Skin in the Game VC Podcast

Join us for an insightful episode of the Skin in the Game VC Podcast with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, discussing the city's thriving tech ecosystem, strategic growth during COVID, and the role of AI in governance. Mayor Castor highlights Tampa's appeal as a tech hub, the importance of organic growth in the tech scene, and the city's focus on talent and innovation. Tune in to learn how Tampa is positioning itself for continued success in the tech industry!

The episode features Zaid Rahman, CEO of Flex, a Florida Funders portfolio company. Zaid discusses his entrepreneurial journey, Flex's rapid growth in providing financial services to small and medium businesses, and their expansion plans. He shares insights on talent acquisition, customer marketing, and creating a comprehensive financial platform for mid-market businesses.In a rapid-fire Q&A, Zaid offers his optimistic outlook on the future, predicting AI as a job creator, Bitcoin's rise, Tesla's dominance in transportation, Miami becoming a major tech hub, and even Jake Paul's victory in his upcoming fight against Mike Tyson.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Skin in the Game VC Podcast featuring Charmel Maynard, Chief Investment Officer of the University of Miami. Gain invaluable insights into university asset management and the journey that led Charmel to his prestigious position. Discover the strategies and decisions driving investments, and learn about the dynamic nature of his role overseeing three distinct pools of capital. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just curious about finance, this episode offers valuable perspectives on responsible asset stewardship. Don't miss out on Charmel's wisdom and expertise!

Delian Asparouhov, a Bulgarian-born, self-made software engineer, dives into the rollercoaster of a journey from being an MIT dropout to earning the Thiel Fellowship. Delian discusses his initial reservations about a career in venture capital and how early exposure to the field via an internship at Square, a student-run VC, helped change his mind and led him closer to his purpose. Delian touches on how he accidentally fell into a full-time venture capital role and how, over time, his skepticism ignited into a passion. Delian also covers his experience as a partner at Founders Fund.This episode explores recent pullbacks in the crypto market – and what these changes spell out for investors – but also gets into the space-born industry and Varda, a first-of-its-kind orbital manufacturing platform, where Delian serves as co-founder. Tune in to hear Tom Wallace and Saxon Baum on Skin in the Game.

In this podcast episode, Lucy Guo, a prominent entrepreneur and Thiel Fellow, shares her remarkable journey from receiving a Thiel Fellowship at the age of 20 to becoming the second wealthiest self-made female in the United States. Lucy discusses her experiences with ventures such as Scale AI, her transition from venture capitalist to entrepreneur, and the evolution of her venture fund, HF0.The conversation explores Lucy's latest venture, Passes, a platform for content creators, where she emphasizes the importance of investing in engineers and discusses the role of AI in the creator economy. Lucy reflects on her move to Miami, highlighting the differences in the tech landscape and the need for increased capital in the ecosystem. Listen to find out more.

This episode focuses on Steve MacDonald’s unique experience of spending a year in Florence, Italy, while exploring the cultural and historical aspects, as well as insights into the local tech scene.Steve shares that the decision to move to Florence was driven by a long-standing desire to experience life abroad with his family. He reflects on the cultural differences, the historical richness of Florence, and the challenges of adapting to a different lifestyle. Steve also highlights his travels within Europe during this period.The podcast delves into the tech scene in Italy as well a noting cultural nuances affecting entrepreneurship. In contrast to the U.S., failure is not culturally acceptable in Italy, making it a challenge for startups. Additionally, Steve provides insights into the venture capital landscape in Europe, noting the conservative approach and a lack of angel investors.Upon returning to the U.S., Steve shares his observations on the current market environment, emphasizing the prolonged timeline for startup exits and the impact of changing economic conditions on valuations. He stresses the importance for startups to focus on profitability and cash preservation.

In this particular episode, Tom and Saxon touch on various subjects, such as the bankruptcy of WeWork, the impact of EVs on traditional automakers, and the changing landscape of commercial real estate due to remote work trends. Guest speaker, David Goldberg, a partner at Alpaca Ventures, talks about his background, the branding of Alpaca Ventures, and their approach to venture capital.

Joe Bayen, who was Born in Cameroon, shares his journey of moving to the United States as a three-year-old and being raised in Paris, France. Joe shares his experience in the credit industry, starting with his realization of the impact of late payments on his credit score. This led him to found a company aimed at helping students manage their credit. Joe worked on the development of the Bootstrap app, which garnered millions of installs and revenue through a successful business model of offering free downloads of paid apps for a few days. However, the business model suffered when Apple changed the app store rules, resulting in a sudden loss of revenue.Join Tom Wallace and Saxon Baum as Joe dives into what it looked like going from success to failure then back to success.Link for the "State of Seed and Early Stage Investing Quarterly Update" by Saxon Baum: https://www.floridafunders.com/resources/blog/the-state-seed-early-stage-investing/