POD OF JAKE

Latest Episodes:

#137 - ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Anthony is the Founder and Managing Partner of Skybridge, a global alternative investment firm. He is also the Founder and Chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Anthony is well known for his stint as the former White House Director of Communications. He has written several books and hosts a podcast called Open Book. Follow Anthony on Twitter @Scaramucci.

[1:41] - Anthony’s story of resilience in work and in life

[6:57] - The turning point that kickstarted Anthony’s drive to success

[15:50] - Leaving his career at Goldman Sachs and betting on himself

[23:06] - How Anthony approaches life, his perspective on family

[28:27] - Anthony’s journey into crypto and why he believes in Bitcoin

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy.

Thanks to ⁠Chase Devens⁠ for the show notes and ⁠Yiction⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#136 - ASWATH DAMODARAN Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Aswath is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at NYU where he teaches corporate finance and equity valuation. He is the author of several books on both subjects and is widely known as “The Dean of Valuation”. Follow Aswath on Twitter @AswathDamodaran.

[1:41] - Aswath’s interest in finance and passion for teaching

[5:53] - Why valuations are a part of every day life, not just finance

[11:04] - The outsized impact of luck on investing outcomes

[13:49] - Using stories of the future to determine valuations in the present

[17:14] - Managing one's own biases in investing

[19:21] - How to think about various valuation frameworks

[21:45] - Why large swings in a company's stock price can be good times to re-asses your valuation

[26:56] - How social media and modern communications impact trading volatility and what that means for investing

[33:56] - The role of diversification in modern portfolios

[40:01] - Aswath’s perspective on Bitcoin and Amazon

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Thanks to Chase Devens for the show notes and Yiction for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#135 - MASHA BUCHER Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

Masha is the Founder and General Partner of Day One Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that places an emphasis on leading public relations for its portfolio companies. Prior to starting Day One, Masha was a successful angel investor and the creator of a public relations studio for startups. Follow Masha on Twitter @mashadrokova.

[1:36] - Social media’s role in kickstarting Masha’s career in entrepreneurship and investing

[9:34] - How Masha leveraged her experience in public relations to become a successful angel investor

[17:15] - Transitioning from angel investing to raising a fund

[24:26] - Masha’s reflections on her successful exits

[27:23] - Breaking down Day One’s approach to managing public relations for its portfolio companies

[34:19] - Crafting a successful media approach in the age of social networks

[40:43] - Masha’s experience working with Worldcoin and its founders

[45:51] - The roadmap for Day One Ventures

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#134 - TURNER NOVAK Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Turner is the Founder of Banana Capital, a global venture capital firm. Prior to launching Banana Capital in 2021, Turner ran all venture capital investing at Gelt VC. He writes a newsletter called “The Split” and hosts a podcast called “The Peel”. Follow Turner on Twitter @TurnerNovak

[0:00] - Turner’s early interests in investing; how he ended up starting his own fund

[10:31] - Growing up and building friendships on the internet

[16:30] - Differences in fundraising from individual vs. institutional LPs

[21:36] - The importance of evaluating founders in any startup investment

[31:20] - Raising in public and Turner’s reflections on raising his first fund

[44:50] - Turner’s media strategy and his new podcast, “The Peel”

[55:19] - How Turner curates information & finds leverage in content

[1:01:22] - The importance of understanding TikTok & the latest trends

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#133 - SOPHIA AMORUSO Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

Sophia is a serial entrepreneur and investor who most recently launched Trust Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund. She also runs a digital course and exclusive community called Business Class through which she mentors aspiring entrepreneurs. Sophia made her entrepreneurial debut as the founder of Nasty Gal, a women’s fashion retailer which she scaled to $100M in annual revenue. She also created Girlboss Media, a professional development platform for women of the millennial generation. Sophia's best-selling autobiography, #GIRLBOSS, was adapted into a TV series of the same name by Netflix and viewed in over 100 million homes around the world. Follow Sophia on Twitter @sophiaamoruso and read the latest Trust Fund Investor Update to learn more.

[0:00] - Sophia’s story & experience scaling Nasty Gal from a small eBay store into a business with $100 million in annual revenue

[10:34] - Her best-selling book #GIRLBOSS, and its impact on women around the world

[19:10] - Evolving from angel investing to raising her first fund, Trust Fund

[27:01] - How Sophia builds excellent brands for everything she does

[37:56] - The challenges of building a company culture

[40:00] - Sophia’s strategy for success with Trust Fund

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#132 - KEVIN KELLY Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Kevin is the Founding Executive Editor of Wired magazine, where he still serves as Senior Maverick. He was previously publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review. Kevin is a co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, creator of Cool Tools, and author of multiple best-selling books, including his most recent, Excellent Advice for Living. Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevin2kelly.

