Startup Project

Join Nataraj as he sits down with Vijaye Raji, founder and CEO of Statsig, a platform revolutionizing product development with data-driven decision-making. Formerly a VP at Facebook and head of Facebook Seattle, Vijaye shares his journey from big tech to startup founder.

About the Episode:

This conversation explores Vijaye's transition from leading entertainment at Facebook to building Statsig, a developer platform empowering data-driven decisions.  He dives into his experience at Microsoft and Facebook, highlighting the challenges and motivations that led him to entrepreneurship. Vijaye discusses Statsig's value proposition, differentiating it from existing point solutions by consolidating feature flagging, analytics, and experimentation into one platform.  The discussion extends to the future of experimentation in an AI-first world.  He emphasizes the importance of product intuition alongside experimentation and shares Statsig's approach to culture, talent acquisition, and growth.

About the Guest and Host:

Vijaye Raji: Founder and CEO of Statsig, former VP at Facebook, and head of Facebook Seattle. Connect with Vijay:

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaye/

→ Website: https://www.statsig.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:48 - Vijay's Background and Transition from Big Tech

01:11 - Leaving Facebook and the Motivation for Startups

02:05 - Early Career at Microsoft and Facebook's Startup Phase

04:21 - Diverse Roles and Experiences at Facebook

05:38 - Problems and Scale as Head of Entertainment at Facebook

07:41 - Business Side of Entertainment: Licensing and Content Acquisition

08:30 - From Facebook to Statsig: Idea Evaluation

10:27 - Getting the First Customers: Avoiding Common Mistakes

13:19 - Blind Spots in Transitioning from Big Tech to Startups

14:38 - Go-to-Market Intuition and Building Conviction

17:03 - Statsig's Value Proposition and Differentiation

19:28 - Explanation of Feature Flagging

20:47 - Trends in Experimentation and Product Validation

23:00 - Ideal Customer Profile for Statsig

24:38 - Experimentation vs. Gut Feeling: Balancing Data and Intuition

28:20 - Statsig's Growth: Customers, Users, and Scale

29:44 - Positioning Statsig: Developer Tool vs. Product Development Platform

31:08 - Marketing Efforts and ROI

32:24 - Culture: In-Person Work Environment

34:41 - Attracting Talent: Statsig's Approach

40:04 - Fundraising: Strategy and Benefits

41:35 - AI: Integration with LLMs and Product Extensions

44:26 - ML vs. LLMs: Democratization of Access

46:44 - Favorite Failure and Learning from Mistakes

49:31 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)

50:11 - Lessons Learned as a Founder

51:16 - Big Company Perks Missed and Not Missed

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #Statsig #ProductDevelopment #Experimentation #FeatureFlagging #ProductAnalytics #DataDriven #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SaaS #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

Martin Mao is the co-founder and CEO of Chronosphere, an observability platform built for the modern containerized world. Prior to Chronosphere, Martin led the observability team at Uber, tackling the unique challenges of large-scale distributed systems. With a background as a technical lead at AWS, Martin brings unique experience in building scalable and reliable infrastructure. In this episode, he shares the story behind Chronosphere, its approach to cost-efficient observability, and the future of monitoring in the age of AI.

What you'll learn:

• The specific observability challenges that arise when transitioning to containerized environments and microservices architectures, including increased data volume and new problem sources.

• How Chronosphere addresses the issue of wasteful data storage by providing features that identify and optimize useful data, ensuring customers only pay for valuable insights.

• Chronosphere's strategy for competing with observability solutions offered by major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, focusing on specialized end-to-end product.

• The innovative ways in which Chronosphere's products, including their observability platform and telemetry pipeline, improve the process of detecting and resolving problems.

• How Chronosphere is leveraging AI and knowledge graphs to normalize unstructured data, enhance its analytics engine, and provide more effective insights to customers.

• Why targeting early adopters and tech-forward companies is beneficial for product innovation, providing valuable feedback for further improvements and new features.

  How observability requirements are changing with the rise of AI and LLM-based applications, and the unique data collection and evaluation criteria needed for GPUs.

