Best TFR Podcasts (2026)

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Investor Stories 451: Why I Passed: Moving Too Slowly, Misreading Return Drivers, and Passing on Lyft (Banks, Tananbaum, Cohen) 7:43

Play Pause

7h ago7:43

7:43

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Lara Banks of Makena Capital Management Jim Tananbaum of Foresite Capital David Cohen of Techstars 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 of New Stack V…

1
TFR Ep. 791: Marty Supreme, 5 Other Things We Enjoyed In 2025 45:23

3d ago45:23

45:23

This week on The First Run, the buzz outweighs Chris and Matt's misgivings when they check out the latest from Josh Safdie, ‘Marty Supreme’. Then, because the guys have some kind of a laugh outside of movies for the show, they break down the top 5 other things they enjoyed in 2025. 00:00-16:25: Intro/Marty Supreme 16:26-19:19: RIP MTV 19:20-41:52: …

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#AskAbhijit 315: Bangladesh, Dhurandhar, Spain, Rig Veda, Khilji, Spain, Schopenhauer, Vikings, TFR 4:33:18

13d ago4:33:18

4:33:18

Episode 315 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the Superchat, and I shall answer them.

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It’s The Oil, Stupid…But Is It? Plus, Journalist Samira Mohyeddin on the Uprisings in Iran 1:00:46

30m ago1:00:46

1:00:46

It’s 2026 and FP Zaddy & T-Ceps are back! We thought we might ease into this new year, but, nope, this week we’re diving into the seizure and kidnapping of the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro – what’s motivating Trump, why you need to know about REEs, and what may happen next. We also welcome journalist Samira Mohyeddin to talk about WTF is …

1
#AskAbhijit 318: Venezuela Regime Change! Putin, Somaliland, Slavery, Japan, Wild West, Cholas, NATO 2:54:05

1d ago2:54:05

2:54:05

OUTLINE:0:00 Introduction and New Year Greetings1:19 Venezuela Regime Change: US Military Operation Announced5:13 Question on Latin American Countries Allied with Maduro6:21 Maduro Captured: Details of the US Operation8:08 The Monroe Doctrine Explained (1823)8:59 Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine10:01 US Justification: Democracy, Human Rights,…

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499. A 17 Time Midas Lister on Greatness, the $6T AI Teammate Market, Why AI Sovereignty Is Critical, and Who Wins the Battle Between Incumbents and Startups (Navin Chaddha) 49:29

3d ago49:29

49:29

Navin Chaddha of Mayfield joins Nick to discuss A 17 Time Midas Lister on Greatness, the $6T AI Teammate Market, Why AI Sovereignty Is Critical, and Who Wins the Battle Between Incumbents and Startups. In this episode we cover: Challenges in Early Internet Video Lessons from Interacting with Tech Luminaries Investment Philosophy and Evaluation Proc…

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#AskAbhijit 317: Linux, Arabs, Amish, Andromeda, Bangladesh, Vatican, Minoa, Sanskrit, Wormholes, AI 3:02:28

4d ago3:02:28

3:02:28

OUTLINE:0:00 Introduction & Welcome4:43 Who Are the Amish?8:52 Why Converts Are Zealous10:56 Nvidia CEO on Linux12:51 Thailand Destroys Hindu Statue13:21 Bangladesh Regime Change14:43 Arabs Castrated Black Slaves16:44 Bullying in Ancient Gurukuls18:42 US Gun Rights Explained20:26 Students Smoking & Drinking23:23 Andromeda Paradox Explained26:50 Dat…

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Researcher Frank Spring On WTF Happened To the Dems 46:02

6d ago46:02

46:02

Happy New Year! This week on TFR we talk with progressive political strategist Frank Spring who tries to convince us that we should be somewhat hopeful about Democratic prospects in 2026. Arguing against the recent “Deciding to Win” report, he explains that, at least some, Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time. Meaning, they don’t have t…