[0:00] - Kevin's story and his lifelong interest in learning and disseminating knowledge

[5:08] - Key inflection points in information-related technologies

[14:49] - How to focus in a world of distraction

[20:58] - Pursuing the unknown and creating uniquely

[29:24] - Inventing your own definition of success

[36:27] - Spending time on things you love

[45:29] - Why innovation often comes from those who focus on their interests more than money

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#131 - PACKY MCCORMICK May 30, 2023

Show notes

Packy is the creator of Not Boring, the #1 Business Newsletter on Substack with over 200,000 subscribers. In addition to writing, Packy invests in early-stage startups with his fund, Not Boring Capital. He also serves as an advisor to a16z crypto. Follow Packy on Twitter @packyM.

[0:00] - Packy’s journey to becoming a full-time writer

[4:18] - Packy’s decision to forego business school and work for a startup instead

[7:02] - Starting a newsletter and in-person business at the beginning of COVID

[12:25] - How Packy’s writing has evolved since starting the Not Boring newsletter

[16:00] - Modeling Not Boring after Ben Thompson and Bill Simmons’ writing

[18:25] - Not Boring's innovative monetization model with sponsored posts

[22:31] - Packy’s early experiences investing in startups with Not Boring Capital

[29:24] - Scaling Not Boring with software platforms, AI, and people

[33:10] - Why Packy does not use Twitter as much as he used to

[36:55] - How social media could be made better

[44:48] - What's next for Not Boring

[49:12] - Why Packy believes it is important to be optimistic

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#130 - ANDREW HERR May 25, 2023

Show notes

Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Fount, a comprehensive health and performance program backed by Founders Fund. Prior to starting Fount, Andrew led human performance and biotech strategy efforts for the U.S. military. He has worked with the Navy Seals, US National Soccer Team, and Miami Heat, among others. Andrew is also an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University where he designed and teaches Hands-on Unconventional Weapons Technology. Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewHerrBio.

[0:00] - How Andrew’s family history led him to study human performance

[3:29] - Andrew’s evolving perspective on athletic performance in the military

[8:14] - Fount’s approach to improving human performance

[15:53] - The interplay between human coaching and AI-driven coaching at Fount

[18:45] - Breaking down the various components of the Fount Pro program

[22:39] - How Fount is leveraging insights from individual clients to create products for the masses

[26:13] - Understanding how Fount’s FlyKitt product prevents jet lag

[30:21] - Wearables and other human performance products that Andrew recommends

[40:40] - Andrew’s personal health and performance journey and what he does daily

[46:42] - Andrew’s perspective on radically increasing human healthspan and longevity

homeofjake.com

#129 - SAHIL LAVINGIA May 10, 2023

Show notes

Sahil is the Founder & CEO of Gumroad, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform for online creators. He is also the Founder & CEO of Flexile, a company creating the infrastructure for operating businesses online with part-time people working remotely from around the world. Prior to starting Gumroad, Sahil was the second employee at Pinterest. He recently published a book, The Minimalist Entrepreneur, and started his own rolling fund, SHL Capital. Follow Sahil on Twitter @shl.

[0:00] - Sahil’s story, dropping out of college to join Pinterest

[5:31] - Why Sahil was comfortable taking risks early in his career

[11:57] - Breaking down Sahil’s daily routines and habits

[21:57] - Sahil’s approach to operating Gumroad without any full-time employees

[28:00] - How Sahil thinks AI will impact the way companies can operate

[33:54] - The impact of rising interest rates on business strategies

[37:23] - Sahil’s experiences living in San Francisco, Provo, and Portland

[42:50] - Differentiating digital versus physical cultures and social realities

[46:46] - Why physical location is still so critical digital-first world

[49:39] - Sahil’s strategy for growing Flexile

[54:05] - The future of equity issuance for modern businesses

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#128 - DAVID LEE May 04, 2023

Show notes

David is the Head of Samsung Next, the investment group within Samsung Electronics. Prior to his role at Samsung Next, David was a Managing Partner at both Refactor Capital and SV Angel. Follow David on Twitter @davidlee.

[0:00] - David’s background in law and venture capital

[6:54] - Do VCs and executive coaches need experience as founders to succeed?

[16:11] - How David’s investing strategy has changed over the course of his career

[22:26] - SV Angel’s innovative approach to funding YC startups with Start Fund

[28:04] - Comparing the investing approaches of Samsung Next vs. SV Angel

[32:30] - Benefits of having both a beginner’s mind and a prepared mind in investing

[38:31] - David’s current areas of focus at Samsung Next

[43:06] - How mobile phones changed the world, and what the metaverse really means

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