Best Enterprise DNA Podcasts (2025)

1
How to Pitch VCs Like a “Dangerous” Founder 59:08

4d ago59:08

59:08

What makes a founder dangerous? Not credentials. Not their pedigree. And it's not who they know. For investor and former operator Promise Phelon, a dangerous founder is someone with lived experience, relentless conviction, and the ability to build something the world doesn't expect. Promise is the founder and managing partner of Growth Warrior Capi…

1
Laura Meyer Ahlström: Sustaining a 170-year Legacy Through Storytelling 37:55

8d ago37:55

37:55

Maintaining cohesion and connection in a vast, globally distributed family business while honouring its 170-year-old history is no small feat. Yet for Laura Meyer Ahlström, Family Functions Manager of Finland’s Ahlström Corporation, a multi-generational enterprise with over 420 family members, fostering unity and connection through the art of story…

1
Real World MCP Applications & AI Learning 1:06:01

5d ago1:06:01

1:06:01

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is no longer just a concept—it’s quietly powering a new era of intelligent workflows. From automating data management to enhancing prompt precision, MCP is bridging the gap between AI potential and practical business use. Pair this with AI learning, where systems improve through structured, real-time interaction, and we…

1
The 5-Year Ramp: How Alcatraz Scaled in Enterprise Security 32:15

6d ago32:15

32:15

What kind of founder spends five years building a product before going to market? One who's trying to solve a very hard problem. Vince Gaydarzhiev is the founder of Alcatraz, a deep tech startup that uses facial authentication. The platform isn’t used to lock people out of single offices or consumer gadgets; its customers are buying global enterpri…

1
From Play to Pay: How Soundtrack Uses PQLs to Drive Growth 45:20

7d ago45:20

45:20

What turns a free trial user into a paying customer? For Ola Sars, founder and CEO of Soundtrack, the answer is all about behavior. In this episode, we break down how his team uses product-led growth (PLG) and product-qualified leads (PQLs) to drive conversions. You'll hear how playing 100 tracks became a key signal for purchase intent, the tactics…

1
The Potential of Vibe Coding, MCP, and Tool Use With AI 1:01:31

8d ago1:01:31

1:01:31

The way we build software is evolving. Vibe coding, paired with Model Context Protocols (MCP), is reshaping how developers interact with AI — not just to write code, but to collaborate with it. These tools turn AI from a static assistant into a dynamic partner, accelerating learning, boosting productivity, and transforming what’s possible. The futu…

1
Why Excel is Here to Stay, Exploring AI Security Risks, Hardware Limits, & Virtual Reality Trends with Brian Julius 1:08:38

26d ago1:08:38

1:08:38

Excel remains a vital tool in the modern tech stack, continuing to support critical workflows despite the rise of more advanced platforms. As AI advances, security risks become more complex, requiring careful oversight and robust safeguards. Hardware challenges also persist, influencing the speed and scalability of AI solutions. Meanwhile, virtual …

1
From ML Engineer to CEO: Brightwave's Mike Conover on Turning Technical Vision into Company Strategy 55:09

28d ago55:09

55:09

Mike Conover started his career as a machine learning engineer. Today, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Brightwave, an AI startup helping financial professionals make faster decisions with massive, unstructured data. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Mike shares how he made the leap from technical contributor to strategic leader—and the hard lesso…

1
Open AI Growth Potential, Vibe Coding and MCP Examples with Brian Julius 45:41

29d ago45:41

45:41

The rise of vibe coding continues to shape how developers interact with AI tools, offering a practical way to build knowledge through hands-on experience. OpenAI is leading on the product front, consistently releasing tools that expand the potential for both innovation and new business models. Model Context Protocols (MCPs) are becoming essential i…

1
What Investors Really Want From AI Founders 39:52

1M ago39:52

39:52

Igor Taber has sat on both sides of the table: first as a VC at Intel Capital, then as an operator at high-growth AI startup DataRobot. Now, as co-founder of Cortical Ventures, he’s backing the next generation of AI-first startups. In this episode, Igor shares how his operating experience reshaped his investment lens, what most VCs still miss about…

