Equity

Latest Episodes:

Seeing startups tackle the health of our planet is giving me life Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

We are back from Disrupt, which means we're picking up the pieces of our work lives, getting back on track. Equity is now on its regular schedule, which is good. A big thanks to the entire podcast production crew for making last week happen.

Now! What did we get into this morning? The following:

Stocks rallied around the world, but fell in China. Chinese equities suffered under investor pessimism at the cementing of Xi Jinping's authority over the country's economy. Elsewhere, hope that central bank policies would not carry as much teeth in the future as we have seen in recent months sent stocks higher.
The finalists from the recent Startup Battlefield competition were all pretty freaking great, especially the focus that several had on making our home planet a bit cleaner, or better. Commercial solutions will be required for us to do any damn thing about the planet, so, here's to the companies working on it.
Minerva Lithium wound up winning, which seemed legit given the sheer need we have as a people for lithium these days (it figures in battery production).
Other points of conversation: No Instacart IPO coming, Yat Siu is still bullish on crypto games, and it is earnings season!

Ok, chat soon!

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

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Will your company cut your benefits or your coworkers first? (re-post) Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

While the crew recovers from an incredible week in SF for TechCrunch Disrupt, we dug through the archives for a conversation you may have missed. Natasha was joined by TC+ reporter Rebecca Szkutak to wade through the news of the week. It was frantic, it was full, and forgettable it was not!

Here's what we got into:

Quick note from Becca on Neumann's return and if follow-on funding will be a possibility for Flow -- given some investors reactions.
Our two deals of the week include an innovative step for hearing aid startups and a new take on international money transfer.
For hearing loss tech, a new FDA ruling allows hearing aids to be sold over the counter. We dove in to how this regulatory change helps open the door for startups to innovate in the category.
Speaking of regulatory pains, we spoke about how employee-benefits startups might escape cost cuts as companies seek to retain talent. Don't know about you but I'd prefer to lose free food over mental health support.
We ended with notes on two geographies.
Looking at the Midwest, we talked about how LPs aren't backing funds in the region this year despite many VCs considering it to be one of the safer areas to invest right now.
Comparing the Southeast and Midwest, we spoke about how lower valuations are helping fuel both regions to have a good year.

And that's all for now. We'll catch you next week, and in the meantime if you're feeling up to it, consider leaving us a great rating on Apple Podcasts. It goes a long way.

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PDT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PDT, so subscribe to us onApple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify a_nd all the casts._

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Well, that was Fast: Equity Live at TechCrunch Disrupt Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. And for the first time in the history of the show, the TechCrunch pod that opened up Disrupt on the big stage. Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann got to be together to record in person for the first-time ever, and it went exactly as wild as you thought it would (we forgot this is what make up feels like!).

We started with a deal of the week, which, in typical Equity style, had to be about a snarky comeback story and inequity. Then we spoke about our three themes of the year, ranging from reputation checks to scrappy requests to, of course, grace as a leadership style.

Natasha wanted to talk about, in her own words, the nuance of reputation but more importantly when it matters versus when it’s ignored.
Alex wanted to riff on starting being forced to learn how to be scrappy, after a long period of being perhaps over-stuffed.
And, finally, Mary Ann wanted to discuss the importance of humility. Which, frankly, is not something that we talk about enough.

Thank you to everyone who came out to our live show, and for those who didn't, hope you enjoy and meet us next year. Onward!

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, a show that details how our stories come together and more!

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Good morning! We regret to inform you that the wealthy are at it again Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Don’t forget that the code “EQUITY” can save you money on Disrupt tickets and TechCrunch+ access. And it makes us here on the show look good!

Hell yeah, this is our Monday show. And heck yes, we are recording Equity live tomorrow morning at Disrupt. Get super stoked, because we are hype. That said, we did have a lot to get news done for you this morning. Here's what Theresa and Alex went through this morning:

Stocks are up in many parts of the world, including the United States, where software shares are ripping north as the week begins. Very kind of the market to kick off Disrupt with some good news.
Crypto is quieter, with prices not changing much and the general vibe of the market not evolving a whit.
Kanye West, also known as Ye, is buying niche social network Parler in a deal that will see the musician, fashion mogul, and controversy generator buy the service — but not the infrastructure that powers it. Parler is not very popular at the moment and has stiff competition from other various celebrity-owned (or soon-to-be celebrity-owned) social networks Truth Social and Twitter.
It is worth noting that West bought Parler after running into trouble with mainstream social services over his antisemitic posts.
Ambi Robotics raised new capital, as did Byju's, and the Chinese chip industry is in turmoil after the United States kicked it in the shins.

