Shows
Podkast amerykański241. Prawybory Demokratów w Nowym Jorku, czyli pieniądze to nie wszystkoW Nowym Jorku odbyły się prawybory – Partia Demokratyczna zdecydowała, kto będzie jej kandydatem w listopadowych wyborach na burmistrza. Jak to możliwe, skoro urzędujący burmistrz, Eric Adams, zamierza ubiegać się o reelekcję i cztery lata wcześniej wygrał jako Demokrata? Oskarżony o korupcję i dogadujący się z Trumpem Adams jest tak niepopularny w swojej partii, że wycofał się z prawyborów i będzie startował jako niezależny. Faworytem do wygranej bardzo długo był Andrew Cuomo, były gubernator, który ledwie cztery lata temu ustąpił w niesławie, oskarżony o molestowanie i...2025-06-281h 16
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Future of Taste and Creativity with Scott BelskyScott Belsky, partner at A24 and former Chief Product Officer at Adobe, joins us to explore how AI is reshaping the creative process. We talk about the rise of taste as a differentiator in a world of infinite content, the shift from production to ideation, and how brand-building evolves when machines can generate at scale.Scott also shares his perspective on the importance of story and process, why behind-the-scenes footage will matter more than ever, and how creators can cut through the noise by focusing on authenticity and meaning. We dive into his view that we're still...2025-06-1113 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiHow Liquidity Droughts Break Venture Cycles with Beezer ClarksonBeezer Clarkson, managing director at Sapphire Partners, joins the show to unpack the state of venture funding from the unique perspective of an LP. We dive into why 2025 has been one of the toughest fundraising environments for venture firms in over a decade, what’s driving LP caution, and how structural shifts, like longer fund durations and fewer exits, are reshaping the market.Beezer explains why many emerging managers are struggling to close new funds, how secondary markets are evolving as a partial solution, and why “knowing your math” matters more than ever when fundraising. We also get in...2025-06-1015 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy Capital Efficiency Still Wins with Larry ChengLarry Cheng, co-founder and managing partner at Volition Capital, joins us to explore why capital efficiency is more important than ever for founders. He explains how capital discipline can coexist with high growth, shares lessons from backing Chewy early, and breaks down why the best companies know how to build without overspending.We also dig into the resurgence of CapEx in frontier tech. Larry shares how Volition is thinking about hardware-enabled SaaS, and offers a framework for evaluating return on capital — whether you're acquiring users, building hardware, or rolling up businesses.We also covered Circle’s ex...2025-06-0914 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Rise of the AI Coding Agent with Quinn SlackQuinn Slack, co-founder and CEO of Sourcegraph, joins Kyle to explore how AI is transforming software development and why the “AI coding agent” is becoming the center of gravity in the modern engineering stack. Quinn walks through Sourcegraph’s new tools—Cody and AMP—and explains how model-product fit, not feature checklists, is what will define winners in this fast-moving market.They discuss why Sourcegraph made counterintuitive bets like hiding model selection and emphasizing multi-tenant design, how customer trust enables bold product choices, and why building in sync with new model capabilities is more important than chasing traditiona...2025-06-0617 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Future of Hypersonic Aviation with AJ PiplicaHermeus just became the first private company to fly a hypersonic-capable aircraft — and it’s only the beginning.Today, AJ Piplica, founder and CEO of Hermeus, joins to break down the first successful flight of the Quarterhorse Mk 1, explain what hypersonic flight actually is, and share why this milestone could reshape both national defense and commercial aviation.We also covered Reddit’s lawsuit against Anthropic, Windsurf’s model access problems, Bolttech’s $147M fundraise, and Mistral’s new AI coding assistant2025-06-0513 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiReddit, AI, and the Future of the Human Internet with Steve HuffmanReddit has always been a cultural force online — but today, it's also something else: a core piece of the internet’s AI infrastructure.In this episode, Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman joins Eric to talk about the company’s first year as a public company, why Reddit still feels like it’s just getting started, and how it’s navigating a new era where AI-generated content is flooding the internet. They discuss Reddit’s evolution from a link aggregator to a community engine, the irony of becoming an LLM training backbone, and why Huffman thinks Reddit can preserve...2025-06-0411 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiIs America Eroding Its Ability to Innovate?Today on Tech Today, Kyle is joined by Zavain Dar, founder and managing partner of Dimension, to talk about what he calls the “self-inflicted corrosion” of American hegemony. In a viral tweet, Zavain laid out two pillars of the U.S.’s strength, immigrant-driven innovation and global alliances, and argued that both are being systematically undermined. In this episode, he explains why the U.S. is pouring concrete over the very wellspring of scientific and technological leadership that made it dominant for decades.They also discuss the immigrant roots of America’s most valuable companies, the geopolitical dynamics...2025-06-0315 