Venture capital has moved from a niche asset class to one of the defining forces shaping the global economy — and the conversation around it has never been richer. From fund strategy and LP relationships to portfolio construction and founder selection, these episodes capture the craft and culture of venture investing across its full range.
The a16z Podcast delivers portfolio-level thinking from one of the industry's largest and most prolific firms. Capital Allocators brings institutional LP and GP perspectives from Ted Seides. This Week in Startups and Y Combinator offer the operator's view from inside the early-stage ecosystem. Acquired reconstructs the histories of breakout companies with the analytical depth of a case study. BG2Pod and How I Invest add macro and cross-asset context to the venture thesis.
Every episode is fully transcribed and searchable. Find a specific investor's views on a sector, trace how deal terms evolved across a cycle, or compare fund-construction philosophies across the best practitioners — instantly.
Venture fundraising fell 62% in 2023, yet median fund size hit a decade high—smaller funds may outperform through early entry and disciplined follow-ons.
Spencer Lazar entered VC straight out of college at 22, now at General Catalyst he targets education, labor, and insurance for billion-dollar disruption.
Adam Grosser, who has evaluated 10,000-12,000 companies over 26 years, argues modern VC is broken and explains UP Partners' concentrated, hands-on model that keeps funds at $250M and achieves a 4% loss ratio versus the industry's 40%.
Leon Wong, founding GP of Spectrum 28, argues that great VCs are made by investing early, not just operating, and reveals his $170M fund's hybrid strategy to exploit capital gaps.
Marvin Liao, a 500 Startups partner, explains how his 10.5 years at Yahoo and mentoring 15-16 accelerators shaped his operator-led VC philosophy, emphasizing global expansion and hands-on support.
XYZ合伙人Chauncey Hamilton揭示如何利用Palantir和Dorm Room Fund网络，在短期逆向中下注杰出个人，打造250M美元旗舰基金的增长神话。
Ifty Ahmed (Oak Investment Partners) argues that venture capital is about backing passionate, resilient people, comparing the founder-investor relationship to a marriage rather than a date.
Sheil Monad argues venture capital should shrink: smaller funds, disciplined returns, and founder focus over capital spraying.
IVP's Somesh Dash, 21 years in, says VC is a partnership built on contrarian bets like Twitter at $800M, not a job.
James Wise, youngest partner at a Series A fund in Europe, argues VC is viable with judgment and passion, not just finance backgrounds.
Rob Lucker of Visionaries Club ($600M AUM) argues VC firms should act like entrepreneurs, not passive investors, and reveals why Europe's family businesses are an underutilized strategic asset for venture capital.
645 Ventures' Namde argues VC is science, not instinct, citing 12 years of data and a 4-5% capital loss ratio.
Will Porteus argues the 40-year-old 10-year venture fund model is broken, compressing investing and distorting behavior around IRR.
Chris Duvos says venture still works—but only for investors who earn the long-duration and illiquidity premium, not hot money chasing momentum.
Vested's Dave Thornton explains how they fund employee option exercises with forward contracts, targeting a $50k-$100k need across 15,000 startups, and why this creates a diversified venture asset class.