Equity

Latest Episodes:

Stanford moonshot promises near-term profitability with no-code magical mushrooms, ft. Plaid of X Sep 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. As you can tell by the headline of this episode, this is a bonus episode all about Y Combinator Demo Day (and the terms we heard most often during the two-day affair).

Natasha and Alex jumped on Twitter Spaces to talk through our favorites of the batch, geography changes, and diversity shake-up that included less women getting funded batch over batch. Below are some of the posts we pulled from:

Y Combinator week is busy, but we made it through! Talk Monday!

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

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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Kim Kardashian and the financialization of trendsetters Sep 09, 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.

What.

Week.

Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann jumped on the mic, with Theresa on backup, to talk through the biggest headlines. For our Apple coverage, click here. For our YC coverage, click here.

All that aside, here's what we got into on today's episode:

Kim Kardashian surprised us all -- yet again -- with the news that she is co-founding a private equity firm. We also talked about how Userpilot raised $4.6 million to help SaaS companies offer a more personalized user experience and Varjo - an early mover in building XR headsets and software for enterprises - landing $40 million in new funding.
We pivoted to riff on a couple of acquisitions in the grocery delivery space, both of which thought were pretty cool and made sense. Instacart acquired Rosie (gotta love the name) in an example of not putting all its eggs in one basket, and Misfit Markets announced it is buying Imperfect Foods.
Next, we talked about a couple of venture firms -- Kapor Capital and Countdown Capital -- raising new, second funds. Notably, both firms are looking to back historically overlooked founders and industries, which we -- and their LPs -- are 100% here for.
And lastly, we had a lively debate on AI and its impact on the creator economy -- discussing topics such as AI-generated porn and whether AI-driven art is truly art.

If you are coming to Disrupt, use the code "EQUITY" to save 15%. It makes us look good internally, and gets you a cheaper discount to our first Disrupt live show in the history of the podcast.

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

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As the economy falters, tracking the money behind the money Sep 07, 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 and unpack the rest. Today we asked: How is the economic downturn and startup slowdown impacting VCs, and the folks who finance venture capital funds?

Unlike our usual mid-week episodes, Natasha was not at the helm. Instead, Alex stood in for her and brought along TechCrunch+ venture capital reporter Rebecca Szkutak in the co-hosting slot. Rebecca is an ace when it comes to the mechanics of venture capital, making her the perfect voice for the day.

To start, Alex and Rebecca riffed on the state of startups in today's market -- and if things are as bad as some make them out to be. From there, the Equity crew talked through the venture capital response to changing market conditions. And the conversation wrapped with notes on what LPs are doing, whether they should be or not.

While we largely focus on startups and founders on the pod, it's also good to step back once in a while and talk about the money behind the money. That's what we did today. Enjoy!

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

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Welcome to YC and Apple week Sep 06, 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 on a Tuesday instead of a Monday thanks to an American holiday, which means we are looking at a compressed week. But don't let the shorter window for news fool you -- it's going to be busy.

Stocks are largely higher today, but off the back of some rough trading weeks so don't read too much into the bounce. The world of crypto appears pretty quiet, as it has for some time now.
Y Combinator Demo Day is this week, which means a flood of startups and other news is in the offing. TechCrunch will be all over the news, naturally. Strap in.
And there's an Apple event this week as well, possibly bringing new iPhones and other related consumer gear. How excited you are about that will depend on how old your current phone is.
From there, it was time for economic concerns and worries about how a worse, or lesser macroeconomic picture could impact startups. We talk a lot about market size, and venture investment. But what about the macro-climate itself?
And to close out, what is Binance doing?

No live show this week, but we are back tomorrow and Friday! Hugs and talk soon.

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

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We Reali don't know when real estate will get Better Sep 02, 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 was a Live Week, meaning that Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann recorded the show on Twitter Spaces, hanging out with a bunch of the Equity family. Good times were had! We also disclosed that we are recording live at Disrupt this year! Yes, so come hang out as we tape the show on opening day, full of coffee and enthusiasm.

Now, to the show notes. Here's what we have in store for you:

Deals of the Week: Stacked, which is taking on Twitch with a web3 twist; Astro, which wants to help connect Latin American developers to American companies; Anchor, which is building a BaaS platform in Africa.
From there we riffed on the big changes at Y Combinator, and what it means for an early-stage venture firm managing over $3.2 billion in assets. The executive shift touched down just in advance of next week's demo day. Next week is going to be busy.
Then Mary Ann walked us through issues at real-estate focused fintech startups, namely that they are burning too much money. Naturally this meant that we had to mention Better.com, again.
And we closed with layoff news from Snap, and Clearco. Both stories are vastly different but compare in the layoffs, retraction in international presence, and promise for more focus in the future.

