Podcasts in Seattle
Shows
Building a Modern Database: Nikita Shamgunov on Postgres and Beyond
In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Investor Paul Goel and Neon Co-founder & CEO Nikita Shamgunov dive into the database market and the importance of creating a killer developer experience while balancing that experience with performance and reliability. Nikita also shares just how bullish he is on AI, his excitement for AI agents like Devin, and advises founders to not wait on an idea they're passionate about. Full transcript here: (00:00) Introduction (00:46) Nikita's Background and the Genesis of Neon (02:50) The Right Time to Build Neon and Database Market Insights (05:17) Neon's Differentiation in the Database Market…
PPaul Goel
NNikita Shamgunov
#73 Brian Bell - From Product Manager to Full Time Investor
Brian Bell is the Managing Partner at Team Ignite. Bell has experience in product development in AI at Microsoft, AWS, and startups. Full conversation includes: 🔸Transition from Product Management to full time investing 🔸Investing in YC 🔸Operating an investing Syndicate 🔸Growth hacks to grow your syndicate 🔸Is AngelList loosing its advantage? 🔸Red flags in pitch decks 🔸If money was not an object, what would you be doing? & more. Listen now 👇 Follow Brain on twitter here - https://twitter.com/brianrbell Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/ Subscribe now 👇 🔸Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq…
Kellan Carter - Founding Partner at FUSE
Kellan Carter is a founding partner of Bellevue-based FUSE where he focuses on early-stage investments in intelligent software in both horizontal and vertical categories. He currently sits on several Boards, including Zuper and Pictory. Previously, Kellan spent seven years at Ignition Partners, a leading early-stage venture capital firm, and two years in investment banking at Mooreland Partners in San Francisco. Kellan also currently sits on the Board of the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SShauna Swerland
KKellan Carter
Cultivating the Next Wave of AI Startups with AI2 Incubator Managing Director Yifan Zhang
Yifan Zhang's journey from a Harvard graduate to a serial entrepreneur and now the Managing Director at AI2 Incubator exemplifies her evolution within the tech startup ecosystem. Immigrating from China, she first ventured into the startup world by founding GymPact, a fitness app, followed by Loftium, an innovative home ownership model. Zhang's transition to investor at AI2 Incubator marks a new chapter where she leverages her experience to mentor early-stage AI startups with a focus on nurturing AI solutions that promise both global impact and local community innovation. ## Summary of topics covered: 00:00 Yifan Zhang's Early Background 08:18 AI2…
How Bobsled is Revolutionizing Cross-Cloud Data Sharing
Investor Sabrina Wu hosts Bobsled Co-founder and CEO Jake Graham for the latest episode of Founded & Funded. Jake is revolutionizing data sharing across platforms, enabling customers to get to analysis faster directly in the platforms where they work. Madrona co-led Bobsled's $17 million series A last year, which put the company at an $87 million valuation. In this episode, Jake — who had stints at Neo4j, Intel, and Microsoft — provides his perspective on why enabling cross-cloud data sharing is often cumbersome yet so important in the age of AI. He also shares why you can't PLG the enterprise…
SSabrina Wu
JJake Graham
Inside the plan to save Zulily, with the star of CNBC's 'The Profit'
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: The rise, fall, and revival of Zulily. We revisit one the most prominent ecommerce brands to come out of Seattle, explain its decline, and consider a plan by Beyond Inc., led by investor and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, to acquire its brand assets and relaunch the site. With GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper and co-founder Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
#71 Peter Mueller Founding Partner Breakwater VC about Pre Seed Investing in Seattle Tech Startups
In this episode Nataraj talked to Peter Mueller who is the founding partner of Breakwater ventures investing in early stage tech startups in Pacific Northwest and Wester Canadian Startups. The conversation includes: - how to think about angel investing & pre-seed investing? - Seattle pre-seed ecosystem - learnings from Seachange fund - thesis for breakwater - Whats making Western Canada an interesting place to invest? - investing in AI - long tail opportunity in AI & more. Follow peter on twitter here - https://twitter.com/pjsmueller Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/
Building Confidence through AI with Yoodli CEO Varun Puri
In this episode of the Shift AI podcast, host Boaz Ashkenazy interviews Varun Puri, the founder and CEO of Yoodli, who shares his journey from working at Google to starting his own AI startup Yoodli. Yoodli is an AI-powered speech coaching tool that helps individuals improve their communication skills. Puri discusses the importance of effective communication and how Yoodli can be used as a personalized coach. He also highlights the positive response of Yoodli by users and organizations and shares his thoughts on the role of AI in the future of work. Summary of topics covered: 00:00 Introduction and Background…
VVarun Puri
