Shows
Zero to One: Product JourneysSimplifying the Complex: Building Trust in Crypto, AI and Platforms with Chander ChawlaWhat does it take to build products across every wave of innovation - from telecom and wearables, to crypto, AI, and enterprise SaaS?This week on Zero to One, I’m joined by Chander Chawla, a product leader whose journey has spanned startups and big tech alike. From co-founding Ever App to leading product at Open Garden and Meta, he’s consistently been at the edge of what’s next.In this episode we dive into:The lessons behind building products used by hundreds of mil...
2025-09-0429 min
Valley NordicNavigating B2B Marketing: A NotebookLM Generated EpisodeSend us a textThe episode is based on Chander's blogpost - https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2025/03/navigating-b2b-marketing.html
2025-03-1625 minValley NordicLessons For Toddlers: NotebookLM Generated EpisodeSend us a textThis episode is based on Chander's blogpost - Lessons for toddlers.
2024-12-2218 minValley NordicArt Extremes: A NotebookLM Generated EpisodeSend us a textThis episode is based on Chander's blogpost - Art Extremes. It is shockingly good. Arne and I are not co-hosting this episode.
2024-11-0909 minValley NordicIPO Market In 2024: NotebookLM Created EpisodeSend us a textThe episode is based on Chander's blogpost: https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2024/10/getting-ready-for-ipo.htmlArne and Chander are not the cohosts on this episode.
2024-10-2319 minValley NordicEthics In Tech: NotebookLM Created EpisodeSend us a textThis is episode is based on Chander's blogpost: https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2019/03/thoughts-from-thinking-weekend.htmlArne and Chander are not the cohosts for this episode. Enjoy!
2024-10-2119 minValley NordicEvolution of Robotics: NotebookLM Created EpisodeSend us a textThis is episode is based on Chander's blogpost: https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-rapid-evolution-of-robotics.htmlArne and I are not the cohosts for this episode. Enjoy!
2024-10-1710 minValley NordicWisdom From A New Friend: NotebookLM Created EpisodeSend us a textNotebookLM created this episode based on Chander's blogpost titled - Wisdom from a new friend.
2024-10-1620 minValley NordicBuilding Alignment: A NotebookLM Created EpisodeSend us a textThis episode is NotebookLM interpretation of Chander's blogpost on building alignment: https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2024/05/building-alignment-as-executive.htmlArne and I are not the co-hosts on this episode:)
2024-10-1511 minValley NordicS4E6: The Twitter DramaSend us a textElon Musk buying Twitter has been talk of the town in Silicon Valley for the last few days. Arne and I discuss what's happening and why. Chander's blogpost from 2009 on Twitter's potential.
2022-04-1527 minValley NordicS4E4: New Framework for Management in CorporationsSend us a textWe discuss Chander's forbes article on management which offers a new framework for looking at management. The framework has four dimensions: 1. Domain Management 2. Organizational Management 3. Perception Management 4. Feelings Management
2022-03-1756 minValley NordicS3E18: Sequoia Capital's New Structure and Changing Venture Capital DynamicsSend us a textWe discuss: 1. The traditional Venture Capital (VC) business model 2. Why the VC is changing and what changes Sequoia is making 3. Implications for entrepreneurs and for the business of managing money Useful links Sequoia announcement
2021-11-0752 minValley NordicS3E17: Amplitude IPOSend us a textWe discuss: 1. Amplitude's products and business (what does the company do?)2. Amplitude's history (started as Sonalight)3. Direct listing vs. traditional IPO (why Amplitude chose direct listing)4. Amplitude's valuation and future prospects Useful links 1. Amplitude S1
2021-10-2443 minValley NordicS3E16: Ethereum UpdateSend us a textWe discuss the Ethereum blockchain and ETH, a cryptocurrency:Ethereum vs. Bitcoin Proof of work vs. proof of stake consensus mechanism on blockchainsEthereum plan to migrate to a proof of stake consensus mechanismEthereum's London update
2021-10-0845 minValley NordicS3E15: Semiconductor Business Deep Dive With Mike PolacekSend us a textWe are excited to have Mike Polacek as a guest of honor on this episode. Mike is one of the few business leaders who has run large tech businesses and has been a professional investor in public companies. We dig deeper into the how building semiconductor business is different than building a SaaS business, complexity, Moore's law, and many other interesting subjects related to tech businesses. I enjoyed my conversation with Mike and hope that you will enjoy it as well.