1
The Art of the Waitlist: Siqi Chen on Driving Scarcity, Hype, and Feedback Loops 39:46

1M ago39:46

39:46

Runway CEO and co-founder Siqi Chen shares how his team used a waitlist not just to build hype, but to engineer smarter growth. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Siqi breaks down how Runway strategically kept customers in a holding pattern to gather feedback, qualify demand, and refine product-market fit. We also talk about: How to build trust w…

1
Gemini, ChatGPT Upgrades, AI Tsunami Reshaping Creativity & Work with Brian Julius 2:05:44

1M ago2:05:44

2:05:44

From Google’s Gemini 2.5 to OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4.0, we explore how the latest advancements in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing creativity, reshaping the future of work, and challenging our perceptions of trust. What does this mean for artists, professionals, and society at large? Tune in as this conversation will give you insight into the …

1
PR Advice for Founders in the AI Era 49:49

1M ago49:49

49:49

Ayelet Noff has spent more than two decades helping startups land meaningful press — but she’s also seen how the game has changed. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, the founder of SlicedBrand and new PR tech startup Dazzle shares what still works, what doesn’t, and how founders can earn meaningful attention in today’s fractured media landscape. …

1
The Hard Tech Hustle: Building and Selling Industrial AI 46:18

1M ago46:18

46:18

Sahitya Senapathy, founder and CEO of Endeavor AI, joins Fund/Build/Scale to talk about launching a solo-founded startup at the intersection of AI and heavy industry. From building FEMA apps at age 11 to raising $7M before finishing college, Sahitya shares the hard lessons behind the headline. We dig into: – Selling AI solutions to manufacturers wi…

1
From Power BI to AI and How Tech Is Rewriting the Rules of Development with Brian Julius 1:32:52

2M ago1:32:52

1:32:52

In this video, we dive deep into how advancements in artificial intelligence are transforming the software development landscape. From Power BI integrations to the rise of AI coding assistants like OpenRouter and the adoption of Vibe Coding, discover how developers are rethinking traditional workflows.…

1
Inside a VC’s Playbook for Capital-Intensive Startups 48:59

2M ago48:59

48:59

Sophie Bakalar, partner at Collaborative Fund, joins Fund/Build/Scale for a candid conversation about early-stage investing in climate tech, consumer AI, and deep tech hardware. She shares how she evaluates “green” founders with limited experience, what kind of traction she looks for in pre-revenue companies, and why a passion for solving a real-wo…

1
Building a Market from Scratch: Generative Music for Enterprise Customers 30:47

2M ago30:47

30:47

Recorded in July 2024, Aimi founder Edward Balassanian joins Fund/Build/Scale to share how his AI-powered platform creates generative, copyright-safe music for enterprise clients. He explains how customer discovery with DJs shaped Aimi’s tech, why compliance is core to their strategy, and why the company downsized after hitting product-market fit —…

1
How a Broke College Student Co-founded a VC-Backed Edtech Startup 59:59

2M ago59:59

59:59

In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Nectir co-founder and CEO Kavitta Ghai shares how she turned her frustration as a college student into a fast-growing, VC-backed edtech startup. Kavitta discusses the leap from student to founder, how she built an AI-powered tool for classrooms without a technical background, and the tactics that helped her and …

1
Is AI Compute Broken? Tim Davis on Modular’s $130M Bet 46:27

2M ago46:27

46:27

Would you leave a stable, high-paying job at Google to build something that competes with NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD? That’s exactly what Tim Davis, co-founder and president of Modular, did. Since then, his company has raised $130M to reimagine AI compute infrastructure — but are AI startups really desperate for a new compute layer? And what’s it like …

1
Scaling European Startups: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Changing 53:08

2M ago53:08

53:08

Building a startup in Europe presents a unique set of challenges, like fragmented markets, cultural differences in risk-taking, and a VC ecosystem that’s still maturing compared to Silicon Valley. But things are changing fast. For this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, I sat down with Lucile Cornet, partner at Eight Roads, a global VC firm that invests …

