Why Ben & George are bringing back the woolly mammoth Restore previous ratio of grass to trees Sequester carbon at rate only possible in Arctic   How Ben & George approach the ethical concerns re: de-extinction Believe in radical transparency Learn from negative feedback, people who question   Why George works at the intersection of academia and industry Likes to work with curious young people Exposure to diversity of ideas   Why Colossal needs government collaboration and support Several governments, Indigenous groups in Arctic Climate change, biodiversity and species preservation   How woolly mammoths promote carbon removal Knock down trees so more grass can grow Cold, Arctic grasslands sequester carbon particularly well   The benefits of Colossal technology beyond Arctic rewilding Eradicate EHV virus in elephants Promote species conservation   How Ben & George think about commercializing science Go beyond publication to help society Feedback from investors and academia   What makes Ben & George’s partnership work George’s lab provides idea from academic study Ben figures out product-market fit and funding   George’s advice to academics on commercializing products Can’t be afraid of failure Can come back from bankruptcy   How Ben & George think about taking big risks Ben believed grandmother saying he could do anything Academic failures taught George he would survive   The impact Ben & George hope to make with Colossal Ex utero development, species preservation Thousands of Arctic elephants to sequester carbon Advancements in reading and writing of genomes   How Ben & George define success Benefit society, facilitate survival of species Create things that are additive   Connect with George Church & Ben Lamm   Colossal https://colossal.com Colossal on Twitter https://twitter.com/ItIsColossal Colossal on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itiscolossal/ Colossal on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itiscolossal/ George on Twitter https://twitter.com/geochurch Ben on Twitter https://twitter.com/federallamm   Resources   Citizen Science https://www.citizenscience.gov/# Personal Genome Project https://www.personalgenomes.org/ How to Grow (Almost) Anything https://www.media.mit.edu/courses/htgaa/ DIYbio https://diybio.org/ Church Lab https://arep.med.harvard.edu/ Hypergiant https://www.hypergiant.com/ Pleistocene Park https://pleistocenepark.ru/ Chris Mason Author Talk https://mitpress.mit.edu/blog/author-talk-the-next-500-years-by-christopher-e-mason/ Prehistoric Planet https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav   Connect with Boost VC Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Why invest in decentralized science?   James Sinka is a classically trained chemist and materials engineer and DeSci investor at Orange DAO, a fund for crypto projects supported by an alliance of Y Combinator alumni.   On this episode of Boost VC, James joins us to discuss where he sees opportunities in DeSci, describing the benefit of publishing null results and how open science helps us get to the truth more quickly.   James explains how the Orange Fund and Orange DAO work together to finance crypto projects and shares his advice to scientist-founders on generating your own luck through action.   Listen in for James’ insight on the first use cases for decentralized science and learn how investing in DeSci can democratize access to research and help rebel scientist-entrepreneurs ship products in the real world!   Topics Covered   How James defines science Process to uncover truths about world Not an institution of truth   What attracted James to DeSci Benefits of publishing null results Less wasted science effort and money   How James got into crypto Exposed to Bitcoin in college Offers financial freedom to bet on self   How Orange DAO works $50M fund for crypto projects Y Combinator alum support efforts   James’ advice for founders Bias toward action Be willing to be wrong   Where James sees opportunity in DeSci Free flowing access to information Get to truth more quickly   What’s wrong with academic science now Research for prestige, not passion Value determined by citation numbers   How the Alzheimer’s fraud happened Conflict of interest at NIH No reverse accountability system   What inspires James to invest in DeSci Push boundaries of scientific research Help scientists build real products   James’ take on the first use case for DeSci Data warehousing (null results) New forms of publication open to all   James’ definition of success Time, space and resources Ability to do what you love   Connect with James Sinka   Orange DAO https://www.orangedao.xyz/ Orange DAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/DVncb7UxGB Orange DAO on Snapshot https://snapshot.org/#/orangedaoxyz.eth Orange DAO on Etherscan https://etherscan.io/token/0x1bBD79f1Ecb3f2cCC586A5E3A26eE1d1D2E1991f Orange DAO on OpenSea https://opensea.io/collection/alumni-gems Orange DAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/OrangeDAOxyz James on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamessinka     Resources   Through the Wormhole https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1513168/ Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/ NEAR Protocol https://near.org/ Algorand https://www.algorand.com/ Blockchain Capital https://blockchain.capital/ The Memo by Howard Marks https://link.chtbl.com/thememobyhowardmarks Multicoin Capital https://multicoin.capital/ Solana https://solana.com/ Exploring Decentralized Science with Balaji Srinivasan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrcRI_hYDtQ Naval https://nav.al/ Brian Armstrong https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong Epsilon3 https://www.epsilon3.io/ Benchling https://www.benchling.com/ Amplitude https://amplitude.com/ Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/ Patrick Joyce on the Boost VC Podcast https://www.boost.vc/bvc/2022/08/04/desci-ep-2-addressing-the-misalignment-of-incentives-in-science    DeSci Labs https://desci.com/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Under the current centralized system, drug development happens in silos.    Pharmaceutical companies don’t share information. Scientists run the same failed experiments over and over again. And the process of bringing a drug to market typically takes ten-plus years.    But Paul Kohlhaas and Tyler Golato are building a new way to do drug development. A system that allows for collaboration and dramatically increases the speed of breakthroughs in healthcare.    CEO Paul and CSO Tyler are the Cofounders of Molecule, a decentralized biotech protocol that establishes a Web3 marketplace for research-related intellectual property.    