2021-09-2350 minValley NordicS3E14: Quick Commerce in EuropeSend us a textQuick Commerce and its history Venture Capital flowing to Quick Commerce in Europe How Quick Commerce might evolve
2021-09-0948 minValley NordicS3E13: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) - Past, Present, and FutureSend us a textWe discuss the emergence of new companies like Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna which are popularizing the idea of Point of Sale financing i.e. when you are buying something you can choose to pay later. We tried to have structured conversation today:) What is BNPLHistory of BNPLWhy is it happening nowHow does it work Who are the players Future of BNPL
2021-08-281h 07Valley NordicS3E12: China Tech Crackdown - Good Governance or More ControlSend us a textWe discuss the recent Chinese government investigations of Chinese tech companies like Alibaba, Didi, etc. Is it good governance and China is leading the world in regulating tech or is it a way to gain more control for the government?
2021-08-1345 minValley NordicS3E11: Robinhood IPOSend us a textThree unique things about Robinhood IPO, growth numbers, and a discussion on its business and financials. Useful links: 1. Robinhood S12. Why Chander is not participating in the Robinhood IPO
2021-07-1552 minValley NordicS3E10: Space TechSend us a textWe discuss:1. Space tech market and segments 2. Why some space tech market segments are not suitable for venture investments 3. What are the drivers of space tech
2021-07-0143 minValley NordicS3E9: Startup BoardsSend us a textWe discuss: 1. Why startups need boards2. How the role of the board changes as the company evolves 3. Types of board members 4. Common mistakes CEOs and board members make when they work together
2021-06-1747 minValley NordicS3E8: Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)Send us a textWe discuss: 1. What are CBDCs? 2. State of CBDC in China3. Benefits of CBDC
2021-04-2243 minValley NordicS3E7: Semiconductor (Chip) ShortageSend us a textWe discuss what is the current chip supply and demand situation, why it happened, and how the countries and companies are trying to solve the chip supply problem.
2021-04-0949 minValley NordicS3E6: ClubhouseSend us a textWe discuss: 1. What is Clubhouse?2. Why Clubhouse it getting popular now?3. Discussion on the future of Clubhouse. Let us know if you need an invite to join Clubhouse.
2021-03-2846 minValley NordicS3E5: Non Fungible Tokens (NFT)Send us a text1. What are NFTs?2. Why are they in the news? 3. What new opportunities become possible because of NFTs? You can buy the NFT for our blockchain episode (S1E3) here :)
2021-03-1235 minValley NordicS3E4: Roblox IPOSend us a textWe discuss Roblox's history, business, and its upcoming IPO. Useful links:Roblox S1
2021-02-2544 minValley NordicS3E3 Valley Nordic: Retail Investing, Robinhood, and GamestopSend us a textWe discuss the latest phenomenon of retail investing that caused GameStop stock to go up more than 2,000% in a few weeks.
2021-02-1156 minValley NordicS3E2 Valley Nordic: Tesla History and ValuationSend us a textWe discuss Tesla's origins (spoiler alert - Elon Musk is not the founder) and its evolution. We also debate its current valuation of ~$800B.
2021-01-2942 minValley NordicS3E1 Valley Nordic: Virtual Reality's Barriers to AdoptionSend us a textHappy New Year! We are back with our new biweekly and shorter episodes schedule. We start the year with reviewing the history of Virtual Reality (VR) and discussing its barriers to mass adoption.
