The official podcast of Rampver Financials. Delivering the best talks, advice, and recommendations about personal finance, investing, entrepreneurship, and success. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
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Similar to Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society
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Matching real people, asking real questions about their money, with experienced Financial Advisors. You’ll hear answers to important questions like: Is now the right time to buy a house? What to do if your business fails? How should I be saving to cover the cost of college? How much do I really need to retire and am I on track? Join us as our guests share their stories around life's major moments. And hear the difference a conversation can make. Hosted by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s J ...
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How can business help solve society’s biggest challenges? Welcome to Take on Tomorrow, the award-winning podcast from PwC that examines the biggest problems facing society and the role business can—and should—play in solving them. Hosts Femi Oke and Lizzie O’Leary talk to industry innovators, tech trailblazers and visionary leaders from around the globe about timely topics: from the climate transition to AI and data; and from the future of food to how we build, move and power the world.
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Ignite Startups: Why Diversification Wins in Venture Capital with Arian Ghashghai | Ep189
Manage episode 501803634 series 3515266
Content provided by Brian Bell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Brian Bell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Arian Ghashghai is the Founder and Managing Partner of Earthling VC, a pre-seed venture fund focused on frontier technologies like VR, robotics, and applied AI. Previously, he was a senior ML engineer at Meta’s Reality Labs and an active angel investor, building a reputation as a thoughtful advocate for probabilistically diversified pre-seed investing. With his blend of technical expertise, founder experience, and sharp perspective on venture dynamics, he offers rare insights into how early-stage investing really works.
In this episode, Arian shares his unconventional path—from growing up as an immigrant in the U.S., to building startups, to becoming an investor shaping the future of frontier tech. His candid reflections on risk, fund mechanics, and why diversification beats the “great picker” myth make this conversation a must-listen for founders and investors alike.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
00:01 – Arian’s early life: moving from Germany to the U.S., first ambitions, and being raised by entrepreneurial parents
03:20 – Childhood lessons from financial volatility and how it shaped his drive for stability
10:40 – College at Georgetown: starting in business school, discovering coding, and launching a music-tech startup
16:30 – Dropping out to pursue a startup full-time, lessons from failure, and returning to complete his degree
22:00 – Joining Facebook/Meta: tackling misinformation, then moving into Oculus and AR/VR development
28:30 – First steps into angel investing while at Meta and discovering a passion for startups
35:00 – Becoming “the VR investor” and earning credibility with founders and fellow VCs
39:25 – Why Arian chose to launch Earthling VC instead of joining an established fund
46:00 – The fundraising journey: early struggles, securing an anchor LP, and defining the “why now”
53:00 – Why small, truffle-hunting funds succeed while mid-sized funds face existential risk
01:01:00 – Fund mechanics: Earthling VC’s $5M pre-seed strategy, check sizes, and portfolio design
01:03:30 – Why probabilistic diversification beats concentrated bets in pre-seed venture
01:13:00 – Debunking the “great picker” myth: why venture success is statistical, not magical
01:16:09 – The fragility of startups, black swan founder events, and why more shots on goal matter
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ga6v0YUsHotLhjap67uu5
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ignite-conversations-on-startups-venture-capital-tech/id1709248824
Follow Arian Ghashghai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arian-ghashghai-73ba4681/
Follow Arian Ghashghai on X: https://x.com/arian_ghashghai/
Follow Team Ignite on X: https://x.com/teamignitevc
Follow Brian on X: https://x.com/brianrbell
Follow Brian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bblinkedin/
Visit Our Website: https://www.teamignite.ventures
Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://insights.teamignite.ventures/
👂🎧 Watch, listen, and follow on your favorite platform: https://tr.ee/S2ayrbx_fL
🙏 Join the conversation on your favorite social network: https://linktr.ee/theignitepodcast
🔥 Club Ignite is booking fast — our next gathering of top founders, investors, and operators will be our biggest yet. Apply now before spots fill: https://teamignite.decilehub.com/e/club-ignite-25
189 episodes
Ignite Startups: Why Diversification Wins in Venture Capital with Arian Ghashghai | Ep189
Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society
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Manage episode 501803634 series 3515266
Content provided by Brian Bell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Brian Bell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Arian Ghashghai is the Founder and Managing Partner of Earthling VC, a pre-seed venture fund focused on frontier technologies like VR, robotics, and applied AI. Previously, he was a senior ML engineer at Meta’s Reality Labs and an active angel investor, building a reputation as a thoughtful advocate for probabilistically diversified pre-seed investing. With his blend of technical expertise, founder experience, and sharp perspective on venture dynamics, he offers rare insights into how early-stage investing really works.
In this episode, Arian shares his unconventional path—from growing up as an immigrant in the U.S., to building startups, to becoming an investor shaping the future of frontier tech. His candid reflections on risk, fund mechanics, and why diversification beats the “great picker” myth make this conversation a must-listen for founders and investors alike.