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy Immigration Is America’s Innovation Engine with Jeremy NeufeldImmigration isn’t just a humanitarian issue—it’s a strategic lever for American innovation. Jeremy Neufeld, Director of Immigration Policy at the Institute for Progress, joins us to explain how student visas, OPT, and H-1Bs quietly power the U.S. tech and startup ecosystem. He breaks down why high-skilled immigration is essential to America’s edge in AI, what a modern-day “Project Paperclip” might look like, and how visa policy missteps are helping competitors like China.We also get into why 70% of top AI startup founders came through the student visa pipeline—and why only a fraction get...2025-06-0213 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy AI Needs Fresh Data with Marc Freed-FinneganMarc Freed-Finnegan, co-founder and CEO of Chalk, joins us to talk about why AI infrastructure needs to shift from training to inference—and how Chalk is powering sub-5ms pipelines for customers like Whatnot, MoneyLion, and Sunrun. He explains why Chalk is taking on Databricks, why fresh data is more valuable than ever, and what it means to run Python at real-time scale.We also dive into Marc’s fintech roots, Chalk’s origins, and the company’s approach to supporting complex ML use cases across fraud detection, content moderation, and clean energy. Plus, Marc shares his take on...2025-05-3016 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Flawed Science That Made Nuclear Expensive with Sam BowmanIn this episode, Kyle talks with Sam Bowman, editor of Works in Progress and Head of Publishing at Stripe, about one of the most important but under-discussed ideas in energy policy: the regulatory science that made nuclear energy unaffordable. Sam unpacks the origins and impact of the Linear No Threshold (LNT) radiation model and the ALARA regulatory principle, and explains how they led to decades of cost overruns and stagnation in nuclear power. They also dive into the editorial mission behind Works in Progress, how it surfaces “new and underrated ideas to improve the world,” and why opti...2025-05-2918 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy America is Rebooting the Atomic AgeIsaiah Taylor — founder and CEO of Valar Atomics — joins us to unpack a bold new push from the White House: a set of executive orders signed by President Trump aimed at reviving domestic nuclear energy. He breaks down what’s in the orders, why they matter, and how they could reshape US energy and industrial policy over the next decade.We also dive into the realities of building modern nuclear infrastructure. Isaiah explains why uranium independence is critical, how the US lost its lead in the global race, and why he sees nuclear as a key part of the...2025-05-2716 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy the Next AI Startups Are Selling to SMBsCharley Ma, co-founder and Managing Partner at Pathlight, joins us to unpack the changing landscape of AI adoption across SMB and enterprise segments. He shares why the most promising vertical AI startups are being led by younger, first-time founders—and why these teams are winning by building fast, iterating directly with customers, and delivering products that “just work.”We also dive into Pathlight’s thesis on govtech as an emerging AI opportunity. Charley explains why local governments are more ready than ever to adopt new tech, how procurement barriers are changing, and why this is a once-in-a-generation opening...2025-05-2314 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Future of Consumer AI Products with Rex WoodburyToday, Rex Woodbury, Founder and Managing Partner at Daybreak Ventures, joins Kyle Harrison to share his reactions to new AI product announcements at Google I/O, OpenAI’s $6.4B acquisition of Jony Ive’s “LoveFrom,” design studio, as well as his thoughts on the future of consumer AI products.They discuss the competitive landscape between tech incumbents and AI startups, the consumer product areas ripe for disruption, and the potential for AI to bridge human’s need for social connection and emotional support.We also covered OpenAI’s Jony Ive acquisition, Klarna’s latest earnings report present...2025-05-2214 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhat Comes After 23andMe for Consumer GeneticsKian Sadeghi, founder and CEO of Nucleus Genomics, joins the show to unpack the fall of 23andMe and what its $256M acquisition by Regeneron means for the future of consumer DNA testing.We talk about what 23andMe got wrong—from its business model to its reliance on outdated genotyping tech—and how a new generation of genomic startups like Nucleus are taking a different approach: full genome sequencing, HIPAA compliance, and consumer empowerment.We also covered Klarna’s rising credit losses, JPMorgan’s AI-driven hiring slowdown, Waymo’s expansion into San Jose, and Zoox’s new test mar...2025-05-2116 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe First Truly Personalized CRISPR Therapy with Lucas HarringtonIn today’s episode, Lucas Harrington — co-founder and president of Mammoth Biosciences — joins Eric to discuss a groundbreaking moment for gene editing: the successful treatment of an infant, K.J. Muldoon, using a custom CRISPR therapy developed in just six months. Lucas walks us through how this came together, what made it possible, and why this case could mark the beginning of a new era in personalized medicine.They also explore the technical and regulatory infrastructure that enabled the treatment, the challenges of in vivo gene editing beyond the liver, and why Lucas believes the brain is the