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Investor Stories 450. How to Succeed Early in VC: Slow Down, Commit to Relationships, and Become an Active Listener (Niehenke, York, Hilaly) 5:01

7d ago5:01

5:01

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Alexander Niehenke of Scale Venture Partners Kyle York of York IE Aaref Hilaly of Bain Capital Ventures We asked guests for the most important piece of advice that they'd share with folks early in their venture career. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of Ne…

1
Replay - The Biggest Misconceptions About AI Agents, Why Defensibility Doesn't Matter at Seed, and Whether the AI Center of Gravity Is Shifting to China (Aaref Hilaly) 30:16

10d ago30:16

30:16

In this special replay episode Aaref Hilaly of Bain Capital Ventures joins Nick to discuss The Biggest Misconceptions About AI Agents, Why Defensibility Doesn't Matter at Seed, and Whether the AI Center of Gravity Is Shifting to China. In this episode we cover: AI Investment Strategy and Market Utility Impact of AI on Jobs and Early Instances of Re…

1
#AskAbhijit 316: Goa INQUISITION, 1066, Bismarck, Ba'ath Party, Genghis, Rome, Pyramids, Alexander 2:23:53

9d ago2:23:53

2:23:53

Episode 316 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

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Dr. Nadine Strossen On Why Free Speech Matters In The Age Of AI 53:32

13d ago53:32

53:32

This week on TFR, we talk with the illustrious lawyer and free speech champion, Dr. Nadine Strossen. We dig deep into the first amendment– what it actually guarantees, why it’s so important, what people tend to misunderstand. And then pivot to the many challenges it faces– online culture, hate speech, self-censorship, AI bots, and an unhinged gover…

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Investor Stories 449: Exceptional Founders Up Close: Listening Over Posturing, Integrity Over Ease, and Deliberate Execution from Day One (Hsieh, Delk, Maples Jr.) 5:36

14d ago5:36

5:36

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Vince Hsieh of Cypress Growth Capital Ryan Delk of Primer Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a v…

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TFR Ep. 790: Avatar: Fire And Ash 21:03

13d ago21:03

21:03

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt travel once more to Pandora as the Avatar franchise returns with ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’. This time we’re introduced to a new clan, the Mangkwan. A group of of raiders on the edge of survival willing to do anything to maintain their existence. Just how far, and how long, will they go? Well, I can at least g…

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Investor Stories 448: Hard Lessons in Investing: Mistiming Trends, Relying on Partnership Debate, and Avoiding Good Money After Bad (Hilaly, Dash, Rizik) 8:13

17d ago8:13

8:13

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Aaref Hilaly of Bain Capital Ventures Somesh Dash of IVP Chris Rizik of Renaissance Venture Capital We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital …

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#AskAbhijit 314: Nanda Devi Nuke, Ivan the Terrible, Somnath, Vishnu, Israel, Khomeini, Rome, Jats 2:38:04

15d ago2:38:04

2:38:04

Episode 314 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

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Mass Shootings + 2026 Predictions: How Much Worse Can It Get?! 58:56

20d ago58:56

58:56

This week on TFR we talk through the horrors of the Bondi Beach and Brown University shootings and the murder of the great Rob Reiner. We question who in their right mind would have the stomach (ahem, Mr. President) to try and score political points in the face of such tragedy. We then shift our focus to the year ahead, which is bound to be better,…

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TFR Ep. 789: Wake Up Dead Man, Silent Night Deadly Night (2025), In Memoriam Rob Reiner 37:19

20d ago37:19

37:19

This week on The First Run, Matt and Chris check out the latest accent from Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson's latest Knives Out mystery, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’. Then Chris will give you his thoughts on the 2025 remake of ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’. Chris and Matt close out the how by spending a little time saying farewell to the late, great Rob Reiner. …

1
#AskAbhijit 313: Bagram, Benazir, Thailand, Chinese Economy, AI Weaponization, Chess, Elon, Odisha.. 3:39:54

18d ago3:39:54

3:39:54

Episode 313 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the superchat, and I shall answer them.

