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Village Global

The Village Global podcast takes you inside the world of venture capital and technology, featuring enlightening interviews with entrepreneurs, investors and tech industry leaders. Learn more at www.villageglobal.vc.

Village Global Podcast

Nan Li (@nanli), Managing Director at Obvious Ventures, and Zavain Dar (@zavaindar), Partner at Lux Capital, join Erik on this episode.

They discuss:

-How Deep Tech has evolved over time

-The state of Computational Biology today

-What the future of Biology looks like

-What Big Pharma is focused on and the market opportunity for biotech startups

-What’s their request for startups in computational biology

Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Venture Stories is brought to you by Village Global, is hosted by co-founder and partner, Erik Torenberg.

Computational Biology with Nan Li and Zavain Dar

Eynat Guez, founder and CEO of Papaya Global, was interviewed by Ben Casnocha, co-founder and partner at Village Global, during this masterclass for Village Global founders.

Takeaways:

Show up to key meetings as the founder or executive team — don’t just send the sales team. It signals to the client that you’re personally invested and committed to making the deal a success.

Avoid being overly optimistic about where prospects stand. Serious signals include active texting, detailed questions about implementation, security questionnaires, and the involvement of additional stakeholders.

Be strategic about progressing meetings: PowerPoint to articulate vision, Excel for financials, and Word for legal details.

Build strong relationships with junior VCs as well as partners — they can provide introductions, market intelligence, and future opportunities as they advance in their careers.

Building relationships with clients shouldn’t stop after the deal closes. Ongoing check-ins help position your company as a long-term partner, not just a vendor.

Leaders should periodically dive deep into 2-3 departments or processes each quarter to challenge assumptions and drive innovation.

Engage with junior employees or frontline staff for fresh perspectives — their insights are often more candid than those of seasoned executives.

Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We’ll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Eynat Guez of Papaya Global on Mastering Enterprise Sales and Building Long-Term Partnerships

Kathy Copic is founder of Fieldwork Partners, where she works closely with early stage companies on scoping technical projects, getting early ML models into production, and helping them hire. She was interviewed by Lindsay Pettingill, Investment Partner at Village Global, during this masterclass for Village Global founders. 

Takeaways: • Maintain at least three interview touchpoints to thoroughly evaluate candidates — rushing the process means missing vital signals about how well candidates understand your business and culture.
 • Write job descriptions that focus on company mission and concrete first-90-day projects rather than generic skill requirements — this attracts candidates who are genuinely excited about your specific opportunity.
 • Look beyond prestigious company names and degrees — strong candidates often demonstrate their passion through side projects, nonprofits, or other entrepreneurial pursuits.
 • Foster interactive interviews where you're comfortable interrupting candidates — their response to dynamic discussion reveals more about their communication style and fit than scripted questions.
 • Structure work trials carefully to benefit both parties — the best candidates are evaluating your team and work environment just as much as you're evaluating them.
 • When competing with large tech companies, emphasize the concrete impact individuals can have in your startup rather than trying to match compensation packages.
 • Build diverse teams by implementing clear interview rubrics, providing guidance on legal considerations, and equipping interviewers with specific talking points about why diversity matters to your company.
 • For references, consider asking peers rather than managers when candidates are currently employed, but use references extensively to validate your assessments.
Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Hiring Technical Talent with Kathy Copic and Lindsay Pettingill

Aaron Harris was a partner at YC for 7.5 years where he funded Deel, OpenSea, Scale AI, Rappi, Lattice, and others. He also built YC's Series A program where he worked with founders on over 200 Series As and Bs that raised in excess of $3B in capital. He joined Sam Kirschner, VP at Village Global, to give Village Global founders helpful tips on fundraising.

Takeaways:
 • Investors bet on stories, not just data. Your job? Tell a story of massive economic opportunity — not just how you fit into the future, but how you create it.
 • Hype lowers the barrier to turn attention into excitement.
 • Fundraising isn't the trophy, even though it's celebrated as such. But if you optimize for raising money, you get great at burning money and miss the real point: building something that lasts through the hype cycles.
 • Think about raising money with terminal value in mind, not just the value of this current round.
 • Raising an A: you'll need to raise about 20% of your company. Series B: 15-20%. Seeds are all over the place. More competition in a round means less dilution; less competition means more dilution. Hype helps reduce dilution.
 • Be aware of dilution on SAFEs so that you don't all of a sudden start arguing about a point of dilution here or there on a given round.
 • AI companies have been getting faster investor movement. The hottest deals land term sheets in 48 hours. Next tier? 1-2 weeks. Beyond that, a 2-6 week grind with unpredictable timing. After 6 weeks, rounds can stretch to 3-4 months where persistence is what leads to success.
 • Understand the market and how investors think by having casual, no-pitch-deck coffee chats. The real signal? Not a follow-up meeting — that's just a VC's job. Look for action: are they willing to spend political capital for you? That’s true interest.
Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Fundraising in AI with Aaron Harris

Abhay Parasnis is founder and CEO of Typeface, is former CTO/CPO at Adobe, and sits on the board of Dropbox and Schneider Electric. He joined Ben Casnocha, co-founder and partner at Village Global, for a live masterclass for Village Global founders.