On this episode of Boost VC, Paul and Tyler join us to explain how their personal experiences with the failures of healthcare inspired their interest in changing the system.    They discuss Molecule's end-to-end ecosystem for bringing drugs to market, describing how their IP-NFT both protects innovation and makes it more open, sharable and collaborative.    Listen in for insight on Eroom's Law and learn how open science leads to enormous efficiency gains in the drug development process.   Topics Covered   How Paul & Tyler define science Empirical discovery of knowledge Progressive search for truth   What inspired Paul & Tyler’s interest in science Personal experience with failures of healthcare Potential for DeSci to foster new behaviors   Paul & Tyler’s failed experiment with crowdfunding Tried to raise money for microdosing study Partnership with University of Toronto   How Molecule has evolved since 2019 Ecosystem for bringing drugs to market IP-NFT framework for collaboration   How to make scientists more open to sharing Improve user experience Streamline funding process   The power of Molecule’s IP-NFT framework Intellectual property rights held on chain Collectively owned by patients   The value prop for open science Creates enormous efficiency gains Makes drug development much cheaper   Jack Scannel’s naming of Eroom’s Law Technology to discover drugs improving Yet drug discovery output in decline   The goals for DeSci over the next decade Extend quality of human health span Make science self-sovereign, self-aware   How Paul & Tyler define success Remain true to values and vision for life Net positive impact on every person   Connect with Paul Kohlhaas & Tyler Golato   Molecule https://www.molecule.to/ Molecule on GitHub https://github.com/moleculeprotocol Molecule on Discord https://discord.com/invite/uAGW7K4hQU Molecule on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWYW5ho3L_d0EO_a619E7RQ Molecule on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/molecule-protocol   Molecule on Twitter https://twitter.com/molecule_dao Paul on Twitter https://twitter.com/paulkhls Tyler on Twitter https://twitter.com/GolatoTyler   Resources   Linum Labs https://www.linumlabs.com/ Molecule’s Crowdfunding Experiment with the University of Toronto https://www.molecule.to/blog/psychedelics-on-the-blockchain NIH Grants and Funding https://www.nih.gov/grants-funding Simon de la Rouviere on Bonding Curves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k4M6QAW2pM Jack Scannell on Eroom’s Law https://refoundable.com/research/life-after-erooms-law-interview-with-jack-scannell.html Meme Lordz https://memelordz.io/ North American Association of Technology Transfer http://aim.autm.net/ Ray Kurzweil https://www.kurzweilai.net/ Peter Diamandis https://www.diamandis.com/ Abundance 360 https://www.abundance360.com/summit   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

The internet has given content creators of all kinds a way to monetize their talents. Writers have Medium. Teachers and vloggers have YouTube.    But scientists don’t have a platform to earn money for their research.    That’s why Dr. Jocelynn Pearl calls scientists the ‘unappreciated creator class.’ And that’s why she’s working to further the DeSci movement, leveraging Web3 technology to enable breakthrough research through better incentives.   A molecular and cellular biologist by training, Jocelynn serves as cofounder of LabDAO, a design marketplace for life science research, and host of The UltraRare Podcast, a show about the builders behind the decentralized science movement.   On this episode of Boost VC, Jocelynn joins us to explain how DeSci solves for speed of translation and communicates science better than existing systems, exploring how the movement might specifically facilitate breakthroughs around rare disease.   Jocelynn discusses how academia owns the best scientific minds without rewarding them appropriately and describes how DAOs offer alternatives to classic academic publishing and drug development.   Listen in as Jocelynn makes the case that scientists are the unappreciated creator class and learn how access to the right advisors and capital can accelerate the decentralized science movement.   Topics Covered   How Jocelynn defines science Process of exploring unanswered questions Conversation among people trained to be critical   How Jocelynn defines decentralized science Way of democratizing resources Communicate science better than existing systems   What inspired Jocelynn’s interest in DeSci Centralization of research inhibits progress Solve for speed of translation, cost reduction   How DeSci might facilitate breakthroughs in rare disease Explore drug development through DAOs Communication of collective knowledge   Leveraging DeSci to incentivize scientific research Change academic publishing through tokenization Allow patient group to co-own drug development   Why Jocelynn sees scientists as the unappreciated creator class Writers have Medium, vloggers have YouTube No platform for scientists to monetize content   What needs to change for scientists to be appreciated creators Activists like Seemay Chou who encourage sharing Alternative model to academic publishing   How academia owns the best minds (without rewarding them) Earn $30K/year working full-time in PhD program Does form you as scientist and provides network   How CROs address the lab space shortage Stands for contract research organization Farm out research can’t perform in-house   The challenges of establishing decentralized science Traditional academia and publishing will fight back Much work required to override existing system   What's stopping the DeSci space from accelerating faster Struggles to bring in advising and capital Working on projects outside day jobs   Jocelynn’s definition of success  Lasting change in scientific ecosystem Pivot how progress happens    Connect with Jocelynn Pearl   Jocelynn’s Website https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/ LabDAO https://www.labdao.xyz/ LabDAO on Twitter https://twitter.com/lab_dao LabDAO on GitHub https://github.com/labdao   LabDAO on Discord https://discord.com/invite/labdao UltraRare Podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/ultrarare/   Resources   A Guide to Decentralized Biotech https://future.com/a-guide-to-decentralized-biotech/ The DeSci Wiki https://www.jocelynnpearl.com/ Molecule Protocol https://www.molecule.to/ Ben Hills https://twitter.com/0xboodle Vibe Bio https://www.vibebio.com/ Experiment.com https://experiment.com/ Arcadia Science https://www.arcadia.science/ Invisible College https://www.invisiblecollege.xyz/ Charles River Laboratories https://www.criver.com/ Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss on Boost VC EP102 https://podbay.fm/p/the-boost-vc-podcast/e/1606903200 Manhattan Project https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project Thiel Fellowship http://www.thielfellowship.org/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/  

