Episodes

Early Ideation - Your Idea Is Worthless (Replay)
Nov. 13, 2024

Early Ideation - Your Idea Is Worthless (Replay)

Ever had someone tell you "I have this great idea for an app"? While everyone seems to have the next billion-dollar idea, the reality of startup success is far more complex than just having a clever concept. In this episode, ...

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Insiders React: Apple Reveals ChatGPT Is Really Dumb + The Battle for Self-Driving: Can You Prove You’re Human?
Nov. 11, 2024

Insiders React: Apple Reveals ChatGPT Is Really Dumb + The Battle for…

Are autonomous vehicles about to revolutionize how we get around? Waymo’s massive $5.6 billion funding round suggests big changes are coming to transportation and possibly to Uber’s dominance in ridesharing. But that’s not th...

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Stop Hacking and Start Growing w/ Casey Winters (Replay)
Nov. 4, 2024

Stop Hacking and Start Growing w/ Casey Winters (Replay)

Are you struggling to drive sustainable growth for your startup? Wondering how to build a high-impact growth team? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Casey Winters, Chief Product Officer at Eventbrite and one of S...

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VC Pitch: PayPal for Agents – Skyfire Powers AI-to-AI Commerce at Scale
Oct. 30, 2024

VC Pitch: PayPal for Agents – Skyfire Powers AI-to-AI Commerce at Sca…

Are you ready for a world where AI agents can autonomously make purchases and monetize their services? How will commerce and payments evolve as intelligent software agents become ubiquitous? In this episode, Chris Saad is joi...

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VC Failure- 6 Toxic Investor Types That Will Destroy Your Startup
Oct. 28, 2024

VC Failure- 6 Toxic Investor Types That Will Destroy Your Startup

Are you ready to navigate the treacherous waters of startup investing? Buckle up, because in this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad are diving deep into the world of bad investors. From predatory tactics to buzzword obs...

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Product Polish - 15 Tactics to Reduce Churn & Drive Network Effects (Edu)
Oct. 21, 2024

Product Polish - 15 Tactics to Reduce Churn & Drive Network Effects (…

Do you wonder why some products feel magical while others fall flat? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein explore the art of product polish—the hidden details that separate mediocre products from brilliant ones. Th...

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Insiders React: SpaceX’s Big Win + Kamala Backs Crypto, Dubai’s Tech Rise, Replit AI Changes Coding
Oct. 16, 2024

Insiders React: SpaceX’s Big Win + Kamala Backs Crypto, Dubai’s Tech …

What if you could build and deploy a full app in minutes, without writing a single line of code? In this episode, Chris Saad and Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and CEO at Step, discuss the latest tech news shaping the future for fou...

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Insiders React: Elon’s Robotaxi FAIL
Oct. 15, 2024

Insiders React: Elon’s Robotaxi FAIL

Is Tesla's latest announcement a game-changer for autonomous vehicles, or just another empty promise? As the tech world buzzes with excitement, many are left wondering if Elon Musk can deliver on his bold claims. In this spec...

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Escalation Culture – Driving Alignment in Cross-Functional Teams (Edu)
Oct. 14, 2024

Escalation Culture – Driving Alignment in Cross-Functional Teams (Edu)

Are you struggling with decision-making bottlenecks in your fast-paced startup? Do you find your teams hesitant to bring problems to leadership? It's time to embrace the power of escalation. In this episode, Chris Saad and Ya...

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Insiders React: WP Engine Feud Explodes + Harvard Hacks Meta Glasses, Zuckerberg’s Porsche Flex, Microsoft’s Nuclear Power Bet
Oct. 9, 2024

Insiders React: WP Engine Feud Explodes + Harvard Hacks Meta Glasses,…

Are we on the brink of a privacy apocalypse, or is this just the next step in our technological evolution? As smart glasses become more advanced, the line between helpful augmentation and invasive surveillance grows increasin...

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Early Execution Overview - Your MVP Sucks (Replay)
Oct. 7, 2024

Early Execution Overview - Your MVP Sucks (Replay)

In this remastered episode of The Startup Podcast, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad dive deep into the most critical concept for early-stage startups: execution. The harsh truth? Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) probably sucks...

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Insiders React - Exec Exodus: What’s OpenAI's Dirty Secret? + DevDay, Google Hires AI Rockstar, Meta's AR Glasses
Oct. 2, 2024

Insiders React - Exec Exodus: What’s OpenAI's Dirty Secret? + DevDay,…

Are you ready for a world where AI and AR are seamlessly integrated into our daily lives? The pace of innovation in these fields is accelerating rapidly, with major announcements from tech giants like OpenAI and Meta reshapin...