ne...2025-05-2014 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiHow Founders Should Think About VCs in 2025Today, Eric is joined by Contrary general partner Kyle Harrison for a candid conversation on how the venture landscape looks from the founder’s perspective in 2025. Kyle breaks down the structural shifts reshaping the VC ecosystem — from the hollowing out of mid-sized firms to the growing divide between capital agglomerators and specialist funds — and what it all means for entrepreneurs raising today.They discuss how larger venture firms’ need for outsized returns shapes their approach to competition, ownership, and ambition, and why smaller funds are often better aligned with founders looking to build more deliberate, less capital-intensive business...2025-05-1912 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiDeglobalization is Already Here with Danny CrichtonFor the last 30 years, globalization was the default—especially in tech. But as the world fractures, we’re seeing something new: deglobalization driven by national security, digital sovereignty, and geopolitical competition.Today, Lux Capital’s Danny Crichton joins us to break down the new industrial policy era. We discuss how the tech world is fragmenting into national stacks, why most countries will never build their own search engines or operating systems, and how this shift is creating both opportunity and chaos.We also covered Elon Musk’s Neuralink trial in the UAE, Pathos AI’s $365M raise fo...2025-05-1610 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiFixing Drug Pricing with TJ ParkerToday on Tech Today, Eric is joined by TJ Parker, Founder of PillPack and Amazon Pharmacy, to break down the current state of drug pricing in the U.S. and the significance of Trump’s recent executive order on prescription drugs. TJ walks through the supply chain mechanics behind inflated out-of-pocket prices and explains why consumers often pay far more than insurers for the same drug.They discuss how middlemen like PBMs distort prices, why rebates have made the system so opaque, and how a “most favored nation” pricing clause could finally give Americans access to net prices...2025-05-1513 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Science of Better Sleep with Matteo FranceschettiToday, Eight Sleep co-founder and CEO Matteo Franceschetti joins us to talk about sleep science, recovery, and how better sleep might be the greatest untapped lever for improving human performance.He broke down why sleep matters more than fitness or nutrition, how deep and REM sleep drive mental and physical recovery, and how new tools are helping people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Matteo also shares Eight Sleep’s broader vision — from smart beds and thermoregulation to eventually compressing total sleep time without sacrificing recovery.We also covered Harvey's shift to Google and Anth...2025-05-1412 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWill the NVIDIA Ban Actually Slow Down China?Danny Crichton, Head of Editorial & Riskgaming at Lux Capital, joins the podcast to break down the state of U.S. export bans on AI chips — and whether they’re actually working. Danny explains why NVIDIA is so central to the policy debate, how sales are still finding their way to China through workarounds like Singapore, and why the U.S. may not be able to stop China from achieving AI parity if their models keep catching up in performance.We also discuss the tension between national security and commercial success, the importance of measuring output rather than inpu...2025-05-1308 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiIs AI Masking a VC Bear Market?Today, Kyle Harrison, general partner at Contrary, joins the podcast to talk about the early-stage venture bear market and why it’s being masked by the AI hype cycle. While valuations for seed and Series A rounds have remained relatively stable, the number of rounds has plummeted, and Kyle argues that the true state of venture is far worse than it appears.Next, the discussion turns to why capital destruction is overdue, how AI has warped investor incentives, and why many great companies are struggling to get attention despite solid fundamentals. Kyle and Eric also discuss the gr...2025-05-1214 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy Mid-Sized Tech Is Leading the M&A Charge with Alex KonradA few years ago, all eyes were on Big Tech when it came to startup acquisitions. But with regulatory pressure mounting, a new cohort of acquirers has emerged: mid-sized, AI-native companies like Databricks, Datadog, and OpenAI.In this episode, Alex Konrad of Upstarts Media joins Eric to break down the new wave of $100M–$1B deals — from Databricks’ pending $1B acquisition of Neon to Datadog’s Eppo pickup and OpenAI’s pursuit of Windsurf. They unpack the strategic motives behind these deals, what they signal about the current state of the market, and why companies that once would've b...2025-05-0811 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiNewLimit Raises $130M to Reverse Cellular AgingJacob Kimmel, co-founder and President of NewLimit, joins us to talk about the company’s newly announced $130 million Series B and its ambitious plan to develop reprogramming-based medicines that can reverse cellular aging.We explore how NewLimit’s therapies use mRNA to deliver transcription factors that restore liver cells to a younger state, why the company is targeting alcohol-related liver disease first, and how advances in single-cell sequencing and AI made this work possible. Jacob also shares how NewLimit is expanding into the immune and endothelial systems—and what