Only 1% of first year PhD students become research professors.    This creates a hypercompetitive environment where scientists will do whatever it takes to get funding, even if that means tweaking statistical analyses to make their findings seem more significant.   But decentralized science is working to address this egregious misalignment of incentives and reward science done the right way.    Patrick Joyce is the Cofounder and COO of ResearchHub, a Reddit-style forum that allows anyone to share, discuss and curate scientific papers—and earn ERC-20 tokens for doing so.    On this episode of Boost VC, Patrick joins us to discuss the misalignment of incentives in science and describe the problem with using bibliometrics to determine who receives funding.   Patrick explains why decentralizing science is so important, exploring how DeSci will increase the adoption of open science practices and accelerate innovation in the space.   Listen in to understand how DeSci can pressure large academic journals to pay content creators for their work and learn how ResearchHub is leveraging Web3 to make capital available to scientists.    Topics Covered   How Patrick defines science Pursuit of knowledge Verifiable results   What’s behind the replication crisis in science Hypercompetitive job market Quality judged by bibliometrics   Why decentralizing science is important Tweak analyses to maximize perceived impact Not honest, transparent or reproducible Only most cited scientists receive funding   Patrick’s take on the first breakthrough for DeSci Increase adoption of open science practices No longer career risk to share work in open   What drives Patrick’s conviction around DeSci Success not based on work ethic, intelligence Little innovation in drugs for mental health   How ResearchHub rewards quality science Allows anyone to share and discuss papers Earn ERC-20 tokens for participation   How Patrick builds trust in the scientific community Provide funding and publishing outlets Help meet goals of open science   What success looks like for decentralized science Paywall journals provide open access options Pay science content creators for work   Why the science incentive structure hasn’t changed Previous attempts not fundable Pirate organizations like Sci-Hub not legal   Patrick’s take on what makes publishers the enemy Responsible to own incentive to make money Charge scientists to publish, subscription fees   Patrick’s uniting purpose for the DeSci community Web3 offers ROI to invest in science Makes capital available to scientists   How Patrick defines success for ResearchHub Take power away from bibliometrics Create rockstar scientists who define culture    Connect with Patrick Joyce   ResearchHub https://www.researchhub.com/   ResearchHub on Twitter https://twitter.com/researchhub   ResearchHub on Discord https://discord.com/invite/ZcCYgcnUp5 ResearchHub on Medium https://medium.com/researchhub ResearchHub on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ResearchHub/ ResearchHub on GitHub https://github.com/ResearchHub   Resources   Brian Armstrong & Patrick Joyce on The Sheekey Science Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmhHLPrUIU Clarivate Analytics https://clarivate.com/ OpenAlex https://openalex.org/ r/medicalstudent https://www.reddit.com/r/medicalstudent/ r/ImmunoPsychiatry https://www.reddit.com/r/ImmunoPsychiatry/ eLife https://elifesciences.org/ Open Science Framework https://www.cos.io/ Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/neuro/ Chris Hill on Boost VC DeSci EP02 https://www.boost.vc/podcast Authorea https://www.authorea.com/ F1000Research https://f1000research.com/ Sci-Hub https://sci-hub.se/ Stack Overflow https://stackoverflow.com/ Hindawi https://www.hindawi.com/ MetaMask https://metamask.io/ Fast Grants https://fastgrants.org/ Kaggle https://www.kaggle.com/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/  

The system for publishing scientific research is broken.    Academic success is measured by citations rather than scientific quality. And publishing companies have a monopoly on the knowledge scientists produce.   Can we use blockchain technology to promote the verifiability of scientific findings? And make science accessible to everyone?   Dr. Christopher Hill is an interdisciplinary scientist with a background in neuroeconomics and machine learning. Phillip Koellinger is Professor of Social Science Genetics in the Department of Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.    Together, Chris and Philipp are Cofounders of DeSci Labs, an initiative that aims to make science more replicable, accessible, transparent and fair by way of Web3 technologies.   On this episode of Boost VC, Chris and Philipp join us to explain what inspired their interest in decentralized science and explore what differentiates success for science versus individual scientists.   They walk us through the goals of the open science movement and weigh in on how DeSci tech provides new ways of funding research and makes scientific knowledge available to everyone.   Listen in for insight around the grassroots movement known as metascience and learn how DeSci is working to improve the quality of the scientific record and reward scientists for the value they create.   