2021-01-1535 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E41 Season Finale: 2020 Trends ReviewSend us a textIn our season 2 finale, we review the 2020 trends we had identified in Season 1 finale. See the trends here. You can find the Morgan Stanley report on Private Equity here. We will be back on January 14th, 2021 on biweekly basis. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
2020-12-1148 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E40: Embedded Systems With David KriegerSend us a textWe have a guest on the podcast this week, David Krieger, who is back with us after a year. David and I discuss fundamentals of embedded systems and his experience in designing them. Useful links: 1. David Krieger on LinkedIn 2. Embedded Systems
2020-12-0346 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E38: Airbnb IPOSend us a textWe discuss the recent S1 (a required document to be filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a private company to raise money in the public markets like NYSE or Nasdaq) filing by Airbnb to public in the US. Useful link:Airbnb S1S1 definition
2020-11-2042 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E37: User Research with Joanna JonesSend us a textThis week, we are delighted to have a guest on the podcast, Joanna Jones, Founder & CEO of InterQ Research. Joanna and Chander discuss User Research and why the qualitative methods are necessary to complement quantitative methods. Useful links: 1. Joanna's LinkedIn profile 2. InterQ Research
2020-11-1349 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E36: Elections, Prop 22, and TechSend us a textWe discuss how the US elections have caused the tech stocks to go up. We get deeper into California Prop 22 (a ballot measure by ridesharing and food delivery companies to change the law about classifying their drivers as employees and stopping them from forming a union). Useful links:1. Prop 22 2. Direct Democracy
2020-11-0637 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E35: Ant Group IPOSend us a textWe discuss the unique nature of Ant Group IPO which is going to be the world's largest IPO ever. Ant Group which has 700M+ users is raising >$34B in the IPO at a valuation of >$300B. Ant Group is a spinoff of Alibaba and has a special relationship with the Chinese government. Useful Links:1. Ant Group 2. Ant Group IPO filing documents
2020-10-3035 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E34: DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Against GoogleSend us a textThis week, Depart of Justice (DOJ) and 11 State Attorney Generals in the US filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google. We discuss the intricacies and history of these type of lawsuits. Useful Links: 1. DOJ Workshop at Stanford 2. DOJ Google Lawsuit press release
2020-10-2241 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E33: Off Wall Street IPOsSend us a textWe discuss a new IPO market in Norway and other innovative IPO strategies. 2020 has turned out to be the most innovative year for finance.
2020-10-1642 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E32: Google's New HardwareSend us a textWe discuss Google's launch of new smartphones - Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, new video streaming device - Chromecast, and new smart speaker - Nest Audio.
2020-10-0944 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E31: Deep Tech Investments In America And EuropeSend us a textWe experiment with a shorter episode ( < />Useful links: 1. Daniel Ek announcement at Slush
2020-10-0129 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E30: Product Management With AISend us a textHow we develop products continues to evolve as new technologies get commercialized. Products that work with Machine Learning (ML) models require a new way of thinking to launch and improve products. The agile/lean approach does not work with ML. We discuss how product managers will have to develop products differently with ML.
2020-09-2545 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E29: Snowflake IPOSend us a textWe discuss the recent Snowflake IPO and the possible reasons for its sky high valuation. Useful links: 1. Snowflake website: https://www.snowflake.com/2. Snowflake S1: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1640147/000162828020013010/snowflakes-1.htm
2020-09-1843 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E28: Silicon Valley vs. Seoul vs. Amsterdam with Matt PapakiposSend us a textWe are honored to have Matt Papakipos as our guest of honor on this episode. Matt is an entrepreneur and an angel investor who has spent a lot of time with nVidia, Google, and Facebook in their early days in Silicon Valley. Chander and Matt talk about Matt's startup ecosystem experiences in Silicon Valley, Seoul, and Amsterdam. Matt is currently living in Amsterdam with his family. Useful links: Matt on LinkedIn
2020-09-1159 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E27: UnitySend us a textWe discuss Unity Unity Software Inc. and their plan to go public. They filed S1 last week. Useful link:Unity S1
2020-09-0434 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E26: GPT3, Fortnite, TikTok, and ImmigrationSend us a textThis episode is a joint production of Valley Nordic and Bifrost Talks (a Nordic Innovation House initiative) and it was recorded with a live audience. Our normal greetings were cut-off in the recording. Sorry. The episode begins with what we cover in the episode i.e.1. GPT-3 (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer v3) and its applications2. Epic Games and its fight with Apple regarding 30% revenue share on App Store3. TikTok ban in the US 4. How the latest US immigration policy is affecting tech
2020-08-2752 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E25: Tech SummerSend us a textWe are back after summer break. A lot has happened in the tech world in the last six weeks. We discuss the following highlights: 1. Tech driven stock market 2. Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple's CY 2020 second quarter earnings3. Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or SPACs4. Tech CEOs testimonies in congressional hearings 5. California government battle with Uber and Lyft
2020-08-201h 14Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E24: 2020 Tech IPOsSend us a textWe look at valuations of tech companies that went public in the first half of 2020 and highlight the companies that might go public in the second half of 2020. The companies that might go public are Lemonade (filed S1), Robinhood, Airbnb, Snowflake, Palantir, Postmates, Doordash, Instacart, and McAfee. Startups that went public earlier this year are listed in the useful links section below. We will be off for the summer. Next episode on August 20th, 2020. Enjoy summer! Useful links1. Casper2...
