Shows
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastZack Peng: From Software Engineer to Building an 8-Figure AI Returns Platform in 5 YearsThis episode features an in-depth conversation with Zack Peng, founder and CEO of Seel, discussing the company's remarkable journey from a software engineering background to building an eight-figure revenue AI-enabled service platform. The discussion explores Seel's evolution in the e-commerce returns management space, tackling the significant problem where merchants spend 25% of GMV on returns, refunds, and post-purchase services. Zack shares candid insights about early technical challenges, operating at -200% contribution margins, discovering surprising behavioral signals like the impact of human models in product images on return rates, and the strategic transition from SMB to enterprise clients. The conversation covers...
2025-11-1143 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastHow Stell Engineering is Revolutionizing Software for Hardware EngineeringMalory McLemore, Co-Founder and CEO of Stell Engineering, discusses her career path from aerospace engineer at Airbus and Raytheon to founding a venture-backed defense technology startup that is revolutionizing the way the aerospace and defense industry manages digital engineering requirements.In this episode, Mallory reveals:- The frustrations that led her from the factory floor to Harvard Business School- How Anduril inspired her to start Stell Engineering- Navigating government contracts and achieving Authority to Operate (ATO)- Why developer tools for hardware engineering is a $10B market opportunity- Building...
2025-11-1044 min
The Peel with Turner NovakMichael Kim @ Cendana | Lessons from the Top VCs, How Cendana Does Diligence, Portfolio Construction Best Practices, the 60x Rule, How Seed Funds Compete vs Multi-stage, Inside Cendana's Early DaysMichael Kim is the Founder of Cendana Capital, a fund of funds that makes anchor investments in very early stage VC funds.We talk characteristics of the best investors, how Cendana does diligence on fund managers, portfolio construction best practices, Michael’s “60x rule”, and why high ownership to fund size is the main driver of returns.We also get in to how VCs are using AI, the competition between Seed and multi-stage investors, why US endowments are under siege, and how secondaries are driving most early stage venture return...
2025-05-221h 54
TBPNDavid Senra, Nichole Wischoff, Daniel Yanisse, Ryan Sandler, History of "Golden Dome", Johnson & Johnson Pivots AI Strategy, Google & Meta Facing Legal Threats, EU Delayed Penalizing Apple & Meta PlatformsTBPN.com is made possible by:Ramp - https://ramp.comEight Sleep - https://eightsleep.com/tbpnWander - https://wander.com/tbpnPublic - https://public.comAdQuick - https://adquick.comBezel - https://getbezel.com Numeral - https://www.numeralhq.comPolymarket - https://polymarket.comFollow TBPN: https://TBPN.comhttps://x.com/tbpnhttps://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231...
2025-04-183h 01
"Turpentine VC" | Venture Capital and InvestingE82: Fundraising in Bear Markets: How Nichole Wischoff Closed $50M [How I Invest]This week on Turpentine VC, we’re dropping an episode from David Weisburd’s “How I Invest Podcast” with Nichole Wischoff of Wischoff Ventures. Nichole discusses her impressive $50 million fundraise, closed in a bear market, sharing her strategy, brand-building efforts, and tips on leveraging social media to attract investors.— 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse —RECOMMENDED PODCAST:...
2025-03-1929 minTBPNGarry Tan, Augustus Doricko, Nichole Wischoff, Billy Thalheimer, Mamma Mia!TBPN.com is made possible by:Ramp - https://ramp.comEight Sleep - https://eightsleep.com/tbpnWander - https://wander.com/tbpnPublic - https://public.comAdQuick - https://adquick.comBezel - https://getbezel.comPolymarket - https://polymarket.comFollow TBPN: https://TBPN.comhttps://x.com/tbpnhttps://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/i...
2025-03-072h 43
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastFrom Door-to-Door Sales to Raising Over $100M | The Story of Adam Turner (Founder, Postscript)This week I sat down for conversation with Postscript Founder/CEO Adam Turner as he shares his remarkable journey from selling solar panels door-to-door to building a venture-backed tech powerhouse. Adam candidly discusses the early struggles of startup life, including living in questionable apartments and surviving on Costco corn dogs, before revealing the strategic moves that led to Postscript's acceptance into Y-Combinator and their path to generating significant revenue.The episode dives deep into the brutal realities of competing in a cutthroat tech market, including shocking stories of competitors offering $100,000 to poach customers and the critical importance...