that could mean for extending human healthspan.We a...2025-05-0715 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Race to Control the Weather with Augustus DorickoCloud seeding isn’t new, but Rainmaker is giving it a second life. On today’s episode, Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, joins Eric to explain how his company uses drones, radar, and remote sensing to make it rain on command. Augustus outlines how Rainmaker's technology solves the attribution problem that has long haunted cloud seeding, and why their $25M Series A marks the beginning of a new infrastructure layer for the American West. We also discuss the company’s long-term ambition: building programmable weather systems to green deserts, stabilize water supply for agriculture and industr...2025-05-0613 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiApple’s Legal Issues and China Dilemma with Patrick McGeeApple just got slammed by a federal judge for willfully violating an injunction in its antitrust fight with Epic Games. Patrick McGee, longtime Apple reporter at the Financial Times and author of the upcoming book Apple in China, joins to unpack how the case unfolded, why Epic’s move was both strategic and symbolic, and what this moment means for the future of the App Store.We zoom out to discuss Apple’s broader challenges—from its tightening entanglement with China to the slow progress in decoupling its supply chain. Patrick explains why Apple may be far more r...2025-05-0512 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiWhy AI Apps Still Feel Broken with Pete KoomenMost AI apps still feel clunky, generic, or oddly off-tone. Pete Koomen thinks he knows why — and he’s calling it the “horseless carriage” problem. Just like early cars mimicked carriages, today’s AI products too often copy outdated software models instead of rethinking from first principles.Pete, a General Partner at Y Combinator and co-founder of Optimizely, joins us to break down his viral essay AI Horseless Carriages. We talk about why editable system prompts are critical, how app design is holding AI back, and why user-controlled agents could unlock far more powerful workflows than today’s one-size-f...2025-05-0212 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiPersona’s $200M Series D with CEO Rick SongRick Song, co-founder and CEO of Persona, joins us after announcing the company’s $200 million Series D. In this episode, Rick breaks down what it means to build the verified identity layer of the internet — not just verifying who someone is, but verifying who an AI agent is acting on behalf of, and what their intent is.We explore how identity has evolved from static credentials to something continuous and contextual, how AI is raising the stakes for online trust, and why Rick believes the future of identity must be privacy-preserving and user-controlled. He also shares how Pers...2025-05-0112 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiNuvo Raises $45M to Digitize B2B Trade with Sid MalladiSid Malladi, co-founder and CEO of Nuvo, joins us on the day of the company’s public launch to talk about the future of B2B trade infrastructure. Backed by $45M from Sequoia, Founders Fund, and Spark, Nuvo aims to replace the outdated pen-and-paper systems that still dominate the $11 trillion U.S. trade economy.Sid explains why the problem isn’t just software—it’s a lack of shared infrastructure across businesses. He walks us through the scaling challenges, the platform Nuvo is building, and why he compares Nuvo’s roadmap to early Facebook: first connect businesses, then build...2025-04-3014 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Tariff Freeze in Tech M&A with Jon GegenheimerIn today’s episode, Jon Gegenheimer, Global Co-Head of Tech M&A at Jefferies, joins us to break down how the Trump administration’s new tariffs have frozen the tech M&A market almost overnight. We dive into why the year started with optimism, how quickly the landscape shifted in April, and why buyers and sellers are now stuck in a tense waiting game.Jon also shares his advice for founders and boards navigating this uncertainty—and why companies need to be prepared to move fast if the market reopens later this year.We also covere...2025-04-2911 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiRebuilding the Chemical Supply Chain with Sean HuntToday, Kyle Harrison, general partner at Contrary, sits down with Sean Hunt, co-founder and CTO of Solugen, to talk about how the company is reinventing chemical manufacturing from first principles. Sean explains why traditional chemical supply chains are fragile and carbon-intensive — and how Solugen’s modular, carbon-negative Bioforge model could reshape industrial production.We discuss the dynamics driving demand for domestic chemicals, how tariffs are creating new opportunities, why reusing abandoned infrastructure is critical for scaling manufacturing, and how Solugen thinks about licensing its technology in the future.We also covered Discord’s CEO transition, Flow’s...2025-04-2815 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Retailization of Venture Capital with Samir VasavadaSamir Vasavada, co-founder and CEO of Vise, joins us to talk about how registered investment advisors (RIAs) are increasingly entering the world of venture capital. Samir explains how changes in liquidity, demand for differentiation, and the availability of new platforms have opened the door for wealth managers to back private tech companies—something historically reserved for endowments and institutions.We dive into why this shift is happening now, how RIAs are navigating access to top-tier venture funds, and