2020-07-021h 10Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E23: WWDC 2020Send us a textWe review and analyze major announcements made at Apple's latest Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Useful links Apple's announcements at WWDC 2020
2020-06-2553 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E22: Super AppsSend us a textWe discuss Apps that allow third party developers to publish mini apps within the App. These apps are called Super Apps. WeChat is the biggest Super App. Last week, Snap announced a program to become a Super App. Facebook has been trying to become a Super App for years. Useful links:1. Snap Minis announcement 2. WeChat
2020-06-181h 00Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E21: Capital Markets And Raising A Venture FundSend us a textWe discuss the difference between capital markets and money markets. Alliance Venture, an early stage venture firm based in Norway recently raised a new ~$60M fund. We get into nitty gritty of raising a venture fund and how raising money is different for entrepreneurs. Arne is a partner at Alliance Venture. Useful links1. Alliance Venture 2. Capital Markets
2020-06-111h 02Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E20: Remote WorkSend us a textWe discuss the evolution of remote work and its pros and cons. Furthermore, we pontificate on potential changes in society if everyone works remotely. Useful link:History of remote work
2020-06-041h 03Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E19: P in CPG changing with D2CSend us a textWe discuss the purpose of packaging in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and how it might change with the direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model. The discussion is based on Chander's blogpost on the subject. Useful link: Changing P in CPG: Packaging In The Direct-To-Consumer World
2020-05-2840 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E18: Tech M&ASend us a textWe discuss the reasons why companies do M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) and review the recent acquisitions in the tech space. Also, we talk about the M&A scene in 2020 vs 2019 and themes of 2020 acquisitions. Following are the acquisitions we analyze: 1. Facebook buying Giphy 2. Microsoft buying Affirmed Networks, Softmotive, and Metaswitch Networks3. Apple buying NextVR 4. Zoom buying Keybase 5. Intel buying Moovit 6. Verizon buying BlueJeans
2020-05-2153 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E17: FintechSend us a textWe discuss how to think about Fintech, what segments startups are targeting within Fintech, and how we see Fintech changing in future. Also, new business models in insurance and banking. Useful links:1. Ayden - Most highly valued European startup2. Credit card payments
2020-05-1458 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E16: Why Quibi Will DisappointSend us a textWe share our views on Quibi, a new streaming service designed for people on the go to watch professionally produced original videos on mobile phones. The assumptions behind Quibi and what mistakes Quibi is making in execution. Useful links:1. Quibi 2. Differences between Silicon Valley and Hollywood
2020-05-0745 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E15: Incubators and Startup Mistakes with Kjell Håkan NärfeltSend us a textWe are very excited to have Kjell Håkan Närfelt, Chief Strategy Officer, at Vinnova, a Swedish government agency focused on building and funding nationwide innovation ecosystems. Chander and Kjell Häkan talk about incubators, science parks, exit focused venture capital vs dividend based capital. We also discuss the common mistakes early stage startups make. Arne will be back next week. Useful links: 1. Kjell Häkan on LinkedIn 2. Vinnova 3. United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development 4. Kjell Håkan's presentation on Vinno...
2020-04-301h 12Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E14: COVIDtechSend us a textWe discuss how technology is being used to end the coronavirus pandemic. We look at the tech in two categories 1) Cure - respirators, ventilators, and treatment 2) Prevention - vaccines, testing, and tracking. Furthemore, we explain how the new Apple/Google initiative works for contact tracing. Useful Links1. Open Source ventilator projects 2. Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) 3. Norwegian contact tracing app 4. Coronavirus growth rate tracking in the US by state. 5. Vaccines and treatments in development 6. Apple...
2020-04-2456 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E13: Systems Thinking and Complex SystemsSend us a textArne is back on the podcast. We discuss analysis vs. synthesis, linear thinking vs. systems thinking, parts vs. systems and what are the types of complex systems. We explore a new way of looking at the world and how systems thinking can be applied to startups and investing. Chander tried to make it a box-free episode but Arne found a way to sneak in his boxes. Useful links: 1. Systems Thinking 2. Complex Systems 3. New England Complex Systems Institute
2020-04-1651 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E12: Marketing with Andrew SherrardSend us a textWe have a very special guest, Andrew Sherrard, on this episode. Andrew is a former Chief Marketing Officer at T-Mobile US where he managed $1B+ in marketing budget and drove $16B in annual revenue. His un-carrier marketing strategy changed how wireless services are sold in the US. Andrew shares his insights on concept testing, positioning, naming, branding, pricing, advertising agencies, and other marketing topics that are useful for startups. Arne will be back next week.Correction: Edgewell tried to buy Harry's Razor and not Unilever/P&G. Sorry.