Topics Covered   What inspired Chris & Philipp’s interest in decentralized science Bureaucracy and broken publishing system in academia Passionate about open science, reproducibility Improve durability and quality of scientific record Uplift material conditions of early-career scientists   The goals of the open science movement Make research more transparent, accessible to everyone Better markers of scientific quality than impact factor Improve and promote verifiability and reproducibility    What differentiates success for science vs. success for scientists Scientific success = verifiable new knowledge Success for scientist = prestige   How Chris & Philipp define decentralized science Tech stack for true open access to research Makes science more transparent and reproducible Allows scientists to recapture value they create   The problem with measuring value by impact factor (IF) Metric derived exclusively from citation rates Publishers have monopoly on scientific knowledge   How DeSci technologies can benefit scientific research Accelerate pace of knowledge progress and accessibility Provide new ways of funding research Business models that reward scientists for contributions Potential for rapid experimentation at scale Create accountability in peer review process   The interdisciplinary grassroots movement of metascience Check work of other scientists through replications Conduct basic hygiene of scientific ecosystem   The transition from scientific manuscripts to research objects Store artifacts of journey, including peer review feedback Permanent knowledge graphs to secure scientific record    Connect with Chris Hill & Philipp Koellinger   DeSci Labs https://www.desci.com/ DeSci Labs on Twitter https://twitter.com/descilabs DeSci Foundation https://descifoundation.org/ DeSci Foundation on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeSciFoundation   Resources   David Deutsch https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/ ‘Raise Standards for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research’ in Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/483531a ‘Why Most Published Research Findings Are False’ in PLOS Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182327/ Gitcoin https://gitcoin.co/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

At Boost VC, we’re known for supporting early-stage blockchain startups.    Why is that such an important part of our identity? Because institutional trust is dying. And that trust is being passed down to the individual through peer-to-peer technologies.   Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are solving for trust in our financial system. But what other institutions are ripe for this kind of disruption?    Where else might we apply decentralization as a way to drive innovation?   On this edition of Boost VC, I’m sharing a framework for the next several episodes of the podcast around decentralized science or DeSci.   I discuss the incentive system that drives publishing in science and how it constrains which breakthroughs make it to the world—and which ones do not.   Listen in for insight on the decline of institutional trust and learn about the rebel scientists who are defining the future of scientific innovation.   Topics Covered   Why Boost VC is known for supporting crypto startups Find where talent escapes to earliest Accelerate path to solve important problems   How we think about the growing distrust in institutions Passed down to individual through P2P tech Consider where applicable beyond finance   Why institutions governing science are ripe for disruption Bottleneck for breakthrough tech to emerge Constraints re: what innovations make it to world   What we will cover in the next 5 to 10 podcast episodes Revolution of rebel scientists building DeSci Future of breakthroughs in science   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

The media is filled with experts comparing today’s market with the dot-com crash of 2000. But few, if any, of these experts actually lived and worked through the dot-com boom and bust.   Marc Andreessen is Founder and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and Tim Draper is Founder and Managing Director at Draper VC. And both Marc and Tim were either running or investing in tech startups at the time.   So, what was it like to experience the dot-com crash? What did Marc and Tim learn that might give us clarity around how to navigate an uncertain economic future?   On this episode of Boost VC, Marc and Tim join us to explore the likelihood that we’re headed into a recession and explain what they’re encouraging founders to do right now.   Marc and Tim discuss the mistakes they made in the early 2000s and describe why a downturn can be good for the best companies.   Listen in for insight on retaining employees in a remote or hybrid setting and get Marc and Tim’s advice on contingency planning to survive an economic crisis—without losing your business.    Topics Covered   Where Marc and Tim go for their media Timeless source of info = books prior to 1960 Direct conversations with founders Science fiction to predict future   What Marc was doing in the early 2000s Launch Netscape in 1999 at high point in market Lifting weights to burn off stress   What Tim was doing in the early 2000s Just raised $1.4B to bring VC to world Hosted party ‘2001 Cyberspace Odyssey’   What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur Smart, open to new ideas and determined Social skills to build team, raise money, etc. Disagreeable (think against the grain)   The likelihood that we’re headed into a recession Good people laid off start own businesses Economy too complex to predict future    What a16z is encouraging founders to do right now Think in terms of scenarios and contingencies Consider specific circumstances of your company Cut deep enough that only do layoffs once    Tim's experience as an investor in the dot-com crash Reactive approach, scrambled to raise money Lost 4 businesses with $100M in revenues   The difference between the dot-com crash and 2008 2000 was equity-driven, credit crisis in 2008 Tech companies don’t run on debt   What Marc did right and wrong in the dot-com crash Underestimated how bad things could get IPO saved company from bankruptcy   Why a downturn can be good for the best companies Eliminates competition Easier to recruit, gain market share   How to retain employees in a hybrid/remote setting Create intense social bonding experiences Management training, employee development   How tech innovation is flowing out of the Bay Area COVID as catalyst, other cities rise in importance Texas and Florida are attracting entrepreneurs   How governments are in competition for entrepreneurs Regulations push businesses out US can remain #1 if allow startups to innovate   Marc and Tim’s greatest qualities + accomplishments Tim fearless in engaging with boldest ideas Marc transformed the VC business   Connect with Marc   Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/ Andreessen Horowitz on Twitter https://twitter.com/a16z   Marc on Twitter https://twitter.com/pmarca   Connect with Tim   Draper Associates https://www.draper.vc/    Tim on Twitter https://twitter.com/TimDraper    Draper University https://www.draperuniversity.com/ Meet the Drapers https://www.meetthedrapers.com/   Resources   Tom Swift Books https://tomswift.net   The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205 My Years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan https://www.amazon.com/Years-General-Motors-Alfred-Sloan/dp/0385042353   The a16z Podcast https://future.com/a16z-podcast/   Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sarbanes-oxley_act Draper Innovation Index https://index.draperhero.org/   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Dr. Edward Lu is an astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut who logged 200-plus days in space between 1995 and 2007. Today, he serves as the Cofounder and Executive Director of the Asteroid Institute at the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. On this episode of Boost VC, Ed joins us to discuss what makes space fun, describing what daily life is like in zero gravity and why he thinks we’ll colonize space within the next few decades.    