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
00:01 – Arian’s early life: moving from Germany to the U.S., first ambitions, and being raised by entrepreneurial parents
03:20 – Childhood lessons from financial volatility and how it shaped his drive for stability
10:40 – College at Georgetown: starting in business school, discovering coding, and launching a music-tech startup
16:30 – Dropping out to pursue a startup full-time, lessons from failure, and returning to complete his degree
22:00 – Joining Facebook/Meta: tackling misinformation, then moving into Oculus and AR/VR development
28:30 – First steps into angel investing while at Meta and discovering a passion for startups
35:00 – Becoming “the VR investor” and earning credibility with founders and fellow VCs
39:25 – Why Arian chose to launch Earthling VC instead of joining an established fund
46:00 – The fundraising journey: early struggles, securing an anchor LP, and defining the “why now”
53:00 – Why small, truffle-hunting funds succeed while mid-sized funds face existential risk
01:01:00 – Fund mechanics: Earthling VC’s $5M pre-seed strategy, check sizes, and portfolio design
01:03:30 – Why probabilistic diversification beats concentrated bets in pre-seed venture
01:13:00 – Debunking the “great picker” myth: why venture success is statistical, not magical
01:16:09 – The fragility of startups, black swan founder events, and why more shots on goal matter
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ga6v0YUsHotLhjap67uu5
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ignite-conversations-on-startups-venture-capital-tech/id1709248824
Follow Arian Ghashghai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arian-ghashghai-73ba4681/
Follow Arian Ghashghai on X: https://x.com/arian_ghashghai/
Follow Team Ignite on X: https://x.com/teamignitevc
Follow Brian on X: https://x.com/brianrbell
Follow Brian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bblinkedin/
Visit Our Website: https://www.teamignite.ventures
Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://insights.teamignite.ventures/
👂🎧 Watch, listen, and follow on your favorite platform: https://tr.ee/S2ayrbx_fL
🙏 Join the conversation on your favorite social network: https://linktr.ee/theignitepodcast
🔥 Club Ignite is booking fast — our next gathering of top founders, investors, and operators will be our biggest yet. Apply now before spots fill: https://teamignite.decilehub.com/e/club-ignite-25
189 episodes
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Similar to Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society
The official podcast of Rampver Financials. Delivering the best talks, advice, and recommendations about personal finance, investing, entrepreneurship, and success. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
…
continue reading
Bitcoin pioneer Charlie Shrem peels back the layers on the lives and backgrounds of the world's most impactful innovators. Centering around intimate narratives, Shrem uncovers a detailed, previously unspoken story of the genesis and evolution of bitcoin, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and the web3 movements. Join Shrem as he journeys through the uncharted territories of tech revolutions, revealing the human side of the stories that shaped the digital world we live in today.
…
continue reading
Matching real people, asking real questions about their money, with experienced Financial Advisors. You’ll hear answers to important questions like: Is now the right time to buy a house? What to do if your business fails? How should I be saving to cover the cost of college? How much do I really need to retire and am I on track? Join us as our guests share their stories around life's major moments. And hear the difference a conversation can make. Hosted by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s J ...
…
continue reading
Capitalmind looks at stocks, bonds, funds and the macro to bring you their view on the Indian financial markets. We discuss all things related to investing at our focussed podcast that keeps it simple. For more, go to capitalmind.in and to invest with us, visit capitalmindwealth.com
…
continue reading
How can business help solve society’s biggest challenges? Welcome to Take on Tomorrow, the award-winning podcast from PwC that examines the biggest problems facing society and the role business can—and should—play in solving them. Hosts Femi Oke and Lizzie O’Leary talk to industry innovators, tech trailblazers and visionary leaders from around the globe about timely topics: from the climate transition to AI and data; and from the future of food to how we build, move and power the world.
…
continue reading
The show that helps you maximize your wealth by turning complex financial situations into actionable advice. On Your Money. Your Mission., we answer the questions you’ve been asking about -- financial planning, investing, retirement and everything in between. Whether you’re navigating the complexities of the market or looking for the best ways to save or spend your money, tune in to hear from experienced financial advisors with JFG. Walk away from each episode with savvy tips and financial t ...
…
continue reading
An archive of each full weekday episode of the award-winning program presented by Stephen Grootes.
…
continue reading
Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.
…
continue reading
Best friends Joel and Matt are the co-hosts of How to Money which is all about providing the knowledge & tools that normal folks need to thrive in areas like debt payoff, DIY investing, and crucial money tricks that will provide continuous help along your journey. We believe that access to unbiased and jargon-free personal finance guidance is more necessary than ever before. When you handle your money in a purposeful, thoughtful way that works for your lifestyle, you can really start living ...
…
continue reading
Each weekday, Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams makes today make sense along with her Marketplace colleagues, breaking down happenings in tech, the economy, and culture. Because none of us is as smart as all of us.
…
continue reading
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