2020-04-0855 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E11: Education & EdTechSend us a textWe discuss the education and EdTech segments. Why things have not changed in decades after multiple attempts in bringing technology to education? We also share some examples of successes and failures in education and EdTech. Useful Links1. Global learning landscape 2. Microverse
2020-04-0248 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E10: Corona World & Post Corona WorldSend us a textWe discuss some of the temporary changes in businesses caused by the coronavirus and what permanent changes in society might occur due to the pandemic. We also talk about the current funding situation for startups and possible scenarios on when we will get to the post corona world. Our thanks to healthcare, delivery, and retail/grocery/pharmacy workers who are are going to work every day and making our work from home lives possible during a pandemic! Useful links:1. Hotel Corona - Shelter in Place (parody of H...
2020-03-2652 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E9: HealthcareSend us a textWe discuss segmentation of the healthcare market from a startup/investment perspective, why the US healthcare system is highly inefficient, and how product development is different in healthcare. Furthermore, we talk about opportunities for startups in the healthcare market. Useful links: 1. Chander's keynote speech on digital health 2. Genesis of a wearable device 3. Region Skåne (Sweden) pivot to mobile health (mHealth) 4. Apple Research app 5. Apple Health Records
2020-03-1939 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode S2 E8: The Game Industry and Investment w/Per-Arne LundbergSend us a textIn this episode, guest Per-Arne Lundberg, a Swedish game investor and CEO at Amplifier Game Invest AB, is discussing the game industry with Arne. Topics covered include: The game industryWhat's going on in the NordicsInvesting gamesThanks for visiting, Per-Arne. Check out: https://www.amplifiergameinvest.com/
2020-03-121h 08Valley NordicValley Nordic S2 E7: Dynamics Of The Technology EcosystemSend us a textArne and Chander discuss how the technology ecosystem works and how it might evolve. The discussion is based on Chander's blogpost on the subject. You can see the blogpost at https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2020/03/dynamics-of-technology-ecosystem.html
2020-03-0558 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E6: GTM for B2B SaaS StartupsSend us a textWe discuss the complexity of Go To Market (GTM) strategies and focus on how Business to Business (B2B) startups with Software as a Service (SaaS) products reach their customers. Common mistakes that founders make and the multiple channels that are used for getting customers to use new products.
2020-02-2739 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E5: SustainabilitySend us a textWe discuss a topic that is in the news and is on everybody's mind - Sustainability. What does it mean? How should startups think about it? Why now is the right time to do a startup focused on sustainability? Useful Links: 1. United Nations sustainability goals (2030)2. Larry Fink (BlackRock Chairman and CEO) letter to investors on sustainability
2020-02-2038 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E4: MarketplacesSend us a textArne and I discuss what marketplaces businesses are. What are the attributes of a good marketplace. And, what not to do when starting a marketplace business. Useful Links 1. Friend in Cloud marketplace product requirements (2013)2. GMV
2020-02-1455 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E3: Hollywood Behind The Scenes With Howie MandelSend us a textWe are lucky to have Howie Mandel as our guest of honor on this episode. Currently, Howie stars is America's Got Talent Champions which airs on NBC (in the US). He is an author, producer, comedian and many other things. Chander and Howie talk about business, compare Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and the role of technology. What it takes to make a movie or a TV Show. And, Howie's philosophy on life. Useful Links: 1. Pitching Your Tech Startup To Hollywood2. Howie on Facebook 3. Howie on Tw...
2020-02-0751 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E2: Why Do We Buy Things?Send us a textWe discuss a universal framework of why people people buy things. Chander came up with the framework after founding his first startup. Useful Links: Why do we buy things?
2020-01-3147 minValley NordicValley Nordic S2 E1: January Business Highlights, CES, and 2020 Tech TrendsSend us a textHappy New Year! Welcome to Season 2 of Valley Nordic. We start off the year with discussing the business highlights from the last six weeks, cover Consumer Electronics Show (CES) highlights, and discuss upcoming tech IPOs (Casper and One Medical) and 2020 tech trends. Useful links: 1. 20 Trends to observe in 20202. Tink (Nordic equivalent of Plaid)3. Visa's justification for buying Plaid4. Kry (Nordic equivalent of one Medical)5. Ztractor (autonomous electric tractor)
2020-01-2347 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 31: Season Finale - 2019 In ReviewSend us a textWe discuss five tech business themes from 2019: IPO marketCrypto market Facebook - regulatory issues and Libra plan Big tech (mainly Google and Apple) going fintech Trade war roller coaster affecting tech (semiconductor, big tech, etc.)In addition, we share 19 observations and trends from 2019 on how technology is affecting society. Happy Holidays! See you next year!