1
What Journey’s Pivot from B2C to B2B Reveals About Enterprise Sales 38:28

2M ago38:28

38:28

Journey founder and CEO Stephen Sokoler appeared on Fund/Build/Scale in June 2024 to talk about how his startup pivoted from B2C meditation services to a B2B mental health platform, along with what that shift revealed about selling to enterprise clients. He breaks down the challenges of high customer acquisition costs, the trade-offs of venture cap…

1
The AI Revolution: How Automation, APIs, & No-Code Tools Are Changing Everything with Brian Julius 1:09:10

2M ago1:09:10

1:09:10

This conversation explores the transformative power of AI-driven tools in development, data analytics, and automation, highlighting how new technologies are reshaping workflows and unlocking new opportunities. Sam and Brian discuss the rise of API-driven models, which are making analytics and software development more accessible than ever, allowing…

1
What Your CEO Won't Tell You About Your Stock Options 41:54

2M ago41:54

41:54

When you accepted the offer, maybe you imagined being in the group photo when your boss rang the bell at NASDAQ. But five years later, your company just raised its Series C, and an IPO isn’t on the horizon. Meanwhile, you need liquidity — whether it’s for a down payment on a house, starting a family, or another major life event. The stock options y…

1
Dismissal 5:31

3M ago5:31

5:31

It’s been eight months since the New Jersey State Attorney General indicted George Norcross on racketeering, extortion and political corruption charges. The 111-page indictment alleged that Norcross and his brother Phil ran a criminal enterprise that used political power to force individuals to give up their development rights on the Camden waterfr…

1
Why PR Comes Before PMF 31:28

3M ago31:28

31:28

Do you want to know the difference between marketing and PR? Marketing is when you say something nice about yourself; PR is when other people say nice things about you. Jenna Guarneri is the founder of JMG Public Relations and author of the bestseller "You Need PR." In this episode, she shares DIY PR tactics that help founders establish themselves …

1
The 'Full Stack AI Professional' manifesto. 31:08

3M ago31:08

31:08

There are so many new opportunities to evolve and adapt to this latest wave of AI tooling and a brand new ecosystem of technologies empowering it all. In this episode we discuss all of the changes that are happening and the opportunities that it is creating. The Fullstack AI Professional is a new framing, a new framework to think about when you are…

1
Investor Insights for African Startups with Capria Ventures’ Mobola da-Silva 46:19

3M ago46:19

46:19

Building a startup in Africa isn’t the same as doing it in Silicon Valley. Some challenges overlap, but many don’t, like currency volatility, limited early-stage funding, and investors who expect you to scale faster than the market allows. So how do you grow beyond your home market? How do you raise funds when VC is scarce? And what do African foun…

1
KarmaCheck CEO Eric Ly on Customer Discovery + Early Product Development 40:20

3M ago40:20

40:20

Eric Ly is the CEO of KarmaCheck, where he’s tackling a problem he first noticed years ago as a co-founder of LinkedIn: People don’t always tell the truth about themselves. To address this, KarmaCheck — launched in 2019 — automates key aspects of the background check process. By reducing complexity, employers can speed up hiring, while job applican…

1
Inside Acceldata: CEO Rohit Choudhary on Building a Leading Data Platform 37:37

3M ago37:37

37:37

Most early-stage founders I talk to are focused on getting their first customers, hiring their first employees, or maybe, if they’re lucky, closing their first round of funding. But what happens after that? For Rohit Choudhary, the answer was building a whole new category. Rohit is the CEO and co-founder of Acceldata, a data observability platform …

1
Vouch CEO Sam Hodges on Mitigating Startup Risk and Maximizing Growth 44:36

4M ago44:36

44:36

Startups face unexpected risks every day — cyberattacks, lawsuits, market shifts —but many entrepreneurs don’t think about risk management until it’s too late. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Vouch co-founder/CEO Sam Hodges explains why risk management should be top of mind for early-stage founders. We discuss: Why risk management matters for …