Ed shares his experience training for a rescue mission to the International Space Station, weighing in on how spacecraft tech has (and has not) evolved and why we can’t stay in space for longer than six months at a time. Listen in for Ed’s insight on the likelihood that aliens exist and learn about the most recent advancements in asteroid tracking—and why it’s crucial to predict where they’re headed decades in advance.   Topics Covered   What makes being in space fun for Ed Dream to fly, incredible ship made by people Amazing view (new continent every 15 minutes)   Ed’s experience on a rescue mission to the space station Supplies/transport cut off after Columbia crash Trained to command Soyuz in just 9 weeks   What inspired Ed to become an astronaut Worked as astrophysicist, became pilot for fun Friend at work mentioned NASA application   Ed’s take on what it takes to be an astronaut Ability to operate ALL systems of spacecraft Pilot, scientist and submarine crew combined   How daily habits are different in zero gravity Can’t put items down on table No arc when passing objects   Why we can’t stay in space for long periods 6-month lifetime of spacecraft Fuel decays, one-time use batteries for reentry    How spacecraft tech has evolved since the 1960’s Style of rocket similar (dictated by physics) Systems inside spacecraft ALL different   Ed’s work with the B612 Foundation Protect Earth from asteroid impacts Find and track path with telescopes   The greatest advancement in asteroid tracking LSST opening in 2023 at Rubin Observatory Collect more data than all telescopes combined   Why it’s crucial to track asteroids Identify 1 to 2 near-Earth asteroids per week Gives decades of notice to plan and deflect   The biggest change in space tech over the years Reduction of cost in both launch and electronics Allows for more small startups to innovate   Why Ed thinks we’ll colonize space in a few decades Reduction in cost = cheap infrastructure Recent compound growth in space sector   How Ed thinks about the likelihood that aliens exist Hundreds of millions of planets in our galaxy Shocked if there isn’t life somewhere Connect with Ed   B612 Foundation https://b612foundation.org/ B612 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/b612foundation/ B612 on Twitter https://twitter.com/b612foundation Ed on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-lu-3a997833/   Resources   James Randi https://web.randi.org/about-james-randi.html Tunguska Event https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion/   Vera C. Rubin Observatory https://www.lsst.org/ LeoLabs https://www.leolabs.space/ Chess.com https://www.chess.com/ Kepler Space Telescope https://www.space.com/24903-kepler-space-telescope.html   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/  

A total of $2T in apparel is sold online each year. But 30% to 40% of that apparel is returned. So, what if consumers could snap a couple of photos with their smartphone camera and get clothes that are the right fit for their body?\r\n \r\nVadim Rogovskiy is the Cofounder and CEO of 3DLOOK, a deep tech startup solving the problem of apparel returns for retail. Vadim is an experienced entrepreneur, building and selling two companies in the adtech space before creating 3DLOOK. He also serves as an angel investor and mentor for the VC firm 500 Startups.\r\n \r\nOn this episode of Boost VC, Vadim joins us to explain how 3DLOOK helps consumers choose the right size for apparel and share the process he used to find the right market for his team’s software. He discusses his mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine, describing the developer ecosystem that exists there and the challenge of getting talented entrepreneurs to stay. Listen in for Vadim’s insight on deciding when to shift markets and learn about the fundraising process for a retail application like 3DLOOK.\r\n \r\nTopics Covered\r\n \r\nWhat problem Vadim is solving with 3DLOOK\r\nLimit number of eCommerce apparel returns\r\nConsumer snaps 2 photos to get right size\r\n \r\nWhat inspired Vadim to become an entrepreneur\r\nWork in variety of companies (business management)\r\nAlways thinking about how to make things better\r\n \r\nVadim’s shift from adtech to deep tech\r\nFascinated by apps powered by smartphone camera\r\nMore challenging to raise money with slides alone\r\n \r\nThe market for the service provided by 3DLOOK\r\n30% to 40% of apparel sold online is returned\r\n$2T apparel sold online/year\r\n \r\nHow Vadim’s digital body passport evolved into 3DLOOK\r\nStart with avatar to dress up but no way to monetize\r\nShift to health and fitness, track body changes\r\n \r\nVadim’s process for deciding when to shift strategy\r\nInterviews with 20 companies from each segment \r\nApparel needs tech to survive vs. nice-to-have\r\n \r\nWhy Vadim had to look for investors beyond Silicon Valley\r\n3DLOOK tech too specific for Silicon Valley VCs\r\nBoston, New York invest in retail and eCommerce\r\n \r\nVadim’s mission to build a startup hub in the Ukraine\r\nEntrepreneurship not popular and few success stories\r\nCreate accelerator, leverage developer ecosystem\r\n \r\nVadim’s experience with fundraising for 3DLOOK\r\n$6.5M raise with 3 VCs, including Almaz Capital\r\nScramble to get paperwork to all 24 SAFE holders\r\nConnect with Vadim\r\n \r\n3DLOOK https://3dlook.me/\r\n3DLOOK on Twitter https://twitter.com/3dlook_me\r\n3DLOOK on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/3DLOOK.me/\r\n3DLOOK on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/3dlook_me/\r\n3DLOOK on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQIzvlU_Ht0b1g1oV7s3gQ\r\n3DLOOK on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/3dlook/\r\nVadim on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadim-rogovskiy/  \r\n \r\nResources\r\n \r\nDixit https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39856/dixit\r\nImaginarium https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218804/imaginarium\r\nL’Oreal Virtual Makeup https://www.lorealparisusa.com/virtual-try-on/makeup.aspx\r\nAlmaz Capital https://almazcapital.com/\r\nMarc Benioff at Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/company/leadership/bios/bio-benioff/\r\nLife and Learning After One Hundred Years: Trust is the Coin of the Realm by George P. Shultz https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/shultz_finalfile_web-ready.pdf\r\n \r\nConnect with Boost VC\r\n \r\nBoost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/\r\nBoost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/\r\nBoost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC\r\nBoost VC on Instagram \r\nhttps://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/\r\n