what the “retailization” of private markets might mean for venture as an asset class going forward.We also c...2025-04-2515 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Rise of Secondaries in Venture with Hunter WalkOver the last decade, startup exit timelines have stretched, cap tables have grown more complex, and LPs have become more focused on liquidity. That’s why Homebrew co-founder Hunter Walk says it’s time for early-stage VCs to embrace secondaries—not as a last resort, but as part of the playbook.In this episode, Hunter breaks down why the traditional “buy and hold” mindset is breaking down, how the dynamic between small funds and mega-AUM firms is reshaping investor behavior, and what responsible secondaries can look like for both founders and early backers.We also covered Wi...2025-04-2416 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiThe Developer’s Toolkit for the Vibe Coding Era with Zach LloydThe tools—and expectations—of software development are changing fast. Today on Tech Today, Zach Lloyd, founder and CEO of Warp, joins us to talk about how the job of the software developer is evolving in the age of AI, agents, and “vibe coding.”Zach breaks down what gets easier, what stays hard, and what tools will need to be rethought entirely. He shares why he thinks IDEs are becoming obsolete, why software engineers are more in demand than ever, and what Warp is doing to build the developer interface of the future.We also covered...2025-04-2313 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiAgency is Eating the World with Gian SegatoReplit founding engineer Gian Segato joins us to talk about his viral new essay, Agency Is Eating the World, and the shift toward high-agency individuals building and scaling software alone. He explains why today’s AI “agents” aren’t truly agentic, why taste is downstream of iteration, and how generalists are now empowered to compete with specialists across industries.We also discuss the end of credentialism, how AI collapses years of specialization into days of effort, and why this is only the beginning of a larger economic shift — one that stretches from barbershops writing code to billion-dollar solo start...2025-04-2213 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiServiceNow’s $2.9 Billion Acquisition of Moveworks with CEO Bhavin ShahBhavin Shah, founder and CEO of Moveworks, joins us after announcing the company’s acquisition by ServiceNow last month. Moveworks was one of the first enterprise AI startups to bet on conversational interfaces and AI agents — years before ChatGPT made that idea mainstream. In this episode, Bhavin walks us through the origin story, how they made the gutsy call to rewrite their entire architecture around agentic reasoning, and how that decision set the stage for their nearly $3 billion exit.We also talk about what it really takes to build AI that works in the enterprise: conne...2025-04-2113 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiLaunching Tech TodayWe're launching Tech Today, a daily show on the most important stories in technology.10 minutes per day. Five days per week.2025-04-1700 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiLightmatter’s Photonic Superchip and the Future of AI Infrastructure with Nicholas HarrisNicholas Harris, CEO and co-founder of Lightmatter, joins us to talk about the company's latest product launches: the Passage M1000 and the L200, two breakthroughs in photonic interconnect technology that could reshape how we scale AI infrastructure.We also discussed the limits of traditional electrical interconnects, why data movement — not compute — is the real bottleneck in AI training, and how Lightmatter is building a full-stack photonics platform for the next era of massive, energy-intensive AI models.Finally, we discussed Base Power’s $200 million Series B to build a distributed residential battery network, OpenAI’s launch of a new...2025-04-1012 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiHow to Fund the Future of Nuclear with John ArnoldToday, John Arnold—philanthropist and co-chair of Arnold Ventures—joins us to break down the real barriers facing next-gen nuclear energy. In a space filled with big promises and long timelines, John makes the case for why fusion and small modular reactors (SMRs) won't succeed without serious government intervention.We talked about: • Why non-binding agreements in nuclear can be misleading• The funding “valley of death” facing fusion startups• How a milestone-based public-private model — modeled on NASA’s COTS program — could unlock progressWe also covered OpenAI’s updated release roadmap for o3 and GPT-5, the exten...2025-04-0816 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiRunway’s Gen-4 and the New Era of Video Storytelling with Cristóbal ValenzuelaOn Monday March 31, Runway, a generative video startup, launhced its most advanced AI video generation model to date, Gen-4. Today, Runway co-founder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela joins us to talk about the Gen-4 release, the evolution of Runways product over time, the future of video generation and storytelling, and how Runway is building an “infinite dream machine that can do whatever you want.”We also cover OpenAI’s new $40 billion fundraise, Amazon’s new AI agent, a16z’s talks to invest in TikTok, and Circle’s upcoming IPO. 2025-04-0217 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiUpstarts and the Future of Startup Media with Alex KonradOn Wednesday, former Forbes senior editor Alex Konrad launched a new tech media company covering startups. Today, Alex joins us to talk about his new company. We covered a lot of