Shirish Nadkarni
Shirish Nadkarni is a Microsoft veteran, entrepreneur, and author of The Indian American Tech Success Story, currently associated with TiE Seattle.
A $100k wall for talent: Tech leader and author Shirish Nadkarni on the H-1B fee and the impact of immigrants
The U.S. tech and startup community was stunned by an executive order last week imposing a $100,000 fee for employers seeking new H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, a program heavily used by the technology industry. This move brings a longstanding debate back to the forefront: are skilled immigrants taking American jobs, or are they a vital engine for innovation and economic growth? Our guest this week has a strong point of view on this topic. Shirish Nadkarni is a serial entrepreneur and Microsoft veteran who founded companies acquired by BlackBerry and Rosetta Stone. An immigrant himself, he just released…
Seattle Venture Capitalists Say AI Boosts Startup Opportunities but Competition Is Fierce
Seattle-area venture capitalists highlight that AI advancements make now an excellent time to start startups due to lower capital needs and broad industry opportunities, but warn of intense competition as many similar ventures emerge rapidly. Founders are encouraged to develop unique advantages to stand out and attract investment amid a flood of new ideas and competitors.
Tech Startups Shift to Profitability and Sustainable Growth Amid Tight 2023-2024 Venture Capital Market
Tech startups are shifting from growth-at-all-costs to focusing on profitability and efficient growth without relying on new investor funding amid tighter venture capital conditions and challenging market factors. This new approach, termed 'default alive,' emphasizes sustainable business models and cautious investment amid a decline in funding and more down rounds.
By Shirish
From Microsoft Exit to Building the NFL Draft for AI Talent
Send us Fan Mail Serial entrepreneur Nikesh (Niki) Parekh joins us to share lessons from building Suplari, an AI-powered procurement intelligence company acquired by Microsoft in 2021, and his newest venture, Provn. Niki takes us behind the scenes of Suplari—from validating the idea with customers and finding product-market fit to scaling enterprise sales, navigating setbacks, and ultimately selling the company to Microsoft. He also shares what he would do differently and offers practical lessons for founders building enterprise software. We then explore Provn, which Niki describes as the “NFL Draft for AI talent.” Instead of relying on resumes, prestigious universities…
2024 Annual Investment Outlook
Send us Fan Mail Listen to our 2024 Annual Investment Outlook Panel with four top VCs based in Seattle and the Bay area. Get their perspective on the investment climate in 2024 and their plans to invest specifically in AI/ML based startups. Tim Porter, Managing Director, Madrona Ventures Tim joined Madrona in 2006 and invests in B2B software companies in the Pacific Northwest. He is currently interested in intelligent applications and SaaS, cloud-native software infrastructure, the modern data stack, machine learning, DevOps, and cybersecurity. He is also a board member of numerous Madrona portfolio companies. Sudip Chakrabarti, Partner, Decibel VC…
Shirish Nadkarni explains how to judge startup ideas and why incumbents are hard to beat
Veteran entrepreneur Shirish Nadkarni excerpts lessons on evaluating startup ideas, arguing founders must assess ideas against incumbents, market dynamics and strategic perspectives rather than early positive feedback. He emphasizes incumbents’ advantages and the difficulty of displacing established players without exploiting major industry transformations.
Organizations
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TeamOn Systems Entrepreneur and Investor · current
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TiE Seattle Podcast Host · current
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TiE Seattle Host · current