Design is about much more than just making things look good. Design is valuable because it translates the complexities of technology to us mere mortals. It serves as a way to educate the market and make tech easy for everyday people to use. But what is the design process that gets us to that end?   Daniel Scrivner is the CEO & Chief Design Officer at Flow, the project management software used by teams at Apple, Shopify and TED. A leader in the fields of design and investing, he has been invited to speak at some of the world’s most innovative organizations, including Andreesen Horowitz and Designer Fund. Daniel has 15 years of design experience, serving as Head of Design at both Digit and Square and working on teams at Apple, Nike and Disney.   On this episode of Boost VC, Daniel joins us to share his take on what makes design valuable, explaining how the design process gets you to an end product the average person can use. He offers insight on what makes most crypto design hostile to everyday people, discussing what we can do to improve the user experience and give crypto mass appeal. Listen in to understand Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing and find out how he applies concepts learned in one discipline to other areas in his skill stack.   Topics Covered   What Daniel has built that he’s most proud of Redesign of Flow over last two years Growing investment portfolio   Daniel’s agnostic approach to investing Qualitative vs. quantitative (early-stage companies) Broad interest in investing in entrepreneurs at all stages   What inspired Daniel to start his own podcast Conversations with people in top 1% across industries Decode what they’ve mastered, what propelled to top   How Daniel thinks about optimizing his learning Learn things and apply in other areas Lean into growth curve in all areas   Daniel’s take on what makes design valuable Interface between complexity of tech and humans Fastest way to educate given market   Daniel’s insight around the design of crypto Hostile to average people Incompatible with being ‘future of money’   How to improve the crypto user experience Simple explanation of terms Get input from everyday people   What inspired Daniel to invest in Bitcoin Bet on things probable to play out Invest in multiple ways to win   What’s behind the rise of the operator-investor Herding creatures Lowering barriers to entry in all areas   Daniel’s definition of success Work in service of others Grow into best version of self   Connect with Daniel   Flow https://www.getflow.com/ Flow on Twitter https://twitter.com/flowapp Flow on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/FlowApp Daniel on Twitter https://twitter.com/danielscrivner   Outliers with Daniel Scrivner https://link.chtbl.com/_Ygn_FIY   Resources   Good Egg https://www.goodegg.io/ Stripe https://stripe.com/ Gusto https://gusto.com/ Superhuman https://superhuman.com/ Notion https://www.notion.so/ Bison Trails https://bisontrails.co/ Filecoin https://filecoin.io/ Verlyn Klinkenborg on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-show-notes Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg Scott Adams https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays Scott Adams on Talent Stacking https://www.scottadamssays.com/2016/12/27/the-kristina-talent-stack/ Listen Notes https://www.listennotes.com/ Kevin Kelly https://kk.org/ Kevin Kelly on Outliers https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly-outliers-transcript Casa https://keys.casa/ Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/ CoinList https://coinlist.co/ TrustToken https://www.trusttoken.com/ TruFi https://truefi.io/ Robinhood https://robinhood.com/us/en/ Oculus https://www.oculus.com/ AngelList https://angellist.com/ EquityZen https://equityzen.com/ Fortnite https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home Roblox https://www.roblox.com/ Unreal Tournament https://www.epicgames.com/unrealtournament/en-US/ Endel https://endel.io/ Tony Anderson https://www.tonyandersonmusic.com/ Focus on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/genre/focus-page Richard Feynman http://www.feynman.com/ Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-Character/dp/0393316041 Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by It’s Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard P. Feynman https://www.amazon.com/Six-Easy-Pieces-Essentials-Explained/dp/0465025277 Henry Ford’s Rouge https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/ford-rouge-factory-tour/history-and-timeline/fords-rouge/ Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr-ebook/dp/B000XUDGHG   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Orla Harris is the Cofounder and COO of SideQuest VR, an early-access testing platform for virtual reality with headquarters in Northern Ireland. Orla and her team provide tools that enable developers to grow a community around their app and solicit feedback from users in the early stages of development. Prior to SideQuest, Orla spent eight years working as a project manager in the construction industry and dabbling in virtual reality as a hobby.   On this episode of Boost VC, Orla joins us to share the origin story of SideQuest VR, explaining how it evolved from side project to startup and when she finally realized it was a business. She describes what it’s like to found a tech company in Ireland, discussing how SideQuest built a network of VCs beyond the borders of her home country and why she’s optimistic about the startup’s continued growth. Listen in for insight on the openness unique to the virtual reality developer community and get Orla’s perspective on what is special about the industry at this particular moment in time!   