AI's transparency problem: Tech leaders advocate for new insights into training data
Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology that promises to reshape the future, but it also poses many risks. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of regulation and oversight of the data used to train AI models. A new nonprofit, the Seattle-based Transparency Coalition (transparencycoalition.ai) aims to address this issue. The co-founders of the group, veteran startup founders and technology leaders Rob Eleveld and Jai Jaisimha, join us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to discuss their reasons for starting the organization, and their goals to help shape emerging legislation and public policy in this area. With…
TTodd Bishop
RRob Eleveld
JJai Jaisimha
How Writer CEO May Habib Is Making GenAI Work For the Enterprise
Madrona Partner Vivek Ramaswami hosts May Habib, co-founder and CEO of Writer, a 2023 IA40 winner. Writer is a full-stack generative AI platform for the enterprise. In this episode, May shares her perspective on founding a GenAI company before the ChatGPT craze, building an enterprise-grade product and go-to-market motion with 200% NRR, whether RAG and vector DBs even have a role in the enterprise, the essential attributes she looks for when hiring, and some valuable lessons she learned from past experiences. It's a must listen for anyone building in AI. Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/writer-ceo-may-habib-generative-ai-platform (00:00) Introduction (01:00) The founding story of Writer…
VVivek Ramaswami
MMay Habib
week of march 4: Emily Parkhurst - Formidable
Top Stories: 1. Expedia layoffs Geekwire article 2. Microsoft and Mistral AI Seattle Times article 3. Techstars accelerator closes Geekwire article 4. Blackstone acquires Rover PSBJ article 5. FTC blocks Kroger acquisition Seattle Times article 6. Burb’s Burgers closes Seattle Eater article Co-Host Emily Parkhurst: Emily Parkhurst was most recently the VP of Content at 6AM City. Prior to this role, she was the Publisher and Market President of the Puget Sound Business Journal. She was a Senior Reporter at The Forecaster where she won the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting in 2010. She…
BONUS: Seattle after Techstars, with guest Chris DeVore
Entrepreneur and investor Chris DeVore had an inside view of Techstars Seattle as one of the original leaders of the local startup accelerator in 2010, serving as its managing director from 2014 to 2019. His Feb. 21 post "What went wrong at Techstars," looked closely at the organization's evolution — including its increased focus on corporate sponsorships and shift to centralized fundraising — as the backdrop for the news last week that Techstars is closing its Seattle accelerator as part of a broader reset. So where should Seattle's tech community go from here? And what role do startup accelerators serve…
TTodd Bishop
CChris DeVore
What Fuels You Podcast
Anoop Gupta - SeekOut - What Fuels You
Anoop Gupta is the CEO and Co-Founder of SeekOut, an AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform helping organizations recruit, retain, and grow talent. Anoop started SeekOut after an 18-year career at Microsoft. During his tenure, Anoop was the Corporate Vice-President of the multibillion-dollar Unified Communications Group (Skype + Exchange). He was TA to Bill Gates, advising on technology and product strategy, and as a Distinguished Scientist at MSR, he led work on AI, Natural User Interfaces, and Telepresence. Prior to Microsoft, Anoop was a tenured professor at Stanford University and he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
AAnoop Gupta
Anoop Gutpa - CEO and Co-founder at SeekOut
Anoop Gupta is the CEO and Co-Founder of SeekOut, an AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform helping organizations recruit, retain, and grow talent. Anoop started SeekOut after an 18-year career at Microsoft. During his tenure, Anoop was the Corporate Vice-President of the multibillion-dollar Unified Communications Group (Skype + Exchange). He was TA to Bill Gates, advising on technology and product strategy, and as a Distinguished Scientist at MSR, he led work on AI, Natural User Interfaces, and Telepresence. Prior to Microsoft, Anoop was a tenured professor at Stanford University and he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. See…
SShauna Swerland
AAnoop Gupta
Techstars Seattle's demise leaves a gap in startup market
Techstars Seattle helped launch more than 160 startups over the past decade, partnered with the likes of Microsoft and Amazon to spark even more startups, and led to the creation of three companies currently valued at more than $1 billion — making it one of the most successful programs in the Techstars network. Founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colo., Techstars provides fledgling startups with early capital, coaching, mentorship, a chance to pitch to investors, and an opportunity to work for three months in a shared space with other entrepreneurs. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and for more than a…
Investor Spotlight: A Conversation with Madrona's Soma Somasegar