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Investor Stories 447: Choosing the Right VC: Understanding Value Add, Assessing Alignment, and Identifying the Best Board Partner (Jiang, Walsh, Saxena) 4:56

21d ago4:56

4:56

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Kevin Jiang of Mangusta Capital Shamin Walsh of BAM Ventures Shashank Saxena of Sierra Ventures We asked guests to share the best question they've ever been asked by an allocator. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital fir…

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#AskAbhijit 312: Al-Zutt, Ataturk, Gujarat, Redcoats, Somalia, Russia, Ashoka, Slave Trade, Romanis 2:57:19

21d ago2:57:19

2:57:19

Episode 312 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

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#AskAbhijit 311: Putin, Modi, G2, IndiGo, Dictatorships, LLMs, IMF, EU, Fishing, Nukes, Hinduism, EU 3:45:25

22d ago3:45:25

3:45:25

Episode 311 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the Superchat, and I shall answer them.

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498. The Crypto x AI Convergence, the Truth About Stablecoins, Tokens vs Equity, and Whether NFTs Will Make a Comeback (Arianna Simpson) 46:30

24d ago46:30

46:30

Arianna Simpson of Andreessen Horowitz joins Nick to discuss The Crypto x AI Convergence, the Truth About Stablecoins, Tokens vs Equity, and Whether NFTs Will Make a Comeback. In this episode we cover: Stable Coins and Their Impact on Crypto Geopolitical and Regulatory Risks for Stable Coins Crypto's Role in the Financial System and Emerging Use Ca…

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#AskAbhijit 310: Black Holes, Jupiter, Mars, Dinosaurs, Gravity, Entropy, Radiation, Volcanos, Fire 2:26:31

24d ago2:26:31

2:26:31

Episode 310 of the #AskAbhijit show: Space and Science special episode.

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War Crimes Cover-up, Farmers Need A Bailout & the UN's Pinching Pennies 51:29

27d ago51:29

51:29

This week on TFR, we talk about the fallout from the Venezuelan double tap and try to answer the age old question– what’s worse the crime or the cover-up and decide they’re both pretty f***ing bad. We also talk through Trump’s 12 billion dollar bailout of farmers necessitated by Trump’s 40 billion dollar bailout of Argentina. Go figure. 🫩We mourn t…

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TFR Ep. 788: Reflection In A Dead Diamond, Netflix & WB Merger 29:12

28d ago29:12

29:12

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt discuss the latest by the French husband and wife directing team, Hélène Cattet’s & Bruno Forzani’s ‘Reflection In A Dead Diamond’. Known for the striking visual storytelling style, this time they tackle the euro-spy thrillers. Is it a wonderfully mad mash-up of visuals and narrative? Or unintelligible mes…

1
Investor Stories 446: What Experience Teaches Investors: When to Trust Conviction, How to Read Founders, and Why Coachability Matters (Rizik, Wang, Agarwal) 8:09

29d ago8:09

8:09

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Chris Rizik of Renaissance Venture Capital Casber Wang of Sapphire Ventures Medha Agarwal of Defy We asked guests to describe the biggest change to their investment philosophy over the course of their career The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ven…

1
Episode 320: Workout BECAUSE You Don't Feel Like It - PLUS LIVE QA 45:25

27d ago45:25

45:25

How many of you wake up in the morning and feel like staying in bed? Most of us feel like sleeping in BUT we get up any way. Why? Because we have created a habit or some discipline to do something you do not feel like doing. Whether you have to do it or you want to do it - you get i done anyway. These are the scoops of mental toughness you get dail…

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Investor Stories 445: Navigating High Stakes Conflicts: Partnership Tension, Capital Inflection Points, and the Risks of Underfunding (Terbell and Clark, Banks, Tananbaum) 7:16

1M ago7:16

7:16

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Jon Terbell and Ted Clark of FourBridge Partners Lara Banks of Makena Capital Management Jim Tananbaum of Foresite Capital We discuss major conflicts that guests have faced and how they resolved them. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, …

