"Request for Startups" with Erik Torenberg

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**“Request for Startups” with Erik Torenberg**

Request for Startups is a show with tech insiders about products and companies that should exist, but haven’t yet. A rotating lineup of tech founders and investors join Erik Torenberg to share their requests for startups they want to exist in the world, and also share their stories of navigating the idea maze in different sectors so founders don’t have to reinvent the wheel anymore. Listen first, then build.

Guests in season 1 include Talia Goldberg, Greg Isenberg, Romeen Sheth, Aashay Sanghvi, Imran Khan, Qiao Wang, Gagan Biyani, Nick deWilde and more

Request for Startups is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co requestforstartups.substack.com

Latest Episodes:

Mike Maples on Navigating the Idea Maze and Building Breakthrough Companies Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Mike Maples,Jr: Founder of Floodgate and Host of the Starting Greatness podcast. @m2jr on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co. @eriktorenberg on X

In this conversation, Erik Torenberg sits down with Mike Maples, Founder of Floodgate, to discuss the idea maze, insight hacking, inflections, and effective leadership strategies. Mike also shares why uniqueness matters more than being the best. The conversation took place at a live event for On Deck in 2020.

—

Request for Startups is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:33) The why behind “How to Build a Breakthrough”

(04:56) Motive power of startups

(12:32) Sponsor: Turpentine

(24:20) Insight hacking framework

(27:31) Exploring the Jobs-to-be-Done framework

(29:13) Navigating false positives and negatives in market insights

(30:23) The role of domain expertise in startup success

(39:59) Symptoms of a company that is not succeeding

(49:14) Choosing your market

(49:59) Finding your startup's niche

(56:04) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Finding Founder-Market Fit with AngelList's Avlok Kohli and On Deck's David Booth Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Avlok Kohli : CEO at AngelList, angel investor, advisor and repeat exits as a founder. @avlok on X

* David Booth : Co-founder & Chairman of On Deck, Formerly at AngelList, Carta @david__booth on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co. @eriktorenberg on X

In this conversation, Avlok Kohli and David Booth join Erik Torenberg to do a dive deep on Founder-Market fit, startup moats, and the 'dislocation' caused by AI which could change business ideation, internal operations, and startup generation. Note this conversation was recorded in mid-2023.

Mentioned in this episode:

* Alek Koenig (@AlekKoenig)’s company Settle: www.settle.com

* On Deck’s ODF program for founders www.beondeck.com/revolution

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SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by Brave. The tech world turns to the Brave browser for a private ad platform that respects user privacy. Brave Ads offers first-party targeting, and it’s been cookieless since day one. Join the future of advertising at https://brave.com/ads. Mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:21) Navigating the Idea Maze

(04:46) Founder-Market Fit Case Study: Alek Koenig of Settle

(09:15) Sponsors: Brave | Turpentine

(12:54) Litmus Test for Startup Success

(17:00) Why Now is the Time to Build

(23:23) Avlok’s Strategy as AngelList CEO

(26:56) The Compound Startup Strategy i.e. Rippling

(29:27) Sunsetting

(34:22) Areas Ripe for Exploration

(44:15) Navigating Competition with Incumbents

(49:45) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Better Search with Bessemer's Talia Goldberg Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Talia Goldberg, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners @TaliaGold on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co. @eriktorenberg on X.

In this conversation, Talia Goldberg from Bessemer joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the current state of search and what future founders should build for search and discovery in the age of AI. She also shares her wishlist for new companies.

This episode is brought to you by Brave. The tech world turns to the Brave browser for a private ad platform that respects user privacy. Brave Ads offers first-party targeting, and it’s been cookieless since day one. Join the future of advertising at https://brave.com/ads. Mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro to Talia

(00:25) Future of Search

(02:50) Potential of AI in Search

(03:59) Significance of Social Media

(05:08) Concept of Ambient Search

(10:33) Sponsor: BRAVE

(11:54) Future of People Search

(16:14) Era of online dating

(19:28) Talia's Wishlist for Future Startups

(21:44) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Dan Romero of Farcaster on Finding PMF and Navigating the Idea Maze Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Dan Romero, co-founder and CEO of Farcaster. @dwr on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co. @eriktorenberg on X

In this conversation, Dan Romero join Erik Torenberg to chat about building a company in 2024, selecting ideas to work on, and finding product-market fit (Dan quotes Marc Andreessen's definition of the term). They also delve into Dan's experience at Coinbase and building Farcaster. What will you build?