ground including why media coverage of startup stories is demand, whether the narrative of media vs. tech being adversarial is accurate, how Alex wants Upstarts to serve as a bridge to the startup world, and why the energy in the startup ecosystem from AI makes it a uniquely interesting time to be in startups right now. We also covered Mercury’s $300 million Series C, Terr...2025-03-2715 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiEmergence Capital’s New $1 Billion FundOn Tuesday, Emergence Capital announced it had raised a $1 billion Fund VII. Today, Emergence Capital general partner Jake Saper joins the podcast to talk about Emergence’s focus on B2B software and plans for the future. He also describes his point of view on how the venture industry has evolved and why it’s both the scariest and most exciting time to be in VC. Finally, we talk about what will happen to SaaS post-AI and why Jake thinks people will continue to buy software.Finally, we cover the resurgence of the IPO market with...2025-03-2613 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiUnpacking the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve with Anthony PomplianoOn March 6, President Trump signed an executive order establishing both a strategic bitcoin reserve and digital asset stockpile, which the administration says is meant to position “the United States asa. leader among nations in government digital asset strategy.” Today, Anthony Pompliano, founder & CEO of Professional Capital Management, joins us to unpack the significance of this move, discussing the geopolitical game theory behind Bitcoin adoption, how tech and politics are increasingly intertwined, and why governments are now competing for digital assets. He also explores potential methods for the US to expand its Bitcoin holdings, the shifting attitude toward crypt...2025-03-1413 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiCartesia’s $64M Series A and the Future of Voice AIThis week, voice AI startup Cartesia raised a $64 million Series A at an undisclosed valuation, led by Kleiner Perkins.Today, Cartesia CEO Karan Goel joins us to talk about the vision behind Cartesia’s voice products. Karan also spoke about the origins of Cartesia, the importance of latency, the unrealized potential of voice AI and why it will be the way that we interface with the robots of tomorrow, and how Cartesia hopes to contribute to the next big step in AI by building a AI brain that can interface more directly with the world.La...2025-03-1315 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiPrayer App Hallow Hits Almost 500K Daily DownloadsLast week, Hallow, a prayer and meditation app, reached number 2 on the app store and almost half a million downloads in a single day. Today, Alex Jones, CEO and co-founder of Hallow, joins us to talk about Hallow’s origin story, what he believes is behind its rapid success, and the past and future of prayer.Finally, we discuss Eric Schmidt’s new CEO role, a $11.9 billion deal between OpenAI and CoreWeave, ServiceNow’s acquisition of MoveWorks, and Redfin’s acquisition by Rocket Companies. 2025-03-1118 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiVarda’s Historic Second Mission with Delian AsparouhovLast week, Varda Space Industries successfully completed its second mission, which landed in Australia last week after over six weeks in orbit. Today, Varda co-founder and President Delian Asparouhov joins us to talk about his reflections on the mission, Varda’s ambitious roadmap ahead including its fast-approaching W-3 launch, its grand vision for expanding the economic bounds of humanity, and the fascinating history that led him to start the company to begin with. Finally, we cover Klarna’s upcoming $15 billion IPO, the creation of “woolly mice” by Colossal Biosciences, and ChatGPT’s new code-editing abilities.2025-03-0714 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiRamp Valuation Nearly Doubles to $13 BillionThis Monday, Ramp announced a $150 million secondary round which valued the company at $13 billion.Today, Ramp co-founder and CEO Eric Glyman joins the podcast to talk about what has driven Ramp’s rapid growth, why he’s happy about Ramp’s decision to recognize reality and raise $5.8 billion down round in 2023, and how Ramp’s future will look in a world where AI transforms how finance works.Finally, we cover TSMC’s plan to invest $100 billion in the US over the next four years, the Trump administration’s announcement of a strategic crypto reserve, Anthropic’s $3.5 billion...2025-03-0512 min
Tech Today with Eric TarczynskiFlexport Goes Founder Mode with Ryan PetersenOn Monday, Flexport launched a total of 20 products all at once, in what Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Peterson called a new commitment to two major releases every year, inspired by Brian Chesky’s speech on “founder mode”.Today, Ryan joins the podcast to talk about what inspired the launch, the benefits of embracing “founder mode, and how Flexport has evolved since he rejoined the company 18 months ago after taking a brief hiatus. He also described the bigger picture for Flexport and its aspirations for the future of supply chain management.Finally, we cover Anthropic’s latest m...2025-02-2513 min
The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing DemystifiedInvestor Stories 302: Lessons Learned (Tarczynski, Agarwal, Barnes) On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Eric Tarczynski Ajay Agarwal Brian Barnes Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter! 2023-06-2911 min