1
Double Tap War Crimes at Sea and Pardons for Narco-Traffickers 57:35

1M ago57:35

57:35

This week on TFR, we go back in time to WWII and the Peleus Affair to explain why Hegseth is a war criminal. Once that was cleared up, we rolled our eyes at Netanyahu for his pre-emptive pardon request, threw our hands up at Trump for overtly meddling in the Honduran election and lament the continued school closings in Northern Nigeria. Then we loo…

1
TFR Ep. 787: Train Dreams 30:04

1M ago30:04

30:04

This week on The First Run, Matt and Chris take a long, dreamy train ride to nowhere, or the answer to everything, with ‘Train Dreams’. Not Train Wars like Chris keeps wanting to call it. 00:00-14:27: Intro/Train Dreams 14:28-30:04: Wrap-up Theme music by Jamal Malachi Ford-BeyBy The First Run

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Investor Stories 444. The Biggest Misses in VC: Passing on Airbnb, Overlooking Skype, and Arriving Hours After Postman Closed (Maples, Okike, Mohapatra) 6:19

1M ago6:19

6:19

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate Nnamdi Okike of 645 Ventures Hemant Mohapatra of Lightspeed India 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 of New Stack Ventu…

1
#AskAbhijit 309: Marathas, China, God Particle, Mars, Afghanistan, Arunachal, Endogamy, CIA, Su-57 3:44:57

1M ago3:44:57

3:44:57

Episode 309 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the Superchat, and I shall answer them.

1
#AskAbhijit 308: Confucius, Rhodesia, Ashoka, Hindu Shahis, Brahmi, USSR, Afghanistan, Colonization 2:28:56

1M ago2:28:56

2:28:56

Episode 308 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

1
497. Investing in Outsiders, Why Extreme Personalities Win, Weighing Timing versus Trends, and Rethinking Liquidity and Option Exercise Windows (Ethan Austin) 41:24

1M ago41:24

41:24

Ethan Austin of Outside VC joins Nick to discuss Investing in Outsiders, Why Extreme Personalities Win, Weighing Timing versus Trends, and Rethinking Liquidity and Option Exercise Windows. In this episode we cover: Lessons from Founding Give Forward Investment Philosophy and Timing Founding Outside VC Characteristics of Strong Investment Candidates…

1
#AskAbhijit 307: Trump, Ukraine, G20, NATO, AI, Poland, Russia, WW2, Gaddafi, BRI, China, Bubba, ICC 2:31:08

1M ago2:31:08

2:31:08

Episode 307 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the Superchat, and I shall answer them.

1
#AskAbhijit 306: "South Asia", Iran, Ataturk, Cultural Theft, Genghis, Japan, Great Man Theory 2:29:27

1M ago2:29:27

2:29:27

Episode 306 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

1
Leftovers: Epstein the Spy, A Global Arms Race, & Holiday Advice 54:24

1M ago54:24

54:24

This week on TFR, Seena and Travis clean out the fridge to talk Jeffrey Epstein’s odd relationship with Ehud Barak and the recent revelations of his geopolitical back-channeling. They delve into the growing global arms race and what it may mean for the world and then tackle the real tough questions: how to handle your family over this holiday seaso…

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TFR Ep. 786: Sisu: Road To Revenge, 2025 Holiday Gift Guide 32:30

1M ago32:30

32:30

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt venture once more to the 1940’s to watch a legendary Finish warrior dispatch a bunch more baddies in ‘Sisu: Road To Revenge’. Plus it’s the return of Matt’s favorite guest with the 2025 Gift Guide for the Movie Lover in your life! Or just yourself. 00:00-15:05: Intro/ Sisu: Road To Revenge 15:06-29:47: 202…

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Investor Stories 443. Why Great Investors Move Slowly, Go Deep, and Surround Themselves with the Right People (Hsieh, Madera, Bussgang) 4:48