2025-02-1127 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastFrom Hand Model to a Billion-Dollar Real Estate Empire | The Life of Ryan SerhantI sat down with Ryan Serhant as he shares his remarkable journey from struggling actor and hand model making just $9,000 a year to building one of New York City's most successful real estate empires. He reveals how his father's tough love rule against taking "survival jobs" pushed him to aim higher, and how riding a purple Vespa to client meetings marked his humble beginnings in the industry.The conversation takes an unexpected turn as Ryan discusses how COVID-19 became his biggest break, creating the perfect opportunity to launch his own company. He also opens up about personal...
2025-02-0452 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastFrom Anduril to Base Power | Justin Lopas on The Future of Energy StorageThis week I sat down with Justin Lopas—Co-Founder/COO of Base Power—a former SpaceX and Anduril engineer who shares incredible stories from the early days of Starship development in Boca Chica. He speaks on how his team ingeniously leveraged water tower construction techniques to build rockets, transforming an empty field into what would become Starbase.The discussion also explores the critical relationship between energy access and human prosperity, leading to Justin's current mission with Base—Revolutionizing grid storage. He provides unique insights into the challenges of American manufacturing, how Texas has become the perfect testing ground...
2025-01-2833 min
How I Invest with David WeisburdE132: How Nichole Wischoff Raised a $50M Fund in 5 MonthsIn this episode of How I Invest, I dive into a conversation with Nichole Wischoff, Founder and Managing Partner at Wischoff Ventures, to explore her remarkable journey of raising a $50 million fund during one of the toughest markets of 2024. Nichole shares her insights on fundraising strategies, the power of media in deal sourcing, and building a personal brand. She also discusses her unique approach to fostering relationships in venture capital and why community and authenticity are key drivers of success in this space. This episode is packed with actionable takeaways for emerging fund managers and anyone navigating the world of...
2025-01-2429 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastFrom Wall Street to Flying Cars (eVTOLs) | Adam Goldstein, Founder/CEO Archer AviationIn this episode, Adam Goldstein (Founder/CEO Archer Aviation) shares his extraordinary journey from witnessing 9/11 as a young investment banker, to founding Archer Aviation, a pioneering electric aircraft company. After experiencing the tragic events of September 11th firsthand, Goldstein navigated through six failed startups before building a successful company, learning invaluable lessons about product-market fit and sustainable business models along the way.The conversation takes a dramatic turn as Goldstein reveals the intense legal battle with Boeing—That nearly destroyed Archer Aviation before its IPO—Offering rare insights into high-stakes corporate litigation. He also discusses how the Russ...
2025-01-2136 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastConquering Wall Street And Raising $300M with Peter Thiel’s Backing | Keri FindleyIn this episode, former Third Point executive Keri Findley takes us behind the scenes of Wall Street's intense culture in the 2000s, sharing raw stories about her life navigating the world of finance. From learning to chug beer in Morgan Stanley conference rooms to being handed control of $200 million at age 25, Findley's journey offers a rare glimpse into the high-stakes world of Wall Street capital markets.The conversation takes an fascinating turn when Findley reveals how a casual dinner conversation led to Peter Thiel becoming the sole investor in her $300M fund. She also provides valuable insights...
2025-01-1423 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastHow Rahul Vohra (Founder of Superhuman) raised $110M to compete with GmailRahul Vohra, founder and CEO of Superhuman, shares the fascinating journey of raising the company's initial capital through an unconventional approach. Rather than pursuing traditional venture capital, he strategically approached angels who had earned 3-22x returns from his previous startup Rapportive. This strategic decision, combined with a methodical three-step fundraising process, allowed him to maintain control while proving progress.The story takes an interesting turn with a late-night steak dinner at Andreessen Horowitz that unexpectedly led to naming the company Superhuman. The conversation also reveals how a sophisticated family office preempted their Series A with just 10...
2025-01-0727 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastThe State of Venture Capital Heading into 2025In this episode, we examine key trends in venture capital through 2024 and into 2025. Specifically, the dramatic 80% drop in first-time funds since 2021, why established VCs are leaving major firms like Sequoia, and breaking down the valuation gap between AI and non-AI startups using recent Carta data. We also cover shifts in round sizes since the 2021 peak and provides insights into multi-stage funds' increasing presence in seed rounds, concluding with my predictions for venture capital in 2025.
2025-01-0306 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastHow Brian Distelburger (Founder of Yext) Built NYC's Tech Scene & Raised $120M Pre-IPOBrian Distelburger co-founded Yext in 2006 when NYC had virtually no tech scene, eventually taking the company public with remarkable capital efficiency. In a time when everyone was pursuing finance careers, Distelburger helped pioneer New York's startup ecosystem, turning his teenage dream into reality by building one of the city's earliest tech success stories. The company's dramatic reveal of $20M in revenue at TechCrunch's TC50 competition marked a turning point, leading to intense interest from Silicon Valley VCs who had previously overlooked the East Coast startup.Now, Distelburger is tackling a new frontier with Windmill, which gives AI...