If you are coming to Disrupt, use the code 'EQUITY' to save 15%. It makes us look good internally, and gets you a cheaper discount to our first Disrupt live show in the history of the podcast. And, speaking of the pod, Equity is back next Tuesday, not Monday, due to the American holiday. Ok! Bye!

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

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

Party rounds are either the dinner party of your dreams or the one where no one shows up Aug 31, 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, along with Alex's help, Natasha asked: Who should be raising Party Rounds?

The episode was inspired by Natasha’s recent Startups Weekly column, “When the party has confetti but no allergen-friendly appetizers" and the companion TechCrunch+ piece with Anita, “Investment clubs are cool again, and maybe community is, too.”

Here's what we got into:

The definition of party rounds, boundaries and the fact that we don't entirely agree on if there needs to be a lead or nah
How has party round funding changed? What place do they hold in the ecosystem?
Is this vehicle better for experienced founders versus first-time founders?
The pros and cons of each side

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

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

Does venture capital need a shot in the arm? Aug 29, 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 week Alex was back with Grace and our new producer Theresa Loconsolo to kick off the week. This Monday morning we recorded right before Garry Tan announced that he was heading back to Y Combinator as its President. Dang.

But we still had a good sheaf of things to talk about!

Stocks are not having a good day around the world, after having a pretty tough last Friday. It's hardly bullish for the IPO market.
Things weren't much better in crypto-land, where bitcoin and ether are off from their week-ago prices, and NFT volumes remain muted.
And speaking of quiet, startup news -- Y Combinator apart! -- was modest over the weekend. It appears that the August slowdown is both real, and here. Frankly startups could use a shot in the arm to get venture back closer to 2021's level of insanity. Can the Instacart IPO that we expect be the needed catalyst?
Another potential catalyst of Good Vibes that we are tracking is whether, and when Tether's audit finally does happen.
Also in the news: Honda is going to spend big to build batteries in the United States; Indian mobile connectivity is set to improve in the next year; and Meta and Indian conglomerate Reliance are teaming up for ecommerce.

Equity is back Wednesday Thursday for a live show! Chat soon!

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

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

Press and Law v. Adam and Elon Aug 26, 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.

Want to save some dosh on TechCrunch+? Use the code 'EQUITY' at checkout for a big discount on annual subscriptions!

Alex, Natasha and Mary Ann are back and as a three were in good spirits with more than a bit of news to parse. Grace, Theresa, and Kell made the magic happen, for which we're thankful. Here's what we got into:

Just what OrangeDAO is, and why it matters. Our deals of the week this time 'round had a particular flavor. See if you can spot it!
Next up was Spectral's $23 million raise (web3 credit scores), and Mural's latest, a $6.5 million round for DAO treasury management.
Scooting along, we looked into Alex's reporting on shrinking late-stage rounds, a surprisingly strong seed market, and what's good with the unicorn crew.
Then it was time to talk Stripe layoffs before pivoting over to the latest issues stemming from Adam Neumann's latest startup, and the Musk-Twitter dustup.
To close, we noted the latest from Instacart and the fact that Zoom is not having the best of times lately.

That's our show! We are back Monday!

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

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

Black Girls Code's developing story offers a complicated look at lots of different things Aug 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.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single topic, think about a question and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha asked: What happens when a Black founder was ousted? Alex was back on the mic after a week away, and we brought on Dominic-Madori Davis (follow her on Twitter and Instagram) to talk us through the topic. After all, the core question was inspired by her latest TC+ column.

Here's what we got into:

The growing tensions at Black Girls Code, which began last December with Bryant's "indefinite suspension."
Bryant's eventual ouster, which happened earlier this month, and the outpouring of public support for the leader. That conversation brought us into the reality of who gets to speak up publicly, and who can only do so off the record and without attribution.
Davis piece about the symbolism of a Black founder being removed from a position of leadership
Inherent bias and how to navigate that in the stories we hear and tips we receive.

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

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

What's a crypto exchange worth? Aug 22, 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 week Alex was back with Grace and our new producer to kick off the week. Now that we are through earnings season, things are a little quieter on the forecast front, but that didn't mean that we were short on material:

Stocks are down around the world, while crypto prices remain depressed in the last week; NFT volume continues its negative drift.
CNBC got FTX revenue numbers! Only through the first quarter of 2022, sadly, meaning that we have a good idea of what the company did through March of this year. That is good, but not great. Why not? Q2 is really the turning point for crypto exchanges, Coinbase data indicates. So we got the stuff that makes FTX look good. We need more.
The Socar IPO was kinda meh, in the end. While we welcome any and all IPOs at this point, hopes may have been for a stronger welcome on the South Korean stock market for the SoftBank-backed company. TechCrunch has more.
And from the Quick Hit folder, Tesla is raising the price of its driver-assist system, Amazon is looking to buy more healthcare assets, NSO may reform, and SPACs are kaput.

Equity is back Wednesday and Friday this week, as we do not have a live show. Chat soon!

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

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

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