2019-12-0553 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 30: Growth at a Big Company & The Magnet StrategySend us a textHow does a company keep growing when it is big? There is a growth framework used by big corporations. The framework has seven growth strategies and most of them are pursued in parallel. We discuss pros and cons of each. Furthermore, we talk about he Magnet Strategy which is used by tech companies to get into non-tech businesses. Useful links: 1. The Magnet Strategy
2019-11-2646 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 29: Startup Valuations & Term SheetsSend us a textHow do you put a dollar value on an idea? Venture Capitalists have to do that regularly. The startup valuation becomes relatively easier starting with Series A funding round when the idea has become a product and it is in the market. How do founders negotiate valuation and other terms with Venture Capitalists? Useful links:1. Startup Tools (for Nordic Startups) 2. Startup document templates (for US startups)
2019-11-2147 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 28: GoogleSend us a textGoogle [Nasdaq: GOOGL] announced its third quarter 2019 earnings a few days ago. We review the quarterly earnings. And, we discuss Google's R&D (Research and Development), its culture, and Google Cloud business. We debate the difference between a platform and a product. How Google is good at building platforms and not so good at building products.Useful Links: 1. The Magnet Strategy 2. Google 3Q2019 earnings release
2019-11-1658 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 27: AppleSend us a textApple [Nasdaq: AAPL] announced its fourth quarter 2019 earnings last week. We review the FY 2019 earnings. And, we discuss what is Apple doing well to scale so fast. In FY 2019, Apple generated revenues of over $260B. Twenty years ago, Apple FY1999 revenue was $6.1B. And, iPhone, which generates more than half of Apple's revenue today and is mainly responsible for ~47B in services revenue, did not exist until 2007. Useful Links1. Apple Watch: A giant leap for Apple and a small step for wearables 2. The phone we love
2019-11-0553 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 26: AmazonSend us a textAmazon [Nasdaq: AMZN] announced its third quarter 2019 earnings earlier this week. We review the earnings. And, we discuss what is Amazon doing well to scale so fast. In the trailing twelve months, Amazon generated revenues of over $265B and their revenues are still growing ~20% YoY. And, Amazon has successfully diversified from eCommerce to Cloud to advertising. Useful Links1. Nature of business 2. Amazon CTO on IT infrastructure 3. Amazon 3Q2019 earnings press release
2019-10-3046 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 25: Economic Downturn Preparation & Operations For StartupsSend us a textArne and Chander discuss an important and unpopular topic i.e. how do markets behave differently in an economic downturn, how do startups prepare for a downturn, and how do startups have to operate in a downturn. How the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) change from growth to cash. We also talk about how startup operations differ in early and late stage during downturn. Finally, we talk about downrounds (when the fundraising round values the company lower than the previous fundraising round valuation).Useful links:1. Zero-Based Budgeting 2. State o...
2019-10-251h 04Valley NordicValley Nordic Episode 24: Food Tech & Beyond MeatSend us a textWe try something new in this episode i.e. look into a market where we don't have expertise. And, that market is Food Tech. How we think about it? Also, we analyze Beyond Meat's business and discuss what are the parallels and differences between a tech startup and Beyond Meat (and Impossible Foods). Useful Links: 1. Environmental Impact of Meat Production 2. Beyond Meat S1
2019-10-1740 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 23: Direct to Consumer (D2C) StartupsSend us a textWe define the Direct To Consumer (D2C) category and discuss the value chain of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies and how D2C startups are disrupting that value chain. Also, how D2C category includes products beyond CPG. What made it possible for D2C companies to come to life and differences between US and European D2C markets. Useful links:1. D2C landscape (2017)2. Analysis of 14 D2C Companies
2019-10-1048 minValley NordicValley Nordic Episode 22: Market Segmentation, Business Models, and ScalingSend us a textIn this episode we discuss market segmentation, business model innovation, and scaling. How and why Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) focus is the best way to build sustainable businesses. We also discuss, after a startup has achieved Product Market Fit (PMF), how you scale a business and what do you do differently in the post PMF phase. Useful links:1. Customer Facing Devices 2. Why do we buy things?3. Decision making for startups
2019-10-0348 min