Takeaways:
 • If you can break into the top tier of the enterprise market, it’s hard to dislodge you.
 • Big platforms like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are eager to prove their tech's power. If you position your startup as a prime showcase for their platform, you become a strategic asset.
 • When selling to enterprise, understand the company's macro strategy in the market, but also know what the on-the-ground person needs to close deals.
 • With the rise of agents and agentic automation, even the workflow layer isn’t safe. As these systems gain richer context, they’ll redefine automation in SaaS. Just like today’s platform vs. app debate, tomorrow’s battle will be legacy workflows vs. agents.
 • Success in AI isn’t just about top-tier products—it’s about being a consultative partner to help them with change management.
 • There’s a common fear about embracing a custom data training strategy — it’s expensive, complex, and feels like the domain of big players. But starting narrow and accumulating distinct data early is key. It drives real AI differentiation and builds critical internal muscle in engineering and product.
 • Value-based pricing means customers are less price-sensitive because it ties directly to their top-line business, unlike commodity pricing, which faces constant cost pressure. Instead of charging per word, image, or seat—models that AI disrupts—pricing should align with outcomes, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Abhay Parasnis on Creating Moats, AI Strategy, and Selling to Enterprise

Jacob Mullins, Venture Partner at Village Global, sits down with Ezra Roizen, General Manager of Advsr and author of "The Magic Box Paradigm," to demystify the world of startup mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on Jacob’s private podcast, VC Mastermind, which we are cross-posting on the Village Global podcast. Drawing on decades of experience as both an entrepreneur and investment banker, Ezra shares his unique framework for maximizing M&A outcomes, emphasizing that successful startup exits are driven not by a traditional sales process, but by building strategic relationships and unlocking future value for acquirers.

Ezra introduces the "Magic Box Paradigm," a visual and practical approach that helps founders and investors focus on the unique value their company can unlock for specific buyers—what he calls the "purple boxes." He explains why M&A is fundamentally different from fundraising, how to avoid the pitfalls of a sales-driven mindset, and why starting early with strategic relationship-building is key. The conversation covers actionable advice for VCs and board members on how to guide their portfolio companies, the importance of thought leadership, and how to navigate both strategic and private equity exits.

Listeners will come away with a fresh perspective on startup M&A, including when to bring in advisors, how to structure deals creatively, and why conventional wisdom—like relying on competitive bidding or rushing to term sheets—often falls short. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or board member, this episode offers a masterclass in preparing for and executing high-impact M&A outcomes.

VC Mastermind is a private podcast for VC Managing Partners. Designed for senior decision-makers at VC firms managing $50 million to $5 billion of institutional capital, VC Mastermind delivers premium insights, peer exchange, and operational best practices across all stages of a firm's life cycle. It was founded by Jacob Mullins (@jacob on X / twitter) – a 20-year veteran of the Silicon Valley startup tech and venture capital industry based in San Francisco.

Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.
Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

The Secret to Startup M&A: How To Set Your Companies Up for Big Outcomes with Ezra Roizen of Advsr

Jacob Mullins, Venture Partner at Village Global, welcomes Kristen Ostro, founder and CEO of Strut Consulting, to discuss the foundational elements that set venture capital firms up for long-term success. Kristen shares how her career began under the mentorship of Dick Kramlich at NEA, where she was trained in the core values and operational excellence that have shaped her approach to supporting dozens of VC firms across Silicon Valley. Drawing on this experience, Kristen explains why establishing a clear mission, vision, and values (MVV) framework is essential for firm alignment, decision-making, and building a resilient culture.

Kristen outlines the common pitfalls firms face when they skip the MVV exercise, such as misalignment, wasted resources, and cultural drift, and offers actionable advice for integrating MVV into hiring, branding, and succession planning. She emphasizes that it’s never too late for a firm to revisit and refine its core principles, and shares practical tips for making the process collaborative and authentic.

Listeners will gain valuable insights on how to differentiate their firm in a competitive market, attract top talent, and create a legacy that stands the test of time. Kristen’s reflections, inspired by her early training with one of venture capital’s founding fathers, offer a roadmap for building a values-driven organization that can thrive for decades.

VC Mastermind is a private podcast for VC Managing Partners. Designed for senior decision-makers at VC firms managing $50 million to $5 billion of institutional capital, VC Mastermind delivers premium insights, peer exchange, and operational best practices across all stages of a firm's life cycle. It was founded by Jacob Mullins (@jacob on X / twitter) – a 20-year veteran of the Silicon Valley startup tech and venture capital industry based in San Francisco.

Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Executing as a Best-In-Class Firm: Operational Excellence From The Inside of Over 50 VC Firms with Kristen Ostro of Strut Consulting

Amjad Masad (@amasad), founder and CEO of Replit, and Yohei Nakajima (@yoheinakajima), Managing Partner at Untapped Capital, joined Village Global partner Ben Casnocha for a live masterclass with Village Global founders.

Takeaways:
 • AI agents are rapidly evolving, with coding and deep research agents showing the most traction today. But general-purpose assistants are still brittle — trip-planning and high-context tasks remain hard.

 • Replit Agent shows how quickly full-stack applications can be built today, sometimes in under an hour — even by non-technical users. What matters most isn’t a CS degree, it’s traits like curiosity, grit, and systems thinking.

 • Many AI startups are too quick to claim “moats” when most don’t really have one. True defensibility requires deep domain insight, unique data, and the right founder traits.

 • The rise of vertical AI agents is compelling — specialists outperform general agents for now. A real AGI will change everything, and it’s so disruptive it’s not even worth planning around.

 • The best investors still look for timeless traits: hard-charging, resourceful founders, attacking stagnant industries. AI changes a lot — but not what makes a great early-stage team.

 • Tools like Replit are making vibe coding (yes, even for non-coders) a superpower. From executive dashboards to lightweight Crunchbase clones, agents are already creating real enterprise value.

 • Don’t over-engineer AI use cases. Start with internal tools or things you’ve always wanted to build. The best projects often come from personal curiosity and side projects.
Resources mentioned:Replit • – The coding platform behind Replit Agent, enabling fast full-stack app creation with AI

VCpedia by Yohei Nakajima • – A startup intelligence platform vibe-coded with Replit Agent

Tweet: $150k → $400 NetSuite extension • – Real-world example of arbitrage using Replit

TED Talk on Grit by Angela Duckworth • – Referenced by Amjad as a key trait for AI builders

“Perfectionism” blog post by Amjad Masad • – Why it holds builders back and how to overcome it

Seven Powers by Hamilton Helmer • – The strategy book Amjad calls the best resource on real moats

NEO • – A fully autonomous ML engineer

Layers • – An autonomous AI marketing agent that lives in your IDE

Basis • – A vertical AI agent for accounting firms

NDEA • – A new lab (founded by François Chollet & Mike Knoop) exploring AGI with program synthesis
Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We'll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

Vibe Coding and The Rise of AI Agents with Amjad Masad and Yohei Nakajima

Ryan Hoover, CEO and founder of Product Hunt and David Spinks, CEO and founder of CMX Media talk all things community with Village co-founder and partner, host Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg). They talk about creating a business around a community, the differences between communities online and in real life, the pitfalls that have befallen some online communities and how to keep a company focused on its community as it expands.

Ryan Hoover (@rrhoover) is founder of Product Hunt (sold to AngelList) and investor at Weekend Fund. He was formerly an EIR at Tradecraft and has also written over 150 essays, many of which have been featured in TechCrunch, Forbes, Pando, Fast Company and The Next Web.

David Spinks (@davidspinks) is founder and CEO of CMX Media and above all else, seeks to help and empower community builders. He's been studying and building online communities since he was 13 years old. Before CMX, David co-founded an online cooking school called Feast (part of 500 Startups) and BlogDash, a platform to help businesses with blogger outreach.

Episode #1: Ryan Hoover and David Spinks on Communities

In this episode, Erik interviews Balaji Srinivasan (@balajis) on cryptocurrencies, the web, building a company, identity, government, and the future in general. They explore the implications of cryptocurrencies on a variety of industries and talk about how society and the world of work might be transformed. 

Balaji Srinivasan is CEO and co-founder of Earn.com and Board Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He has two Master's degrees and a PhD from Stanford, where he occasionally teaches.

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc/podcast.

Episode #2: How Digital Currency Will Transform The World with Balaji Srinivasan

Ash Fontana (@ashfontana), author of The AI-First Company and partner at Zetta Venture Partners, joined Erik for a fireside chat for Villagers in May 2021. They discussed:

- Why AI creates defensibility and a true, compounding, first-mover advantage.

- Why AI should be part of all conversations at your startup: about products to build, people to hire, what price to charge — it should all involve AI.

- The difference between Lean Startup and Lean AI.

- Common mistakes that early AI companies make, like spending too much on marketing and not enough on sales.

- The impacts of AI on hiring and the differences between a data PM and an ordinary PM.

- What you can do tomorrow to get started building an AI-first company.

Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform. 

Check us out on the web at www.villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.

Want to get updates from us? Subscribe to get a peek inside the Village. We’ll send you reading recommendations, exclusive event invites, and commentary on the latest happenings in Silicon Valley. www.villageglobal.vc/signup

How To Build an AI-First Company with Ash Fontana

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