• Cost efficiency is a major differentiator for Chronosphere, offering significantly better cost-benefit ratios compared to other solutions, making it attractive for companies operating at scale.

• The company's telemetry pipeline product can be used with existing observability solutions like Splunk and Elastic to reduce costs without requiring a full platform migration.

• Chronosphere's architecture is purposely single-tenanted to minimize coupled infrastructures, ensuring reliability and continuous monitoring even when core components go down.

• AI-driven insights for observability may not benefit from LLMs that are trained on private business data, which can be diverse and may cause models to overfit to a specific case.

• Many tech-forward companies are using the platform to monitor model training which involves GPU clusters and a new evaluation criterion that is unlike general CPU workload.

• The company found a huge potential by scrubbing the diverse data and building knowledge graphs to be used as a source of useful information when problems are recognized.

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #Chronosphere #Observability #Containers #Microservices #Uber #AWS #Monitoring #CloudNative #CostOptimization #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #MLOps #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

Join host Nataraj as he speaks with Emilie Gerber, founder and principal of SixEastern, a PR firm specializing in startups and tech companies. Emilie shares her expertise on crafting effective PR strategies for early-stage startups and navigating the evolving media landscape.

About the Episode:

This episode demystifies the world of PR for tech founders. Emily differentiates PR from marketing, emphasizing the importance of earned media and credibility. She provides actionable advice on when to engage a PR firm, the types of media to target, and how to manage expectations. The conversation explores alternative strategies beyond traditional tech publications, including podcasts and new media platforms. Emily highlights the increasing importance of founders building their social profiles and telling authentic stories. She shares real-world examples of successful PR campaigns and offers valuable insights into navigating crisis communications.

About the Guest and Host:

Emilie Gerber: Founder and Principal of SixEastern, a PR firm for startups and tech companies. Previously at Uber and Box. Connect with Emily: → Website: https://www.sixeastern.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:   /natarajsindam  

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:02 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:45 - Emily's Background and PR for Tech Startups

01:17 - PR vs. Marketing: Understanding the Difference

03:13 - When to Engage a PR Firm: Seed vs. Series A

05:40 - The Unique Landscape of AI Startup PR

06:19 - Top Tier PR Firms and Their Specializations

08:39 - Setting Expectations and Measuring PR Success

09:18 - Pitching Podcasts vs. Traditional Media

14:21 - The Problem with Automated PR Pitches

16:42 - Storytelling for Series A to Series C Startups

17:44 - Crafting the Founder's Message for Podcasts

21:08 - The Trend of Founders Going Direct on Social Media

24:15 - Why Elon Musk's Strategies Don't Work for Everyone

25:26 - Concrete Examples of Successful PR Campaigns

29:21 - Why Traditional Media Still Matters for Startups

31:12 - Pitching to New Media Platforms

32:00 - Organic vs. Strategic PR: Behind-the-Scenes Tactics

34:12 - SEO for AI Search Engines and the Future of PR

37:18 - PR Plus Marketing: Integrating Services

38:47 - Emily's Current Media Consumption: TBPN

42:39 - Mentors and Their Influence

44:38 - Lessons Learned in PR

45:40 - Crisis Communications at Uber

48:16 - Ignored Sectors in Startup PR: Enterprise Software

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #PR #PublicRelations #Startups #Tech #Media #Marketing #Communications #Founders #Entrepreneurship #TechCrunch #WallStreetJournal #Podcast #YouTube #AI #SixEastern

Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Todd Bracher, founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm partnering with scientists and innovators to create game-changing products. Previously Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale, Todd has also collaborated with iconic brands like Issey Miyake, Herman Miller, and 3M. A two-time International Designer of the Year and recognized by Wallpaper Magazine as a Top 100 Global Design Influencer, Todd shares his insights on the intersection of design, science, and technology.