Topics Covered   The idea behind SideQuest VR Enables developers to test product with consumers Third-party app store for Quest, other VR devices   The origin story of SideQuest VR Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given) Create place for users to sideload and give feedback   Orla’s take on the VR developer community Unique in willingness to help each other out Openness feels different from other experiences   What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day) Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic   How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry 2020 = transformative year Informed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic   What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland Daunting to look for investors beyond home country Part of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost   Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs Find person with connections, ask for introductions One connection can change everything   When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business Cofounder proposed quitting jobs Decision based on site analytics, talking to VCs   What is special about VR right now Small developer pool but large user pool Users starved for content   Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR Apps submitted to platform every day Android mobile developers pivoting to VR   Orla’s definition of success Wake up every morning feeling content Clarity of mind, no stress or worry       Connect with Orla   SideQuest VR https://sidequestvr.com/ SideQuest on Twitter https://twitter.com/SideQuestVR SideQuest on Discord https://discord.com/invite/r38T5rR SideQuest on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/sidequest      SideQuest on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SideQuestVR SideQuest on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidequestvr/ Orla on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlaharris/   Resources   Oculus Quest https://www.oculus.com/quest/   Oculus Quest 2 https://www.oculus.com/quest-2/ Facebook’s Developer Revenue Update https://uploadvr.com/oculus-quest-revenue-update/ Steam https://store.steampowered.com/vr/ Doodle Jump https://doodlejumpgame.com/     Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/ Topics Covered   The idea behind SideQuest VR Enables developers to test product with consumers Third-party app store for Quest, other VR devices   The origin story of SideQuest VR Developed app, declined by Oculus (no reason given) Create place for users to sideload and give feedback   Orla’s take on the VR developer community Unique in willingness to help each other out Openness feels different from other experiences   What’s driving the success of SideQuest VR Still in honeymoon phase (growing every day) Positive results, can’t help but be optimistic   How Orla thinks about where VR is as an industry 2020 = transformative year Informed by release of Quest 2 and pandemic   What it’s like to build a tech startup in Ireland Daunting to look for investors beyond home country Part of accelerator in Ireland that propelled to Boost   Orla’s advice for founders on networking with VCs Find person with connections, ask for introductions One connection can change everything   When Orla realized SideQuest was an actual business Cofounder proposed quitting jobs Decision based on site analytics, talking to VCs   What is special about VR right now Small developer pool but large user pool Users starved for content   Orla’s insight on the growth of SideQuest VR Apps submitted to platform every day Android mobile developers pivoting to VR   Orla’s definition of success Wake up every morning feeling content Clarity of mind, no stress or worry    

When serial entrepreneurs Thibauld Favre and Joris Delanoue joined forces to build the future of fundraising, the Frenchmen chose San Francisco as their home base in large part because of its investor mindset. So, how do Silicon Valley VCs think differently from other investors around the globe?   Thibauld and Joris are the Cofounders of Fairmint, a continuous financing instrument that allows startups to raise money WHILE they build—rather than taking time away from business to pitch investors. The Fairmint model is built around community alignment, putting equity in the hands of a company’s employees, customers, partners and fans. Both Thibauld and Joris have ten-plus years of experience building successful tech companies, and they are on a mission to transition the world to stakeholder capitalism.    On this episode of Boost VC, Thibauld and Joris join us to explain what differentiates the Fairmint system from traditional fundraising and how the platform makes everyone their own exchange. They introduce us to the idea of a CrypTech company, describing the role the blockchain plays in Fairmint’s infrastructure and sharing their own personal evolution as Bitcoin enthusiasts. Listen in for insight around the Silicon Valley investor mindset and find out why Thibauld and Joris moved to California, where VCs will take a risk on ‘rational people doing irrational things.’   Topics Covered   What Joris & Thibauld do at Fairmint Get equity into hands of stakeholders Provide continuous financing instrument   How Fairmint differs from traditional fundraising Raise money WHILE you build Continuous Agreement of Future Equity (CAFE)   Joris & Thibauld’s shared vision for Fairmint Democratize access to wealth ‘Everyone is their own exchange’   What makes Fairmint a CrypTech company New financial instrument = FinTech Benefit to using blockchain in stack   Why Joris & Thibauld ended up in Silicon Valley Provides worldwide market Affords company credibility   The potential digitization of Silicon Valley Important for founders to spend time there Team doesn’t have to be there (distributed execution)   The Silicon Valley investor mindset Willing to take risks to find deal first Accept rational people doing irrational things   Joris & Thibauld’s definition of success Impact society by changing economy Do work kids can be proud of Connect with Joris & Thibauld   Fairmint https://fairmint.co/   Fairmint on Twitter https://twitter.com/fairmintCO Fairmint on GitHub https://github.com/fairmint/ Fairmint on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairmint/ Thibauld on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibauld/ Joris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/delanoue/   Resources   Singularity University https://su.org/   Allmyapps https://www.linkedin.com/company/allmyapps/   Bitcoin Whitepaper https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf Nexteem https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexteem/ IDEO https://www.ideo.com/ Adam’s Post on Delaware C-Corps https://twitter.com/AdamDraper/status/1334702452684156934   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