Woo! That's our show. We will see you tomorrow morning at Disrupt! Come and get an Equity pin and be The Coolest.

Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday and Wednesday, and at 6 a.m. PT on Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!

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What’s the TAM of the 1%? Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Before we get into this week’s show notes, some programming items:

First up, use code “EQUITY” for a special listener discount for Disrupt tickets. We’re mere days away, and you should come hang out with us when we record on opening day!
We also have a special for those impacted by layoffs. If you were laid off, go here to get a free ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt’s Expo!

That behind us, what did Mary Ann, Natasha and Alex get into today? A whole host of things. Here's the rundown:

Getaway and Pacaso: What happens if you mix Airbnb, vacation homes, timeshares, and REITs? A very interesting startup cluster, it turns out. These two companies brought Mary Ann and Natasha into the same reporting space and gave us a good chance to discuss the luxury market.
The Muse gets acquisitive: One of the most interesting deals we saw in the last week was The Muse buying Fairygodboss, a recruiting platform aimed at working mothers. The deal got us thinking about roll-ups in various sectors of the startup market, and where we might first see more activity. As Natasha recently put it in Startups Weekly, here's three words to consider about the market right now: Toil, Trouble, Startup Acquisitions.
Party/Hangover: Mary Ann's weekly column, The Interchange, is a brill focused look at the latest (and sometimes the not-so-greatest) in fintech. We talk about her recent interview with Index's Mark Goldberg, and why he's talking about the party being over and crypto a side character.
Q3 VC: Alex is digging through Q3 venture capital data as quickly as possible, working to get an understanding of where things are. It appears that United States-based venture activity is hanging in there, while the picture is a bit more dire globally. Elsewhere, fintech investment is falling, as is dealmaking in crypto-land.
Ownership for all: We end with a look at some recent efforts to challenge venture's traditional structure. Shout out to Chattanooga's Brickyard, which recently raised a $17 million fund, on giving founders 10% of the GP's carried interest in the new fund. Sharing is caring. And really, it's just fair.

OK! That's it! It's time to pack up and make the trip to San Francisco, where we cannot wait to see your pretty faces. Chat soon!

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Sarah Guo isn’t late to the AI party Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

Sarah Guo isn't late to the AI party, but she did just raise a $101 million fund to bet on the appetizers.

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single person, think about their work, and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha and Alex interviewed Guo, who worked at Greylock for nearly a decade, and her launch of Conviction.

We spoke about the self-correcting venture market, what made her leave Greylock, and even rewound to her last episode with us (recorded almost exactly three years ago).

There was also an especially fruitful conversation about the opportunity in artificial intelligence right now, and how she's defining Software 3.0. (Warning: We talk about SaaS!) We also dug into why she started a fund, the LP market, and more. The conversation ran a bit long, but it felt reasonable to keep going given the sheer breadth of stuff that we wanted to get through.

Don't forget that Equity is going to be live at Disrupt next week, on Tuesday morning. It's going to be a blast. And before we go, two programming notes (that help your wallet, too):

First up, use code “EQUITY” for a special listener discount for Disrupt tickets. We’re less than one month away!
We also have a special for those impacted by layoffs. If you were laid off, go here to get a free ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt’s Expo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It would be nice to not talk about Elon Musk for a bit Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Don’t forget that the code “EQUITY” can save you money on Disrupt tickets and TechCrunch+ access. And it makes us here on the show look good!

We're gearing up to take the show on the road in short order, but don't worry about that this week. Service will continue as usual until we kick off Disrupt next Tuesday!