About the Episode:

This episode explores the world of industrial design through the lens of Todd Bracher's extensive experience.  The conversation delves into building a successful design firm and the critical importance of human-centered design. Todd recounts his journey from art school to becoming a leading industrial designer, emphasizing the role of manufacturing, materials, and understanding market needs. He highlights the shift towards sustainability in design, including the use of recycled materials and circularity principles. The discussion covers BetterLab's innovative projects, such as glasses designed to combat myopia using full-spectrum light and a UVC light-based hand sanitizer called Lightwash. Todd also shares his perspective on digital design, the influence of Japanese design principles, and his role as a design advisor with Antler, a pre-seed stage firm. He touches upon products he admires, including the Leica M camera, and the importance of integrating design early in the product development process.

About the Guest and Host:

Todd Bracher: Founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm. Former Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale.  Connect with Todd: 

→ Website: https://betterlab.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. 

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:55 - Todd's Background and Entry into Design

01:45 - The Definition of Industrial Design

03:22 - Early Influences and Drawing

04:27 - Examples of Industrial Design Projects

06:06 - Admired Technology Products (Beyond Apple)

09:14 - Trends in Industrial Design: Sustainability vs. Consumable Products

12:02 - Todd's Take on IKEA's Design and Business Model

14:37 - Admired Brands: VITSO and Dieter Rams

15:54 - Sustainability and Longevity in Well-Designed Products

17:05 - The Business of Running a Design Firm: BetterLab

19:39 - Products from BetterLab: Myopia-Correcting Glasses

24:48 - Sustainability Project: UVC Light Hand Sanitizer (Lightwash)

28:44 - Working with Antler: Advising Early-Stage Startups

30:08 - Day-to-Day Products Todd Uses and Admits

31:53 - Modern Design Aesthetics and Globalization

36:01 - Todd's Take on Digital Design

37:46 - Trend Back into Hardware

40:01 - What Makes Japanese Design Unique

42:00 - Design Hubs in the US

44:13 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)

45:39 - Mentors and Influences: Charles Darwin

46:55 - Lessons Learned: The Importance of Business Acumen

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #IndustrialDesign #DesignThinking #BetterLab #ToddBracher #Sustainability #ProductDesign #Innovation #HumanCenteredDesign #TechDesign #Manufacturing #Materials #DesignTrends #Myopia #UVCLight #Antler #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Zach Lloyd, the founder and CEO of Warp, a company developing an intelligent terminal aimed at modernizing the command line experience for developers. Zach, a former principal engineer at Google, having worked on Google Sheets and Docs, and co-founder and CTO of Selfmade, shares his insights on the future of software development, the evolution of the terminal, and AI's role in building new products.

In this episode, they discuss:

• How Warp leverages AI to improve developer productivity
• The challenges of building an AI-powered developer tool
• The future of coding and the evolution of the terminal
• Bridging the gap between traditional terminals and modern IDEs
• The current AI hype cycle and its impact on the developer community

Guest:
Zach Lloyd

• Founder and CEO of Warp
• Former Principal Engineer at Google
• Co-founder & CTO of Selfmade
• Website: https://www.warp.dev/

Host:
Nataraj

• Host of the Startup Project podcast
• Senior PM at Azure & Investor
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/
• Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam
• Email Updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/
• Website: https://thestartupproject.io

Timestamps:
00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:55 - What is Warp?
02:59 - How Developers Use Warp
04:56 - Warp's Compatibility with Existing Developer Tools
05:21 - Warp's Intelligence and Features
06:31 - Integrating Existing Developer Nuances into Warp
07:24 - Warp's AI-Powered Enhancements
10:06 - The Future of IDEs and Terminals
13:50 - The Evolution of Abstraction in Software Development
16:37 - The AI Hype Cycle and Developer Productivity
18:07 - Developer Feedback and Adoption of Warp
20:30 - Go-to-Market Strategy and Customer Acquisition
21:33 - Leveraging LLMs in Warp
23:28 - The Role of AI Agents in Software Development
25:49 - Cost and Sustainability of AI-Powered Tools
27:17 - Warp's Pricing Model and Margins
30:04 - Open-Source Models and Profitability
32:43 - Key Metrics for Warp's Success
34:45 - Go-to-Market Motion and Acquiring Customers
37:40 - Using AI in Building Warp
39:15 - The Impact of AI on Developer Demand
41:00 - The Current State of AI and Developer Productivity
43:31 - The Importance of Context and Knowledge in AI
44:31 - What Zach is Consuming
45:40 - Zach's Mentors
46:25 - Lessons Learned as a Founder