2024-12-3122 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastIlir Sela, Founder & CEO @ Slice: How Slice Bootstrapped to $40M GMV & Raised Over $100MIlir Sela is the Founder & CEO at Slice, a technology company helping independent pizzerias manage their day to day operations. Slice has raised over $100M from notable investors like KKR, Notable Capital, Primary Ventures and 01 Advisors. -Not knowing a thing about venture capital and bootstrapping to $40M GMV-Acquiring first customers going door to door in NYC-Why he raised VC when the company vs bootstrap given early traction-Relaunching from MyPizza to Slice in 2016-The value of VCs when you're a solo founder
2024-12-2428 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastMark Ghermezian, Co-founder & Prior CEO @ Braze: How Braze Raised $180M Pre-IPOMark Ghermezian is the co-founder and prior CEO of Braze, a customer engagement platform used by businesses for multi-channel marketing. Braze raised $180M before its IPO from leading investors Meritech Capital, Battery Ventures and ICONIQ. Mark is now the founding GP at MXV. In this episode we dig into: Starting AppBoy/Braze and hustling to raise initial capital Randomly meeting his co-founders on a street corner in NYCThe importance of building relationships between rounds with VCs Why you should always get on a plane to close the deal Stepping back as CE...
2024-12-2026 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastTarek Mansour, co-founder & CEO @ Kalshi: How Kalshi Raised $110M & Sued the Government and WonTarek is the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, the first CFTC regulated exchange dedicated to trading on the outcome of future events. In this episode we discuss: - Not being a hot company in YC- Suing the government as a startup and winning - Raising money from Sequoia, Henry Kravis, Schwab and others - Being unable to take on more deposits because of demand during the presidential election - The power of building a company that is "anti-pattern" to other companies
2024-12-1127 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastTarek Mansour, co-founder & CEO @ Kalshi: Raising $100M, Suing the Government, Election Day & Competitor BeefTarek Mansour is the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, a regulated exchange & prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events. Kalshi has raised nearly $100M from leading investors Sequoia, YC, Henry Kravis, and Charles Schwab. We dig into: -Not being a hot YC company-Suing the government as a startup -Asking thousands of "but why" questions with regulators to legalize events based trading -Skyrocketing volume around the presidential election and pausing deposits-Drama with competitor Polymarket on XThank you to todays sponsor JoinWarp. Warp offers nearly ins...
2024-12-0931 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastGaurav Misra, Co-founder and CEO @ Captions: Building a Product That Solid Itself, Raising $100M From Sequoia/Kleiner/A16Z/Index & The Future of Video with AIGaurav Misra is the co-founder and CEO of Captions, the leading video AI company building the future of video creation. Captions has raised over $80M from leading investors Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Index and A16Z. We dig into: Launching in the app store and the product taking off on its ownUnintentionally making their first $500K in revenueWhy raise venture capital vs. bootstrap given the early traction Not starting a company before working at a startupScaling to 10M+ global creators on the platform The future of video with AI Thank you to todays sponsor JoinWarp. Warp offers near...
2024-12-0333 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastSolo Tech Talk w/ Host Nichole Wischoff: Whats Hot at Pre-Seed, Secondaries & CEO Personal Brand BuildingNichole Wischoff is the founder and Managing Partner at Wischoff Ventures, a pre-seed and seed stage venture capital firm with $80M in AUM. Nichole is the host of the First Money In Podcast. This episode is her first solo session focused on the latest in the tech world at the earliest stages: - Whats hot at pre-seed and seed stage right now - Massive secondary sales replacing IPOs and the implications - Should CEOs of big companies be building their own personal brands online
2024-11-2907 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastMaria Davidson, co-founder & CEO @ Kojo: How She Raised Over $85M For Her Construction Tech CoMaria Davidson is the co-founder and CEO of Kojo, a startup building a construction materials management platform for contractors and suppliers. Merge has raised over $85M from leading investors 8VC, Tiger Global and Battery Ventures. We dig into: - VCs passing on their $4M seed because construction tech was unproven- How to acquire sub-contractors when they can't be found online and during Covid- What most construction tech startups get wrong about the market opportunity- Raising growth rounds at the height of the market in 2021 Thank you to todays sp...
