The NFX Podcast

The NFX Podcast

We believe creating something of true significance starts with seeing things others do not. NFX is a venture firm exclusively focused on pre-seed & seed stage startups.

Episodes

September 5, 2025 71 mins
Recorded at the NFX SF HQ, this episode features Madhavan Ramanujam (author of Monetizing Innovation and Scaling Innovation), alongside Pete Flint (GP at NFX, founder of Trulia) and Anna Piñol (Partner at NFX). Together, they break down how AI is changing the rules of pricing, defensibility, and growth. He covers the shift from services to venture capital, AI monetization, and how early discussions on willingness to pay shape valu...
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Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan shares her journey from AdMob to founding Drawbridge and her subsequent transition to LinkedIn. She discusses the mobile advertising revolution, the success of AdMob during the iPhone launch, and its acquisition by Google. Kamakshi highlights Drawbridge's unique value proposition and the challenges of navigating ad tech regulations. She offers insights on customer relationships, board management, and acqui...
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Russ Heddleston, founder of DocSend, shares how nearly going bankrupt forced them to rethink everything—turning a failing startup into a product-led rocket ship that Dropbox bought for $165M. From spreadsheets of startup ideas, to the painful lessons of chasing enterprise sales, to doubling their prices and watching conversions skyrocket, Russ breaks down the hard truths behind building a breakout SaaS company. Plus: why he wishes ...
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Ken Lin founded Credit Karma in 2007, bootstrapped through the recession, survived a near-shutdown by TransUnion, and ultimately sold to Intuit for $7.1B. In this episode, Ken shares how a $500 DIY TV ad broke their growth, why he avoided an IPO, the non-negotiables that mattered most in M&A, and where AI is taking personal finance next. A must-listen for any founder navigating scale, culture, and billion-dollar decisions.
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Tracy Young, co-founder of PlanGrid, shares how her background in construction led to building one of the most successful startups in the space—culminating in an $875M acquisition by Autodesk. She dives into lessons learned on product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and navigating founder relationships as the company scaled. Tracy also reflects on her time at Y Combinator, the fundraising process, and the emotional challenges o...
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This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, Morgan Beller. Morgan navigates the world of stablecoins and defense tech, emphasizing the need for a synergy between regulators and stablecoin creators. She dives into the historical significance of the dollar's power and discusses how stablecoins could further propagate USD. The essay wraps up with insights on the role of stablecoin Founders in national defe...
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In this episode, Omri Amirav-Drory (NFX), Joe Betts-LaCroix (Retro Bio), and Alex Colville (Age1) discuss the history, recent progress, and hurdles in the longevity industry, including the evaluation of potential founders and business risks. The discussion further encompasses the global fundraising potential and societal impact of the longevity sector, viewing aging as a disease, and the future of longevity drugs. Learn more at - ...
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Hercules builds high-quality, enterprise-grade AI solutions based on data extraction, transformation, and verification, while integrating with enterprise systems and tools for maintenance and monitoring. Join NFX general partner James Currier and HerculesAI CEO Alex Babin talk about the latest breakthroughs in the AI space of enterprise companies.
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This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, Pete Flint. AI has the potential to smooth out many links in the real estate production chain and create a cascade that will close the productivity gap. This essay reveals what’s on the way and how founders can seize this opportunity. Read the full essay here - https://www.nfx.com/post/ai-revolution-proptech
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Morgan Beller calls up Raed Khawaja - CEO & Co-Founder at Open - to catch up and talk about the current movement around one's 'inner-space'. Open is a social space for meditation, movement, and practice — on and offline, who’s raised close to $15M to help friends be present together. They blend old and new to bring you to the here and now on their app, in person at their Venice Beach studio, and even in the sky on JetBlue airlines....
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This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, James Currier. Generative Tech is the next step in software. It’s a new level of human-machine partnership. It turns deep learning engines into collaborators to generate new content and ideas nearly like a human would. This area is so new, and moving so fast, you can have an advantage in your chosen area in a few months… for now.
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This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, James Currier. Every 14 years there’s a tech revolution, and we have now entered the Generative Tech revolution. Anything you’re interested in, anything you’re working on is going to be impacted by generative tech and generative AI. In addition to the AI model companies, many unicorns and decacorns will be built, starting now. We’re already seeing three types ...
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June 25, 2023 8 mins
This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, James Currier. The AI revolution just ratcheted up the speed bar for startups. You think you’re moving fast enough. You’re not. Speed is the number one advantage of a startup. But now that generative AI here, your definition of speed has to increase 10x.
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There’s a concept in network theory called Preferential Attachment. When one node gets ahead, it attracts more resources, and more attention. It's a snowball effect. PR for your company works the same way. Once you become the biggest node, more resources flow to you. Today, NFX General Partner James Currier sits down with Vijay Chattha, founder of PR agency VSC to reveal how to build that attention flywheel. VSC has worked with NFX...
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The transition from Founder to CEO is a watershed moment in your company, and in your life. A great Founder creates something from nothing. A great CEO takes the next step, and builds mechanisms of success. They turn that vision into a well-functioning machine. Becoming a great CEO is a matter of tactics and personal growth. Today, NFX General Partner Gigi Levy-Weiss reveals how to get there, with special guest Avishai Abrahami, ...
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There are two parts to building a bioplatform: you have to focus on the science, then you have to think about the business side. When do you partner? When do you develop your own products? How can you determine the real value of a deal? How do you build a strategic network? What avenues are Founders overlooking right now? These are questions our companies ask us all the time. Today, Head of NFXBio Omri Amirav-Dory, Yael Gruenbaum...
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There’s huge value in integrating tech and bio. But many tech entrepreneurs don’t realize what they can bring to the field. Tech entrepreneurs: you can come to bio, if you learn to speak the language. Today, head of NFX Bio Omri Amirav-Drory sits down with his former co-founder at Genome Compiler, and Founder of Mana.bio Yogev Debbi. Yogev has bridged the gap between tech and bio several times in his career. Here’s how to build ...
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Biology is the most advanced technology on earth. It’s a nanotechnology that actually works, and it scales. The rest of the world will benefit when there are more TechBio founders and investors in the space and this sector has never been more central to shaping a better future. The next significant phase of human progress is going to be led by these Scientist-Founders who build TechBio companies capable of unlocking that future. In...
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We are in the first wave of web3 games, and some believe that games don't have network effects built into their development or long-term strategy. In this episode, listen to NFX partner Gigi Levy-Weiss as he dives into the world of defensibility within the gaming industry, sharing the 4 layers of network effects, the future of virtual goods, and a case study on Steam - the leading platform for video game development.
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In Web3, network effects are fundamental and critical to survival. If you’re building in Web3 properly, then it should automatically include network effects. Listen in as General Partner Morgan Beller acts like the river guide of network effects for Web3 as she shares her experience and insights on how to be defensible in this new world. Eventually, we will see Web3 swallow Web2 - look how much we’ve learned since that white paper...
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