Subscribe:
Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!
https://startupproject.substack.com/

Tags:
#StartupProject #Warp #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Terminal #DeveloperTools #Coding #Productivity #SoftwareDevelopment #DevOps #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

Join Nataraj on Startup Project as he interviews Jennifer Jeronimo, CEO of Gaingels, a venture capital syndicate that has deployed over $900 million into 2,500 startups.

About the Episode:

Jennifer shares Gaingels' unique journey from an investment club focused on LGBTQ+ founders to one of the largest venture capital syndicates globally, with a diverse community of over 4,000 accredited investors. Learn about their investment strategy, focusing on co-investing alongside top-tier VC firms like Sequoia and Greycroft, and their mission to democratize venture capital by providing access to high-potential deals.

Discover how Gaingels sources deals, conducts due diligence, and supports its portfolio companies. Jennifer also discusses the current venture landscape, offering insights into market trends, diversification strategies, and the importance of building a balanced portfolio over time.  She also discusses her mentors and books that inspired her journey.

About the Guest and Host:

Jennifer Jeronimo: CEO of Gaingels, former banking executive, and advocate for diversity in venture capital.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-jeronimo1/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam  

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:59 - J-Engels: A Venture Capital Syndicate

01:28 - How J-Engels Works & Its Mission

02:58 - Evolution from AngelList Syndicate

04:41 - Deal Flow Sources

07:17 - Securing Allocation in Competitive Deals

08:39 - J-Engels' Organizational Structure

10:38 - Deal Evaluation Process

13:47 - The Strength of Community in Venture

18:44 - Role of Venture Partners

20:09 - Navigating Market Corrections and Trends

23:35 - Portfolio Diversification Strategies

28:15 - J-Engels' Vision for the Future

30:20 - What Jennifer is Consuming Now

31:59 - Jennifer's Mentors

34:15 - Investing Advice for Beginners

Subscribe to Startup Project for more insightful conversations with leading investors and entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #VentureCapital #Investing #Syndicate #Diversity #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation #PortfolioDiversification #MarketTrends #AngelInvesting

Join host Nataraj on Startup Project as he sits down with Vanessa Larco, Partner at NEA, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on startups and venture capital.

About the Episode: This episode delves into the evolving landscape of tech investing, exploring how AI is reshaping business models, pricing strategies, and the future of work. Vanessa, a former Director of Product at Box and co-founder of Funloop, shares her insights on:

* The shift towards AI in venture capital

* The commoditization debate surrounding LLMs

* The evolving pricing models in the age of AI

* Common mistakes startups make when fundraising

* How to identify and secure promising deals

* Vanessa's personal journey and mentorship experiences

About the Guest and Host:

Vanessa Larco: Partner at NEA, investing in Series A and Series B technology companies. Former Director of Product at Box and co-founder of Funloop.

Connect with Vanessa:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessalarco

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/

→ Website: https://thestartupproject.io

Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:01 - AI's Impact on Venture Capital

04:12 - The Commoditization of LLMs

08:57 - The SaaS Subscription Model and AI

16:04 - AI-Enabled Investment Ideas

18:50 - Life as a Partner at NEA

23:42 - Working with Series A & B Companies

25:40 - Traction Metrics for Series A

27:59 - Case Studies: Majoree & Rewind

33:04 - Common Startup Mistakes

36:37 - Sourcing Deals in Venture Capital

38:57 - What Vanessa is Consuming Now

40:20 - Mentors in Vanessa's Career

41:38 - Lessons Learned in Venture Investing

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/

#StartupProject #NEA #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #VentureCapital #Startups #SaaS #PricingModels #Fundraising #ProductMarketFit #Investing #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Karthee Madasamy, the Managing Director of MFA Partners, to discuss his journey from chip designer to venture capitalist in the world of deep tech.