1
Why better and cheaper AI models matter a lot 23:00

4M ago23:00

23:00

There's been some big changes over the past couple of weeks around better and cheaper AI models and this isn't just hype, this is real. I wanted to cover off a lot of my thoughts around this, a lot of reasons why I believe it's a big deal and just highlight how this is great for businesses, how this is great for individuals. I also cover why and ho…

1
Navigating Blue Oceans: Key Insights for Emerging Founders from Vectara CEO/co-founder Amr Awadallah 52:43

4M ago52:43

52:43

Amr Awadallah is the CEO and co-founder of Vectara. Previously, he co-founded Cloudera, which went public in 2017 and was acquired for $5.3 billion, and also served as VP of Developer Relations at Google Cloud. His first startup, Aptivia, was acquired by Yahoo, where he later became VP of Product Intelligence Engineering. I talked to him about his …

1
Leveraging AI to learn more and do more 23:59

4M ago23:59

23:59

After a nice break over the Christmas and New Year period, we're back at it and have had a lot of clarity around where things are all going. How this AI wave creates enormous opportunities for individuals and businesses that can approach it with a growth mindset. There's also some massive trends happening around the cost to run AI models and also t…

1
2025 Cybersecurity Trends, Insights and Storytelling Advice from YL Ventures' Andy Ellis 44:15

4M ago44:15

44:15

In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, I talked with YL Ventures Partner Andy Ellis (a former CISO) about his approach to storytelling, tactics for founder-led sales and marketing, and why he thinks the cybersecurity hiring challenge isn’t a talent shortage, but a market misunderstanding. We also discussed refining product-market fit, customer discov…

1
Lessons from Operant AI's Startup Journey: “ We're not wasting time on wheel spinning.” 48:14

4M ago48:14

48:14

Two of the three co-founders of Operant AI — CTO Dr. Priyanka Tembey and CMO Ashley Roof — joined me to talk about building the first runtime application protection platform and navigating the challenges of cloud-native security. The company announced a $10M Series A in September 2024 — In October, we discussed taking the leap into entrepreneurship…

1
Mercury Raise 2024 Survey: Founder Challenges, Fundraising Trends, and the AI Hype Cycle 44:44

5M ago44:44

44:44

Startups are built on grit, vision, and — surprisingly — a lot of peer advice. In this episode, I sat down with Mallory Contois, Head of Community at Mercury and leader of Mercury Raise, their founder success platform. Drawing from their latest survey, Mallory shares eye-opening insights about how early-stage entrepreneurs navigate challenges like …

1
Rusty Ralston and Jay Patil of Swell VC: A Hands-on Approach to Building Startups 42:09

5M ago42:09

42:09

In October 2024, New York-based Swell VC announced its second fund with $11.5 million in commitments. Co-founded by general partners Jay Patil and Rusty Ralston in 2011, the firm now manages two seed-stage funds and a special purpose vehicle with $19 million in assets. Compared to larger firms, they’re small potatoes — but that’s intentional. Swell…

1
Seed-stage Valuation Insights from Lightspeed's Nnamdi Iregbulem 33:24

5M ago33:24

33:24

If a team hasn’t built a minimum viable product, secured paying customers, or demonstrated strong unit economics, what exactly are seed-stage investors betting on? To get some answers, I sat down with Nnamdi Iregbulem, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, to discuss what drives seed valuations, the traits of successful founders, and his perspe…

1
Dan DeGolier: How Fractional CFOs Become a CEO's 'Strategic Teammate' 27:21

5M ago27:21

27:21

In the startups I worked at, we never had spare laptops. When we hired someone, we’d order their laptop that day. That’s Startup Cashflow 101: don’t spend money until you have to. The same principle applies to your leadership team. Hiring a CMO before product-market fit? Too soon. And a CEO can handle COO duties for a while. Most seed-stage compani…