2024-11-2529 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastShensi Ding, Co-founder & CEO @ Merge: How Merge Raised $75MShensi Ding is the co-founder and CEO of Merge, a startup that helps B2B companies build customer-facing integrations. Merge has raised over $75M from leading investors like NEA, Addition and Accel. We dig into: - VCs passing on the seed round because $4.5M was "too large" - Why giving their seed investor a board seat was great for the company - The trouble with pitching non-technical investors a very technical product - AI and its impact and opportunity for Merge Thank you to todays sponsor JoinWarp. Warp offers nearly instant payroll and c...
2024-11-1916 min
The Nichole Wischoff PodcastLeif Abraham, co-founder & co-CEO @ Public.com: How Public Raised Over $300MLeif Abraham is the co-founder and co-CEO of Public.com, an investing platform with a mission to make the public markets work for everyone. Public.com was founded in 2019, scaled to over 1M users in the less than 18 months post launch and has since raised over $300M from notable investors like Accel and Tiger Global. In Today's episode you will hear from Leif about: - Pitching almost 100 VCs for his first company before getting a single yes from Thrive Capital - What founders often get wrong when they go out to fundraise from VCs ...
2024-11-1038 min
More Equity67. More Equity: Media Masterminds - Nichole WischoffIn this episode, Nicole DeTommaso chats with Nichole Wischoff, founder of Wischoff Ventures, which invests in early-stage, high-growth tech companies transitioning massive offline industries to online platforms.
Join us as they explore Nichole’s journey of building her brand on social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, her unique strategies for standing out in a landscape of limited capital and fewer firms, and her insights on engaging with potential investors and partners. They'll also explore the challenges of fund-raising and the role of social media in storytelling and building professional relationships.
...
2023-11-2846 min
The Peel with Turner NovakFrom Food Stamps to a $20 Million Fund with Nichole WischoffNichole Wischoff is the founder of Wischoff Ventures, a Pre-Seed and Seed firm that invests up to $1 million in non sexy industries. Nichole closed her first fund in 2021, and previously was an early employee at Blend (NYSE:BLND), One (acquired by Walmart in 2022), and Built.
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Topics discussed include:
• Growing up on food stamps in Arkansas
• How studying abroad in Belgium changed Nichole’s life
• How falling in lo...
2023-10-251h 08
The Edward ShowSecrets From New York Tech WeekE105: Nikita Bier, Ankur Nagpal, Turner Novak, Nichole Wischoff, and Nicole Behnam share their most impactful lessons as well as stories they probably shouldn't share during a New York Tech Week panel. Here are my takeaways.
2023-10-1916 min
1947 Rise74: Life of a VC: Navigating the World of Venture Capital with Nichole, Wischoff Ventures | 1947 VCNichole Wischoff is the solo GP of Wischoff Ventures where she’s investing into pre-seed & Seed stage unsexy businesses out of a $20M fund II.
Before venture, Nichole was an operator at 2 successful companies, one that was acquired by Walmart.
Timestamps :
00:00: Highlights of Key Moments
00:33: Introduction to the Podcast with Nichole
02:00: Initiation of Angel Investing and Creation of Wischoff Ventures
03:00: Founding of Wischoff Ventures Linked to Angel Investing Success
05:38: Application of First Fund Lessons to Second Fund
10:42: Clear Playbook Development for Solo GP Fund Building with Twitter's Aid
15:28: Evaluation of Nashville's Advantages and Drawbacks Compared to Tech Hubs
17:44: Influence of...
2023-08-2440 min
Brydge Club by Ruffin MitchenerNichole is the founder of Wischoff Ventures, investing $750K-$1M in Pre-Seed & Seed startupsNichole Wischoff is the solo-founder & GP of Wischoff Ventures where she’s investing into pre-seed & Seed stage unsexy businesses out of a $20M fund II. Before venture, Nichole started her career working at 2 successful fintech companies, one that was acquired by Walmart. In this episode we chat about everything from, tips for having a successful startup career, how she got started angel investing, and how she’s built such a break-through career in venture.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholewischoff/
https://twitter.com/NWischoff
https://www.wischoff.com/
2023-06-2140 min
Digital Deep Dive ShowDigital Deep Dive Show - Episode 007The Digital Deep Show is all about showcasing incredible technology and the exceptional people building it, using it, and the impact it has on society at large. In this episode, we discuss current tech news, local Chicago spotlights, on the rise with Nichole Wischoff, 2023 Predictions, and where you can find online and IRL over the coming weeks.
You can find the Digital Deep Dive Show on Linkedin, Pogpage and Apple Podcast, Anchor, Google Podcast, and Spotify. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and have all the episodes downloaded automatically to your device. #DigitalDeepDiveShow #Digital #Digital3DShow
2023-02-0529 min