More and more people understand that crypto is going to be big. But they don’t really know why. And they don’t want to be forced to turn all of their money into cryptocurrency right off the bat. So, what if there was a way to demonstrate the benefits of the technology with US dollars and then migrate users to digital currency over time?   Andy Bromberg is the new CEO of Eco, a wallet designed to simplify everyday finances and maximize earning power. Andy began his career in startups as the CEO of political media platform Sidewire before cofounding CoinList in 2017, where he served as CEO for the last three years. Andy was also a member of the legendary Stanford Bitcoin Group from 2012 to 2014.   On this episode of Boost VC, Andy joins us to discuss his introduction to crypto at Stanford and explain his decision to transition from CoinList to Eco. He weighs in the challenges of onboarding remotely and describes the skill set he brings to the Eco team. Listen in for Andy’s insight around the benefits of the Eco app and learn how his team provides users with a migration path from USD to crypto.   Topics Covered   What got Andy into the crypto ecosystem Part of Stanford Bitcoin Group Cofounded CoinList in 2017   The challenges of onboarding remotely Connect with team in Zoom setting Encourage natural interaction   How Eco makes your money work for you Put money in, earn up to 5% APY 5% cashback on purchases   Eco’s approach to broad crypto adoption App based around US dollars Educate on tech over time   What inspired Andy’s transition to Eco Token design makes sense Migration path (USD to crypto)   The skill set Andy brings to the Eco team Build community/attention Launch project successfully Ability to scale organization    Andy’s definition of success Things feel natural, peaceful In flow state most of time Connect with Andy    Eco https://eco.com/   Eco on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eco-pay/   Eco on Twitter https://twitter.com/eco Andy on Twitter https://twitter.com/andy_bromberg   Resources   CoinList https://coinlist.co/   Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/ Earn https://www.coinbase.com/earn   Andreessen Horowitz https://a16z.com/ Balaji Srinivasan https://balajis.com/ Bolt https://www.bolt.com/ Cognito https://cognitohq.com/ AngelList https://angel.co/   Protocol Labs https://protocol.ai/ MyCrypto https://mycrypto.com/account Fidelity Digital Assets https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/overview BlackRock https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual   The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro https://www.amazon.com/Power-Broker-Robert-Moses-Fall/dp/0394720245   Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan https://www.amazon.com/Barbarian-Days-Surfing-William-Finnegan/dp/0143109391   Connect with Boost VC   Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

Most founders avoid dealing with Uncle Sam unless absolutely necessary. But what if you could engage the government as an investor in your startup?   Sedale Turbovsky is the Cofounder and CEO of OpenGrants, the most powerful grant search tool in the US. The OpenGrants team is on a mission to unlock billions of dollars in grant funding for the best startups in the world, providing entrepreneurs with a single platform where they can find, apply for and manage grants. Sedale is a three-time founder with a background in helping companies navigate the public funding space.   On this episode of Boost VC, Sedale joins us to explain how startups benefit from federal funding and who qualifies to receive grant money from the government. He weighs in on the culture of incumbency in the space, describing his vision to connect a diverse ecosystem of real innovators with the funding opportunities available. Listen in for insight around the government’s capacity to invest in breakthrough innovation and learn how OpenGrants can help you access the funding to get your startup on its feet!   Topics Covered   What the OpenGrants platform does Connect companies to grant money (simplify process) Enable startups to engage government as ally   The friction points OpenGrants solves for Opportunities spread out over internet, poor UX Direct matches for companies that set up profile   How startups benefit from federal funding De-risk and develop tech for company Don’t have to pay back (cheapest $ in market)   Who qualifies to receive federal grant funding Innovators in science and technology Programs that solve for social good   What inspired Sedale’s interest in the space Government can invest in technically risky projects Get more diverse ideas to government   How Sedale bridges the gap between government + startups Bureaucracy has created ‘culture of incumbency’ Bring government to diverse ecosystem of innovators Create tools for government to realize its policies   How Sedale’s background informs his work at OpenGrants Operationalizing difficult-to-get data sets Backward experience w/ grant funding at carbonBLU   Who Sedale’s team works with at OpenGrants Early-stage science-based startups, nonprofits Series A/B startups doing additional R&D   The culture of incumbency around federal funding Can’t act on good intentions due to infrastructure  98% of 2018 NIH grants went to ‘old, white guys’   Sedale’s definition of success Structure life around what makes you happy   Connect with Sedale OpenGrants https://www.opengrants.io/ OpenGrants on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/opengrantsio/ OpenGrants on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/opengrants.io OpenGrants on Twitter https://twitter.com/opengrants_io Sedale on Twitter https://twitter.com/STurbovsky   Resources Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ beta.SAM.gov https://beta.sam.gov/   SBIR.gov https://www.sbir.gov/ California Grants Portal https://www.grants.ca.gov/ carbonBLU http://www.carbonblu.com/ FINRA https://www.finra.org/ SEC https://www.sec.gov/ Momentum https://buildmomentum.io/ NIH Grants https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm Samuel Pierpont Langley https://www.sil.si.edu/ondisplay/langley/intro.htm HHS’s VC Fund for MedTech https://medcitynews.com/2018/06/funding-healthcare-accelerators-an-hhs-unit-is-taking-a-vc-approach-to-innovation/ The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Patrick-Rothfuss/dp/0756404746   Connect with Boost VC Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/