Hear from Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar as he discusses his path to venture capital by way of 27 years at Microsoft. He shares invaluable insights about what he looks for in a founder, the importance of passion in founders, the state of cloud technology, and the future of AI and Startups. Tim also shares Madrona's core principles, his favorite books for entrepreneurs, and his personal interests outside of work, including his passion for outdoor sports and the nonprofit Global Partnerships. This chat is a must-watch for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for insights into the venture capital world or strategies to…
CCoral Garnick Ducken
SSoma Somasegar
OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, stick around to the end for a late-breaking addition to the show — a bonus segment about OpenAI's new AI video generation technology Sora. Joining the show is Rahul Sood, CEO and co-founder of Irreverent Labs, a Seattle-area startup that is working on AI to turn images and text into video. We also discuss the Seattle-area startups that are bringing employees into the office five days a week; look ahead to the upcoming release of what appears to be a juicy Amazon book, due out in April; and preview the GeekWire Awards in advance…
TTodd Bishop
JJohn Cook
RRahul Sood
Christie Lagally - CEO at Rebellyous Foods
Christie Lagally is the founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, a food production technology company working to make plant-based meat price-competitive with animal-based meat. Lagally began her career in the aerospace industry working on testing, designing, and manufacturing commercial airplanes at Boeing. Now at Rebellyous, she focuses on designing novel manufacturing equipment that addresses the two most significant obstacles facing the plant-based meat industry: cost and quality at scale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SShauna Swerland
CChristie Lagally
Dust Founders Bet Foundation Models Will Change How Companies Work
Madrona Partner Jon Turow hosts Gabriel Hubert and Stan Polu, the co-founders of a 2023 IA40 winner, Dust, which enables information workers to create LLM-based agents that help them do their own work more efficiently. They discuss the broader AI/LLM ecosystem, the merits and potential of horizontal vs vertical solutions, limitations of AI assistants, and the influence of Stripe on their business. The founders dive into the future use cases and adoption of AI in businesses and also touch on keeping humans in the loop of AI and software development. Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/dust-bets-foundation-models-change-how-companies-work/ (00:00) Introduction and Overview (01:31) The Trade-off Between…
JJohn Turo
GGabriel Hubert
SStan Polu
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…
GGowri Shankar
SShirish Nadkarni
KKellan Carter
SSudip Chakrabarti
SSuman Natarajan
TTim Porter
From Creating Kubernetes to Founding Stacklok: Open-Source and Security with Craig McLuckie
In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Managing Director Tim Porter talks to Craig McLuckie, who's most known as one of the creators of Kubernetes at Google. Madrona previously backed Craig's company, Heptio, and was excited to back his latest company — Stacklok. Stacklok is a software supply chain security company that helps developers and open-source communities build more secure software and keep that software safe. Tim and Craig discuss Stacklok's developer-centric approach to security, the role of open source in startups, the importance of open source and security, and they also hit on some important lessons in company…
TTim Porter
CCraig McLuckie
Varun Puri - Co-founder of Yoodli
Varun Puri is the co-founder of Yoodli, an AI powered communication coach. Yoodli helps you ace your next presentation or interview by providing private and judgment-free analytics on your filler words, body language, content and more. Yoodli (www.yoodli.ai) is being rolled out to 300k+ Toastmasters members globally, has raised $7M+ in funding, and been featured across media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Inc. Before Yoodli, Varun led Africa Operations for a GoogleX initiative that used invisible lasers to bring the internet to unconnected areas. He also ran special projects for Sergey Brin, one of Google’s founders. Varun…
SShauna Swerland
VVarun Puri
The Evolution of Enterprise AI: A Conversation with Arvind Jain
Madrona Investor Palak Goel talks with Arvind Jain, founder and CEO of Glean, which has raised about $155M since launching in 2019 and was named a 2023 IA40 winner. It should be no surprise that Glean is touted as the search engine for the enterprise because Arvind spent over a decade at Google as a distinguished engineer, where he led teams in Google Search. Palak and Arvind dive into Glean's vision to be the AI-powered personal assistants in the workplace, how AI should not be thought of as a product but rather as a building block to create a great…
PPalak Goel
AArvind Jain
Can AI level the playing field? Nancy Wang of Advancing Women in Tech
This week's guest, Nancy Wang, is a technology product and engineering executive, advisor, and investor. A former Amazon Web Services general manager and former Google lead product manager, she is a venture partner at Felicis Ventures, where she invests in early-stage startups in cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, and business-to-business software as a service. She is also founder and board chair of Advancing Women in Tech, and a contributor to Forbes. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