Request for Startups is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Dan and Erik also co-host Moment of Zen, another podcast on the network about tech, business, politics and beyond. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

SPONSOR:This episode is brought to you by Brave. The tech world turns to the Brave browser for a private ad platform that respects user privacy. Brave Ads offers first-party targeting, and it’s been cookieless since day one. Join the future of advertising at https://brave.com/ads. Mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:24) Growth and Success of Forecaster

(01:56) Future of Forecaster and its Impact

(03:22) Role of Twitter

(07:56) Evolution and Perception of Forecaster

(08:59) Importance of Developers

(11:28) SPONSOR: BRAVE

(14:08) Journey of Choosing Startup Ideas

(36:21) Power of Respect

(36:36) Birth of Turpentine

(38:19) Concept of Founder Market Fit

(41:21) Importance of Market Selection

(42:25) Role of Distribution in Startup Success

(44:20) Power of Frames in User Acquisition

(47:27) Understanding Your Market Opportunity

(01:00:01) Reputation in Hiring

(01:13:59) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Balaji Srinivasan on Navigating the Idea Maze Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Today's episode of Request for Startups features: * Balaji Srinivasan is an angel investor, the co-founder of Counsyl, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Coinbase, and former GP at the Andreessen Horowitz. @balajis on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, founder of Turpentine. @eriktorenberg on X

In this episode, and talk about the best time to start a company and how to choose the right co-founder. They discuss frameworks starting a startup, from ideation to execution. This episode is from a live taping in 2020 and originally aired on Erik’s podcast Venture Stories.

Request for Startups is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

SPONSOR: BRAVE. The tech world turns to the Brave browser for a private ad platform that respects user privacy. Brave Ads offers first-party targeting, and it’s been cookieless since day one. Join the future of advertising at https://brave.com/ads. Mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

--Subscribe to Request for Startups: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/

Upcoming guests on this season of Request for Startups include Dan Romero, Nick DeWilde, Avlok Kohli, David Booth, Greg Isenberg, Gagan Biyani, and more.

–-

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:32) Talk on Career Transition

(00:50) Balaji's Framework for Timing and Learning

(02:57) Concept of Ikigai

(03:56) The Challenges of Starting a Company

(05:03) How Persistence Pays Off

(09:45) Sponsor Break: Brave Browser

(10:48) Navigating Startup Ideas

(11:06) Impact of COVID-19 on Startups

(21:04) Picking the Right Co-Founder.

(23:19) Closing Remarks

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

RFS: Crypto Edition with Imran Khan and Qiao Wang Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Imran Khan, co-founder of Alliance, crypto accelerator and founder network, and co-host of the Good Game podcast. @lmrankhan on X

* Qiao Wang, co-founder of Alliance, crypto accelerator and founder network, and co-host of the Good Game podcast. Previously Messari, Tower Research. @qwqiaoon X

* Sean Linehan:CEO of Exec.com, previously VP Product at Flexport. @seanlinehan on X

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co. @eriktorenberg on X

In this conversation, Imran and Qiao join Erik and Sean to analyze the opportunities in Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and AI. They explain how they would navigate the space, how they see the role of incumbents, and how to evolve a strategy in crypto. What will you build?

Please note, this conversation was recorded in 2023. Also we highly recommend checking out Imran and Qiao’s podcast, Good Game

Request for Startups is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

This episode is brought to you by BraveThe tech world turns to the Brave browser for a private ad platform that respects user privacy. Brave Ads offers first-party targeting, and it’s been cookieless since day one. Join the future of advertising at https://brave.com/ads. Mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.--

Subscribe to Request for Startups: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/--

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:22) Evolution of Alliance and the crypto investment landscape

(01:30) Impact of DeFi

(01:49O The Rise of NFTs

(03:22) The Threat to Crypto Incumbents

(06:18) Whitespace in Consumer Applications

(07:44) Speculation

(11:16) The Power of Communities

(14:35) Hype Cycle and Overcorrection

(20:26) Web3

(26:25) The Future of DeFi and Mainstream Adoption

(33:36) There’s a Game for Everybody

(35:20) Future Predictions

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Haystack's Aashay Sanghvi on Github for X, ISAs, and Biotech Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Aashay Sanghvi, a partner at Haystack joins Sean Linehan and Erik Torenberg to discuss his frameworks for identifying venture scale ideas.