1
MaC Venture Capital’s Marlon Nichols Offers Seed-stage Insights for Future CEOs 45:44

5M ago45:44

45:44

When I learned that MaC Venture Capital just raised $150 million for its third fund since 2020, I immediately reached out for an interview with Marlon Nichols, the firm’s co-founder and managing general partner. Marlon previously co-founded Cross Culture Ventures, which merged with M Ventures in 2019 to form MaC VC. In this interview, we talked abo…

1
From PhD to CEO: Sahil Agarwal of Enkrypt AI Shares Essential Lessons for Aspiring Founders 33:04

5M ago33:04

33:04

In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, host Walter Thompson interviews Sahil Agarwal, CEO and co-founder of Encrypt AI. Sahil shares his journey from academia to leading an international AI company, discussing the importance of storytelling, confidence, and addressing biases within AI models. He also delves into challenges faced by immigrant entrepre…

1
Transforming Practical Wisdom into Iconic Brands with David Placek 44:10

6M ago44:10

44:10

Branding is a condensed form of storytelling. That’s my opinion, but it’s also shared by David Placek, founder and president of Lexicon Branding. Here are a few of the companies and products they’ve named since 1982: Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester BlackBerry Pentium PowerBook Nissan Rogue Lucid Azure Sonos Swiffer NVIDIA Shield Febreze In May 2024…

1
From concept to Series A: How Inversion got its space-based cargo platform off the ground 56:15

6M ago56:15

56:15

Deeptech founders are solving problems that most of us don’t think of as problems and tackling challenges that push the boundaries of what we think is possible. This interview with Justin Fiaschetti, CEO and co-founder of Inversion, is a good example. Inversion is building a platform that will enable space-based cargo delivery using autonomous re-e…

1
Your Vote, Your Voice: The Power of Showing Up Tomorrow 53:38

6M ago53:38

53:38

On the eve of Election Day, this episode dives into the essential issues driving tomorrow's vote and the critical reasons why showing up to the polls matters. Anthony and Joy discuss reproductive rights, equity in leadership, and the challenges surrounding voting rights—emphasizing the need for continued advocacy for marginalized voices. We also ex…

1
Unlocking huge new opportunities in the AI wave 34:07

7M ago34:07

34:07

In this episode of The Analytic Mind Podcast, we explore the exciting world of AI and its profound impact on learning, productivity, and new opportunities in the data analytics sphere. Our host shares insights on how AI systems are enhancing individual capabilities, enabling professionals to acquire new skills rapidly and perform tasks more efficie…

1
How to run a board meeting in 60 minutes 24:58

7M ago24:58

24:58

If you want a healthy relationship, it’s essential to set clear expectations and boundaries from the start. The same holds true for a founder and their board. Despite the power dynamics, CEOs can still create a transparent communication framework that respects everyone’s limited time. In part two of my interview with TigerEye co-founder and CEO Tra…

1
Starting up in stealth: A conversation with TigerEye co-founder/CEO Tracy Young 23:09

7M ago23:09

23:09

In 2011, Tracy Young co-founded PlanGrid, which made software for construction teams. After scaling the company to 450 people and raising $69 million, it was acquired by Autodesk in 2018 for $875 million. That’s a win, but Tracy and her partners didn’t go for the exit because they’d reached the peak of the mountain. They cut the deal because PlanGr…

1
“Talent has no ZIP code:” Laura González-Estéfani on building startups outside Silicon Valley 45:01

7M ago45:01

45:01

Most of the world’s talent goes untapped. Unrecognized. With that in mind, I interviewed Laura González-Estéfani, founder of Miami-based VC firm TheVentureCity in May 2024. We talked about the potential of global talent and why more investors need to broaden their scope beyond major tech hubs. This episode provides valuable insights for founders wh…

1
“Cultural fit” is a polite way to say “personal bias” 5:05

7M ago5:05

5:05

Today is my 55th birthday! I was planning to take the day off, but I started thinking about a few people my age who work in tech and have been recently laid off. Unlike workers in their 20s and 30s, they’re facing a very different set of pressures: family, college payments, aging parents, retirement, etc. Most of the ones I know are having a hard t…

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