The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified386. Finding Product Market Fit As a Venture Firm, How to Identify World-Class Founders Before Anyone Else, And Debating Whether or Not Venture Has Hit The Bottom (Kyle Harrison and Eric Tarczynski) Kyle Harrison and Eric Tarczynski of Contrary Capital join Nate to discuss Finding Product Market Fit As a Venture Firm, How to Identify World-Class Founders Before Anyone Else, And Debating Whether or Not Venture Has Hit The Bottom. In this episode, we cover: The thesis and investment approach at Contrary. Content and content marketing? Ideating and scaling the MVP? How much time are investors spending on other areas? How do you differentiate your company? 2023-06-0544 min
The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing DemystifiedInvestor Stories 295: Why I Passed (Andelman, Dockery, Tarczynski) On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Jim Andelman Catharine Dockery Eric Tarczynski Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and...2023-05-1109 min
20 Minute Playbook: Tactics, Routines, and Habits of World-Class PerformersEric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing Partner of Contrary: Favorite Books, Lessons Learned as an Investor, Superpowers, and MoreOn the latest episode of 20 Minute Playbook, we interview Eric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing Partner of Contrary. We decode what he’s mastered and learned along the way—from his biggest lessons learned as an early-stage investor to his favorite books, his superpowers, the advice he’d give his younger self, and more—all in 20 minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2023-04-2032 min
Outliers with Daniel Scrivner: Explore the Greatest Innovators, Founders, and Investors#159 Eric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing Partner of Contrary: Favorite Books, Lessons Learned as an Investor, Superpowers, and MoreOn the latest episode of 20 Minute Playbook, we interview Eric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing Partner of Contrary. We decode what he’s mastered and learned along the way—from his biggest lessons learned as an early-stage investor to his favorite books, his superpowers, the advice he’d give his younger self, and more—all in 20 minutes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2023-04-2031 min
How They Invest: Tactics and Tools of the World's Best InvestorsContrary: Using Software and Scouts to Invest in People, Before They Ever Start Their First Company | Eric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing PartnerOn the latest episode of Outlier Investors, we decode how Contrary is building an entirely new type of VC firm — one that invests in people before they even start their first company. Learn how Contrary finds the world’s best talent and gets the conviction to invest before they even start a company. To date, Contrary has raised more than $100M and has invested in Ramp, Anduril, DoorDash, and Replit.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2023-04-1848 min
Outliers with Daniel Scrivner: Explore the Greatest Innovators, Founders, and Investors#158 Contrary: Using Software and Scouts to Invest in People, Before They Ever Start Their First Company | Eric Tarczynski, Founder & Managing PartnerOn the latest episode of Outlier Investors, we decode how Contrary is building an entirely new type of VC firm — one that invests in people before they even start their first company. Learn how Contrary finds the world’s best talent and gets the conviction to invest before they even start a company. To date, Contrary has raised more than $100M and has invested in Ramp, Anduril, DoorDash, and Replit.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2023-04-1848 min
The TechCrunch Live PodcastEasing the transportation industry's pain points from AtoBTechCrunch's Rebecca Bellan led today's interview, and she spoke with Contrary Capital founder and partner, Eric Tarczynski, and AtoB co-founder Harshita Arora. AtoB’s integrated financial platform is like Stripe for transportation, according to Harshita, but that's only part of what makes this startup interesting - Harshita herself is 21. She started this journey when she was 14 and wrote a best selling app when she was 16. She has a great story to tell.On this episode you’ll hear:Red flags VCs are keeping an eye out for when looking at teamsHow the VC and startup world reac...2023-03-2730 min
Narratives138: Eric Tarczynski - Contrary CapitalIn this episode we discuss: When to throw in the towel and when not to, the commonalities between the best and worst founders, the bottleneck to innovation in tech, dealing with pressure to grow bigger funds, venture as an access game and a whole lot more. Transcript:William Jarvis 0:05 Hey folks, welcome to narratives. narratives is a podcast exploring the ways in which the world is better than in the past, the ways that is worse in the past towards a better, more definite vision of the future. I'm your host, William Jarvis. A...2023-03-131h 00
Narratives w/Will Jarvis138: Eric Tarczynski - Contrary CapitalIn this episode we discuss: When to throw in the towel and when not to, the commonalities between the best and worst founders, the bottleneck to innovation in tech, dealing with pressure to grow bigger funds, venture as an access game and a whole lot more.
2023-03-0640 min
The Pomp Podcast#1138 Eric Tarczynski | These Technologies Will Change The WorldEric Tarczynski is the Founder & Managing Partner at Contrary Capital. In this conversation, we discuss the future of venture capital, innovative technologies, seeking out people over companies, how Eric raised his first fund, and how he's building one of the most exciting venture capital firms in the world.