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features:

* Guest:

* Aashay Sanghvi: Partner at Haystack (https://twitter.com/aashaysanghvi_)

* Hosts:

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, founder of Turpentine.co (https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg)

* Sean Linehan: CEO at Exec (https://twitter.com/seanlinehan)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:54) Aashay’s Journey from College to Venture Capital

(01:46) The Evolution of Aashay's Approach to Startups

(03:03) Reflecting on Past Startup Ideas

(04:07) Frameworks for identifying venture scale companies

(05:11) Better Trade Schools

(06:39) Challenges and Opportunities in Trade School Models

(13:12) ISA: challenges and potential to reshape industries

(19:52) DataDog for X

(22:55) Replit for X

(31:41) Github for X

(36:10) The Role of AI in Business Applications and the Future of Software

(43:01) Healthcare Data as Infrastructure

(46:54) Virtualizing the Creation of Biotech Companies

(48:18) Wrap

Upcoming guests on this season of Request for Startups include Dan Romero, Talia Goldberg, Imran Khan, Qiao Wang, Nick DeWilde, Avlok Kohli, David Booth, Greg Isenberg, Gagan Biyani, and more.

SUBSCRIBE & FORWARD TO BUILDERS, ENGINEERS, FUTURE CO-FOUNDERS, ASPIRING FOUNDERS, & ANYONE NAVIGATING THE IDEA MAZE.Video Episodes on Substack: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3WYXYAoOHj5oLke7mxwXSP?si=CF0588NuTxyOUsXuke1-IAApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/request-for-startups-with-erik-torenberg/id1728659822

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Building Data Companies: People, Places, Org, Products with Auren Hoffman Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Auren Hoffman: CEO of Safegraph, GP at Flex Capital, and host of podcast World of Daas

* Host: Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co

In this conversation, Erik and Auren discuss all things data business, including data on windfalls and net worth, reputational databases, and the failures and successes of LinkedIn.

What will you build?

Timestamps

(00:00) Episode Preview

(00:38) What ties Auren's businesses together

(01:01) The importance of market share and declining CACs

(02:44) Challenges & types of data businesses

(04:12) Selling horizontal data

(04:55) People, places, organizations, and products

(09:55) Methods for sourcing and verifying data

(13:04) Potential of building data businesses around products

(13:57) The nuances in recommendations for people and products

(25:52) LinkedIn’s success and disappointments

(32:16) Windfall data and net worth

(33:56) Reputation and bias

(37:34) Challenges & potential for social recommendations

(41:24) Improving the user experience of LinkedIn

(46:29) Crossbeam & second party data sharing

(48:32) DSL Co-op & aggregating general ledger data

(49:38) Building a reputation database

(51:07) NDA network

(52:34) Software businesses masquerading as services businesses

(54:46) Incubators & structuring ownership

Upcoming guests on this season of Request for Startups include Aashay Sanghvi, Talia Goldberg, Imran Khan, Qiao Wang, Nick DeWilde, Avlok Kohli, David Booth, Greg Isenberg, Gagan Biyani, and more.

SUBSCRIBE & FORWARD TO BUILDERS, ENGINEERS, FUTURE CO-FOUNDERS, ASPIRING FOUNDERS, & ANYONE NAVIGATING THE IDEA MAZE.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

Receipt-Based Dating, Reference Checks as a Service, and WeWork for Productivity with Justin Mares and Sean Linehan Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode of Request for Startups features

* Justin Mares: Founder of Truemed, Kettle & Fire, Surely, and a partner at True Journey Ventures

* Sean Linehan: CEO of Exec.com, previously VP Product at Flexport

* Erik Torenberg: Investor, Founder of Turpentine.co

The conversation maps startup ideas and concepts, including dating apps based on spending patterns, a matching platform for singles, an exclusive dating app with angel investments, Google Maps for market ontologies, a personal trainer for life, Wikipedia by experts, and a productivity-focused coworking space. What will you build?

Upcoming guests on this season of Request for Startups include Aashay Sanghvi, Talia Goldberg, Imran Khan, Qiao Wang, Avlok Kohli, David Booth, Nick DeWilde, Greg Isenberg, Gagan Biyani, and more.SUBSCRIBE & FORWARD TO BUILDERS, ENGINEERS, FUTURE CO-FOUNDERS, ASPIRING FOUNDERS, & ANYONE NAVIGATING THE IDEA MAZE.- Substack: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/739L1LR32QI2XyoZlRh5nv- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/request-for-startups-with-erik-torenberg/id1728659822

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) Justin's Incubation Processes

(04:00) Dating App Based on Spending Patterns

(06:40) Yenta

(08:22) Exclusive Dating App with Angel Investments

(13:16) Google Maps for Market Ontologies

(19:07) Personal Trainer for Life

(20:57) Wikipedia by Experts

(27:01) WeWork for Productivity

Request for Startups is a podcast from the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more at www.turpentine.co

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit requestforstartups.substack.com

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