1M ago4:48

4:48

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Vince Hsieh of Cypress Growth Capital Paul Madera of Meritech Capital Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital We asked guests for the most important piece of advice that they'd share with folks early in their venture career. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of N…

1
Investor Stories 442. The Habits of Exceptional Founders, From Recruiting Great Teams to Understanding Customers (Walsh, Niehenke, Hilaly) 6:17

2M ago6:17

6:17

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Shamin Walsh of BAM Ventures Alexander Niehenke of Scale Venture Partners Aaref Hilaly of Bain Capital Ventures We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran o…

1
Trump Gets Cozy with MBS, Elon Screws Over Some Firefighters, & JD’s Heartless 49:38

2M ago49:38

49:38

What a week. Seena & Travis are back to talk lobbyists at COP30 and who exactly is getting screwed by climate change. They marvel at Trump’s embrace of the Saudi Crown Prince and what that may augur for the region, check in on raging corruption in the Philippines, and side-eye Trump’s baseless accusations against Nigeria. Oh, and, of course, they h…

1
TFR Ep. 785: The Running Man, Rank ‘Em: Edgar Wright 31:39

2M ago31:39

31:39

This week on The First Run, Chris and Matt check out the latest from Edgar Wright with ‘The Running Man’, a dystopian film that dares to ask "What would you for $1 billion new bucks?" Also Matt had some technical difficulties with his microphone but it gets better after the intro! 00:00-20:05: Intro/The Running Man 20:06-29:30: Rank ‘Em: Edgar Wrig…

1
Investor Stories 441. How Great Leaders Build Alignment, Set the Bar High, and Learn When to Let Go (Schroepfer, Saxena, Delk) 5:51

2M ago5:51

5:51

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: Mike Schroepfer of Gigascale Capital Shashank Saxena of Sierra Ventures Ryan Delk of Primer We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm com…

1
Monologue: The Hate That Nearly Killed Me As a Kid… Is Back in Britain EP#29 56:00

2M ago56:00

56:00

Send us a text In this solo monologue, I open up about something deeply personal — the racist attack that nearly cost me my life as a child — and why the same kind of hatred is rising again in Britain today. I talk honestly about my mixed Irish/Persian background, the bigotry I experienced from multiple communities growing up, and how the division …

1
#AskAbhijit 305: Pakistan, Deep State, Secret Societies, Russia, Submarines, G7, Hasina, Turkey, UFO 2:50:17

2M ago2:50:17

2:50:17

Episode 305 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the Superchat, and I shall answer them.

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496. How Model Progress Shifts the Goalposts, Why The Death of Software Is Overstated, and How to Diligence Hypergrowth Without Getting Burned (Jacob Effron) 37:42

2M ago37:42

37:42

Jacob Effron of Redpoint joins Nick to discuss How Model Progress Shifts the Goalposts, Why The Death of Software Is Overstated, and How to Diligence Hypergrowth Without Getting Burned. In this episode we cover: Investing in AI and Vertical Applications Model Layer Advancements and Future Milestones Challenges and Opportunities in Agentic AI Invest…

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#AskAbhijit 304: Christian Women, American Jews, Korean War, Egypt, Bactria, D-Day, Rome, Achilles 2:32:44

2M ago2:32:44

2:32:44

Episode 304 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

1
#AskAbhijit 303: Mamdani, G2, Sukhoi Superjet, HAL, Grokipedia, QUAD, Starlink, ISRO, Nukes, Thorium 2:22:05

2M ago2:22:05

2:22:05

Episode 303 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best geopolitics questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

1
TFR Ham Radio Takeover! 53:07

2M ago53:07

53:07

With Seena out this week, Ed Larson from the Last Podcast on the Left and the Brighter Side podcasts joins Travis to talk cowardly Dems, Epstein emails, and JD Vance memes. Ed also tells stories about his time in Iraq on a USO tour. What do the Chairman of the Joints Chief, an accidental midnight mass, and popping pills have in common? Listen and f…