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LMAX Digital - the market-leading solution for institutional crypto trading & custodial services - offers clients a regulated, transparent and secure trading environment, together with the deepest pool of crypto liquidity. LMAX Digital is also a primary price discovery venue, streaming real-time market data to the industry’s le...2022-12-151h 10
Venture Unlocked: The playbook for venture capital managersDiscovering talent before it's obvious, the challenges of raising a fund I without a traditional pedigree, and startup fund culture with Eric Tarczynski of ContraryFollow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.This week we are joined by Eric Tarczynski, Founder and Managing Partner of Contrary, a firm backed by founders of Tesla, Reddit, Facebook, Airbnb, and many more iconic companies. The firm acts as a full stack platform to identify and support entrepreneurs often before they are starting a company. Contrary has raised nearly $100MM across funds. In our discussion Eric and I covered their thesis on talent, how he was able to raise a...2022-09-2142 min
The Road Untraveled: VC Perspectives with Brian HollinsEric Tarczynski from Contrary on: spotting Hyper-Growth, tips for first time builders and the impact of price compression at the early stageEric is the founder and GP of Contrary. Contrary's portfolio includes hyper-growth companies like Anduril, Ramp, and Zepto.
Key Takeaways:
Identify the brightest people in the world first, then build infrastructure to support them for their entire life
Identify LPs who believe in you emotionally before they believe in your model (not people in wealth preservation mode)
Price compression has not fully met seed stage, but it is likely coming and will likely land south of 20mm post at the seed stage
If you are starting a c company u need to have an edge and c...2022-09-1529 min
The VentureFizz PodcastEpisode 234: Eric Tarczynski - Founder & Managing Partner, Contrary CapitalIf you look across the investing landscape for companies, there are firms that typically specialize in each stage like seed, Series A, growth rounds, etc. Some firms even provide capital through the full lifecycle.
However, what if the foundation of your firm was even earlier. I mean, even before the entrepreneur has an idea. What if you built your firm on the thesis of taking a long term approach to identify and invest in the world’s top talent by building a community of incredibly bright, driven, and entrepreneurial individuals. In this scenario, you can provide these individuals with the re...2021-11-0845 min
The Puck: Venture Capital and BeyondEpisode 31: Eric Tarczynski of Contrary CapitalOn this week’s episode, Jim sits down with Erik Tarczynski, the founder of Contrary Capital, a venture fund focused on future leaders in engineering and design. Their conversation touches on the Contrary origin story, how Eric scouts, evaluates, and supports talent, and operating remotely long before COVID-19. Eric has some interesting ideas about work/life balance, mental health innovation and how to build a community focused on the next generation of venture tech. This is not to be missed!
Transcript available at: https://www.cmbginc.com/thepuckepisode312021-09-1433 min
Growth StageCheck Yourself (Payroll Infrastructure)It's hard to get money, so why should paying be difficult too? Turns out, the red tape and process for payroll is wildly complicated (taxes, filings, remittance, yadda yadda) and the myriad of payroll systems in place makes it even more difficult. In this episode we're joined by CEO and Founder of Check, Andrew Brown, and Eric Tarczynski, Founder at Contrary, to discuss getting paid!2021-09-1056 min
Podkast amerykański45. (Pra)wybory burmistrza Nowego JorkuO nadchodzących prawyborach Demokratów w Nowym Jorku, których zwycięzca ma praktycznie w kieszeni wygraną z Republikaninem w listopadzie. Z jakimi problemami mierzy się największe miasto USA? Na kogo postawią wyborcy? Na kogoś centrowego, jak były policjant, Eric Adams; na bardzo doświadczoną, ale mało charyzmatyczną urzędniczkę, Kathryn Garcię; czy na Andrew Yanga, niedoszłego kandydata na prezydenta i celebrytę określanego czasem mianem lewicowego Trumpa? Dlaczego w tak postępowym mieście jak Nowy Jork partyjna lewica nie wystawiła jednej osoby, tylko podzieliła się między aż troje kandydatów i gdzie w tej całej układanc...2021-06-051h 05
Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast153 -- 2020 Thank You-cast Extravaganza!An episode in which I thank each of the 2020 guests. A podcast first (probably). I briefly recall – fondly – a bit of each of the 2020 episodes. Is it interesting? I think so. Can I do it in one take? Turns out, yes. Enjoy, and thank you for listening. Marco Zappacosta, Thumbtack Founder Keller Fitzsimmons, “Lost in Startuplandia” Author Jeff Macpherson, Tiki Bar TV Creator Brianne Kimmel, worklife Founder Paul-Henri Ferrand, Brex COO Matt Hulett, Rosetta Stone CEO Mike Stutz, Television Producer Joe Garofoli, San Francisco...2020-12-3023 min
Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast133 Eric Tarczynski of Contrary Capital: College – The Definitive Episode on Investing in Startup Founders in College(Note: This episode was recorded before the Covid crisis. It includes a brief introduction with Eric Tarczynski to update the status of his fund and college investing, post Covid.) Eric Tarczynski is the founder of Contrary, a venture capital firm focused on investing in college students starting companies. In this episode, Eric discusses how he built a network of college entrepreneurs, and how he created a venture fund focused on investing in college students. We discuss the unique benefits and risks of investing in young founders, many with no work experience, as well as the lessons from fam...2020-05-271h 00