About the Episode:

This episode explores Karthee's transition from a technical background in semiconductors and wireless communication to a successful career in venture capital. He shares his experiences at Qualcomm Ventures, where he led investments in companies like Waze and MapMyIndia, and discusses his current focus on deep tech companies at MFA Partners. Karthee provides valuable insights into the evolution of venture capital, the challenges of raising a fund, and the exciting potential of technologies like AI, robotics, and quantum computing.

Karti dives into the nuances of investing in deep tech, sharing his investment thesis for MapMyIndia and highlighting the importance of understanding technology commoditization. He also discusses the incentive structures within corporate venture capital versus traditional VC firms, and offers advice for those considering a career in the field.

About the Guest and Host:

Karthee Madasamy: Managing Director of MFA Partners, previously Managing Director and Vice President at Qualcomm Ventures. 

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartheemfv/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. 

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:51 - Karthee's Journey into Venture Investing

02:46 - First Job in Venture Capital

04:52 - Early Deals and Learnings

07:34 - Identifying Technology Commoditization

09:56 - Investment Thesis for MapMyIndia

13:32 - Incentives in Corporate vs. Traditional VC

18:09 - Starting MFA Partners and Fundraising Challenges

23:37 - Lessons Learned from Fundraising

25:01 - The State of Deep Tech

32:42 - Investing in PsiQuantum and the Future of Quantum Computing

43:34 - Staying Updated and Influential Content

45:54 - Key Learnings about Investing

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#startupproject #deeptech #venturecapital #investing #qualcommventures #mfapartners #ai #robotics #quantumcomputing #technology #innovation #entrepreneurship #podcast #youtube #tech #mapmyindia #waze #psiquantum #semiconductors

Join Nataraj on Startup Project as he talks to Aatish, CEO and founder of EquityZen, a secondary market for private equities. They discuss the evolution of secondary markets, EquityZen's business model, the value proposition of secondary equity platforms, investor strategies, and the nuances of investing in secondary shares. They'll also delve into various IPO types and their pros and cons for investors, providing a glimpse into the future of secondary markets and IPOs by 2025.

About the Episode:

This episode explores how EquityZen created a market for secondary shares, connecting founders, employees, and early investors with individuals seeking pre-IPO investment opportunities. Aatish shares his personal journey from quant hedge fund employee to entrepreneur, highlighting how EquityZen helps late-stage private companies provide liquidity to shareholders.

The conversation also covers:

- Evolution of secondary markets

- EquityZen's business model and platform

- Investing in secondary shares

- Different investor strategies

- IPO types and their impact on investors

- The future of secondary markets and IPOs in 2025

About the Guest and Host:

Aatish: CEO and founder of EquityZen, former co-founder and CTO of Nullsoft, and VP of product at Ampush.  Connect with Aatish:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atishdavda/

→ Website: https://equityzen.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. 

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam 

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction

• 01:10 - What is EquityZen and How Did It Start?

• 04:19 - The Evolution of Secondary Markets

• 09:00 - Standardization in Secondary Transactions

• 14:44 - Portfolio vs. Individual Company Investments

• 20:10 - EquityZen's Business Model: Fees & Carry

• 22:21 - EquityZen's Stats and User Base

• 24:34 - EquityZen's Relationship with Companies and Issuers

• 27:17 - Rights of First Refusal and Blocking Rights

• 30:36 - Navigating the Secondary Market: Legitimacy and Risk

• 33:33 - How EquityZen Uses Data

• 37:14 - Marketing EquityZen in a Regulated Industry

• 40:19 - IPOs vs. Direct Listings: What's the Difference?

• 44:04 - Outlook for IPOs and Secondary Markets in 2025

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #EquityZen #PrivateEquity #SecondaryMarket #PreIPO #Investing #IPO #VentureCapital #Stocks #Finance #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation #Entrepreneur"