Today, we got into the weeds about:

Markets: Stocks are down in most of the world, albeit somewhat mixed in Europe. Crypto is mostly flat, with the XRP breaking the trend by being interesting. The Block reports that crypto volumes ticked higher in September, which could bode well.
Startups: Clerkenwell Health just raised a couple million pounds for testing alternative medications for mental health conditions. We're excited about that. And Trendsi raised a $25 million Series A, which is no small deal, as we had expected to see smaller early-stage rounds this year. Good on Trendsi!
Quick Hits: Kanye West and Elon Musk once again took over the news cycle, this time after the former got into trouble for anti-Semitic posts on Instagram and Twitter. In between, Musk welcomed Ye back to Twitter. Also Tizen is not dead, and PayPal is having a hellish start to the week.
Don't forget: We are live next week on the first day of Disrupt! Come hang!

More to come Wednesday, and Friday. I can't wait!

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Musk and Kardashian remind us to stop crying for the wealthy Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

First up, use code “EQUITY” for a special listener discount for Disrupt tickets. We’re mere weeks away, and you should come hang out with us when we record on opening day!
We also have a special for those impacted by layoffs. If you were laid off, go here to get a free ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt’s Expo!

Alright, throat clearing aside, here's what we got into this week:

$700M water? Yeah, the Liquid Death round was a big deal in the news this week because everyone had an opinion on the matter. Us included. While there's good reason to doubt the DTC model today -- cough cough, public markets -- Alex was on hand to stand up for the, er, near unicorn.
How much should you pay your staff? From there it was time to chat about fair compensation, and how a startup called Comprehensive wants to take a crack at the question. It just raised $6 million.
Duolingo goes shopping! Yes, we've covered this company before. And, yes, it is now public. But Duolingo snapping up another company gave us the chance to yammer a bit about edtech more generally, and we're always going to take that chance.
Naver, Poshmark, and Depop: Naver's move to swoop up Poshmark is the story of two major companies finding union. But since the Poshmark deal was similar to the 2021-era Depop deal, it fit into our remit. After all, Poshmark and Depop were both venture darlings once upon a time.
Twitter, Elon, round 472: Since we recorded this podcast, there's been even more Elon-Twitter news. God we're tired of it.
Kim Kardashian's crypto issue: Far be it from us to give advice, but if you are going to take $250,000 to shill a shitcoin, do disclose the payment!

And that is our show. We're on a regular schedule next week, and then live the week after!

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What's next for creator-focused startups now that the venture boom is over? Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single topic, think about a question and unpack the rest. This week, Alex asked: How are platforms responding to the new creator landscape? (Don't worry, the Wednesday show is still Natasha's to lead, she was just a little under the weather this week!)

Happily, Alex was not running solo, as TechCrunch's own Amanda Silberling was with the show this week -- not for the first time! -- to chat through the key questions we wanted to parse our way through:

What is the new creator landscape?
How did we get to today from the go-go 2020/2021 period of creator-focused venture deals?
What are creator-focused platforms focused on today?
And, finally, what options do creators have today, based on our understanding of the market?

The idea for the episode stems in part from our reporting, including this recent look at the amount of money that creator-targeting startups have raised in recent quarters. (Also in the news? Substack, Patreon, and others!)

Before we say goodbye and come back on Friday, two quick notes from the team:

You can use the code “EQUITY” for a special listener discount for Disrupt tickets. We’re just weeks away!
And we also have a special for those impacted by layoffs. If you were laid off, go here to get a free ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt’s Expo.

See you there, and chat you Friday!

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, a show that details how our stories come together and more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Q4, crypto fans and Tesla stans Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Don’t forget that the code “EQUITY” can save you money on Disrupt tickets and TechCrunch+ access. And it makes us here on the show look good!

Markets: Stocks are largely down around the world, yet set to rise here on American exchanges. Perhaps the domestic selloff is pausing? Elsewhere in the world of money, cryptocurrencies are boring in the last week.
Startups: Big news from TikTok, including notes on how quickly it has been adding revenue in Europe and the fact that the social network is forging ahead with a new social shopping effort in the United States. And, Talk360 added even more dosh to its recent funding round, which TechCrunch dug into here.
Quick Hits: Kim Kardashian is in trouble for crypto promotions past, to the tune of a seven-figure settlement. That's a lot of capital, frankly, and we're curious who will be next under the SEC's hammer. Oh, and Tesla delivery numbers are in, and the markets are not happy.
Don't Forget: Equity is kicking off Disrupt in just a few weeks. Come hang out!

Woot! We are out of here for now. Catch you soon!

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotifyand all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, a show that details how our stories come together and more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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