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Perfect Enterprise Sales Pitches – Overcome Buyer Anxiety To Win More Deals w/ April Dunford (Edu)
Sept. 30, 2024

Perfect Enterprise Sales Pitches – Overcome Buyer Anxiety To Win More…

Are you struggling to close deals, even when you know your product is the best fit? Do you find yourself losing to prospects who freeze up and don't make a decision at all? In this episode, Yaniv and Chris are joined by April...

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Insiders React: Fed Rate Cuts – Is the Startup Funding Winter Over? + 23andMe Board Exodus, Snap Spectacles 3.0
Sept. 25, 2024

Insiders React: Fed Rate Cuts – Is the Startup Funding Winter Over? +…

In this week’s Reacts episode, Chris Saad is joined by Yaniv Bernstein to discuss the latest tech and business trends: from the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts and what it means for startups, to the shocking mass resignation at 2...

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Career Progression at Startups - Caution: NOT How Big Companies Do It (Edu)
Sept. 23, 2024

Career Progression at Startups - Caution: NOT How Big Companies Do It…

One of the toughest challenges in early-stage startups is managing employee career development. Unlike big corporations, startups thrive on chaos, ownership, and self-driven growth, meaning traditional professional developmen...

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Insiders React: OpenAI o1 – The Smartest AI Ever? | Synthetic Employees: Revenue Hack | Zuckerberg’s New Swagger
Sept. 18, 2024

Insiders React: OpenAI o1 – The Smartest AI Ever? | Synthetic Employe…

Is AI getting smarter, and what does that mean for the future of work? Plus, how is Zuckerberg's new public persona shaking things up at Meta? In this week’s Reacts episode, Chris Saad is joined by Jordan Crook, former deputy...

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Conviction - The Essential Ingredient For Focus & Scale (Edu)
Sept. 16, 2024

Conviction - The Essential Ingredient For Focus & Scale (Edu)

In the brutal world of startups, conviction is your greatest weapon. It fuels momentum, sharpens decisions, and separates thriving startups from those that fade away. Conviction isn’t blind faith or passion. It’s clarity of p...

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Insiders React: Nvidia Stock Plummets | The Future is Here in SF
Sept. 11, 2024

Insiders React: Nvidia Stock Plummets | The Future is Here in SF

Is the AI hype crashing along with Nvidia’s stock, or are we just witnessing a temporary correction in the tech sector? And what can San Francisco, a city already living in the future, tell us about where innovation is headin...

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Crafting Pitch Decks: The Art of Pitching Like A Pro (Replay)
Sept. 9, 2024

Crafting Pitch Decks: The Art of Pitching Like A Pro (Replay)

What if one perfect slide could get you funded? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein reveal the pitch deck formula that can turn investor skepticism into funding. Whether it’s the top 9 pitch secrets or the one sli...

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Insiders React: Unpacking Airbnb's Founder Mode | Brazil Bans X, Freezes SpaceX Assets | iPhone 16: Yay or Meh?
Sept. 4, 2024

Insiders React: Unpacking Airbnb's Founder Mode | Brazil Bans X, Free…

What can startup founders learn from bold leadership moves and the challenges of navigating regulatory landscapes? Join Chris Saad, Amir Shevat, Emil Michael , and Yaniv Bernstein in this week’s Reacts episode as they unpack ...

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10 Fatal Pitch Style Mistakes w/ Henry Innis (Edu)
Sept. 2, 2024

10 Fatal Pitch Style Mistakes w/ Henry Innis (Edu)

Crafting a winning pitch isn't just about what you say—it's about how you say it. Founders often make stylistic mistakes that can sabotage their chances with investors, even if they have a great product or idea. What are thes...

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The Future of Product Design w/ Figma's Yuhki Yamashita (Bonus)
Aug. 30, 2024

The Future of Product Design w/ Figma's Yuhki Yamashita (Bonus)

Yuhki Yamashita, one of the world's top product design disruptors and Chief Product Officer at Figma, returns in this bonus episode to continue the conversation on how AI is revolutionizing the design landscape. The impact of...

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Insiders React: Why Silicon Valley Wins | Telegram CEO Arrested | Mike Lynch Yacht Conspiracy | Musk’s Grip on Space
Aug. 28, 2024

Insiders React: Why Silicon Valley Wins | Telegram CEO Arrested | Mik…

​​Can the aggressive fundraising tactics in Silicon Valley, Lynch’s mysterious yacht conspiracy, and the arrest of Telegram’s CEO help us navigate tech’s hidden dynamics of power and control? Join Chris Saad and Amir Shevat i...

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Design-Led Startups w/ Figma’s Yuhki Yamashita – Don't Sabotage Your Product (Edu)
Aug. 26, 2024

Design-Led Startups w/ Figma’s Yuhki Yamashita – Don't Sabotage Your …

Product design is more than just an aesthetic choice—it's a strategic asset. But many founders unknowingly sabotage their products by overlooking key design principles. How can you avoid these common pitfalls and ensure your ...

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