The Boost VC Podcast

By: Adam Draper
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  • Summary

  • Join Boost VC’s Founder & Managing Director Adam Draper, to learn about emerging technology from leading figures in the industry. Each episode we interview founders and investors to explore topics like startup strategy and venture capital, as well as incredible technology like bitcoin, virtual reality, AI, exoskeletons, drones, space and more.
    © 2016-2021 The Boost VC Podcast
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Episodes
  • Bringing Scientific Expertise to the VC Market—with Arkady Kulik of RPV

    Bringing Scientific Expertise to the VC Market—with Arkady Kulik of RPV
    Sep 12 2023

    According to a BCG report, only 19% of VCs have some kind of scientific or technological competence. And that creates a translation problem between deep tech founders and investors. 

     

    To close that gap, Arkady Kulik and his cofounder, Tamaz Khunjua, built RPV, a venture fund that brings scientific expertise to the market and helps scientists become strong entrepreneurs.

     

    On this episode of The Boost VC Podcast, Arkady joins us to explain how the RPV team’s extensive background in science and entrepreneurship serves deep tech startups.

     

    Arkady describes how starting a venture fund differs from founding other companies and shares his excitement around ‘being at the edge of science’ as a frontier tech VC.

     

    Listen in for Arkady’s unique take on what it means to be useful to others and learn how RPV is working to make talented scientists billionaires!

     

    Topics Covered

     

    The idea behind RPV

    • Help scientists become strong entrepreneurs
    • ‘Commercialization of science’

     

    How Arkady got into venture capital

    • Moved to US to be part of scientific exploration of humanity
    • Lack of funding in prototyping stage of deep tech startups

     

    Arkady’s biggest accomplishment before age 20

    • Launched first company at 18 without external investment
    • Scaled to annual revenue of $5M in third year

     

    How starting a venture fund differs from starting other companies

    • More competitive, thousands of similar funds raising money
    • Harer to differentiate and properly tell story of niche

     

    What part of being a VC Arkady enjoys the most

    • Being at edge of science and meeting interesting people
    • Finding processes that make things work

     

    The secret skills Arkady is most proud of

    • Developed extreme level of discipline
    • Extremely organized in managing time and data

     

    How Arkady thinks about being useful to others

    • Provide with relevant information or connections
    • Put smile on someone’s face, make life better

     

    The most valuable thing RPV provides for deep tech startups

    • External proof point for science and technology
    • Entrepreneurial experience and change management

     

    Arkady’s ‘deathbed test’ to measure success

    • Nothing ‘could have but didn’t achieve’
    • Self-actualization (happy, complex person)

     

    Connect with Arkady Kulik

     

    RPV https://rpv.global/

    RPV on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/rpvglobal/

    Arkady on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkady-kulik/

    Arkady on X https://twitter.com/arkadykulik 

     

    Resources

     

    Starburst Aerospace https://starburst.aero/

    Cantos VC https://cantos.vc/

    Countdown https://countdown.capital/

    Fifty Years https://fiftyyears.com/

    Productivity Planner https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/productivity-planner

    Terraforming Mars https://www.fryxgames.se/games/terraforming-mars/

    Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper and William H. Draper III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF

     

    Connect with Boost VC

     

    Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

    Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

    Boost VC on X https://twitter.com/BoostVC

    Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/

     
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    42 mins
  • DeepTech Series Ep # 4: Betting on Mission-Driven Deep Tech—with Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures

    DeepTech Series Ep # 4: Betting on Mission-Driven Deep Tech—with Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures
    Jun 12 2023
    If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest? Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology. Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs. On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’ Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to. Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold. Topics Covered Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high schoolGot into Hopkins prep school on scholarship How Maryanna got into venture capitalWorked for early-stage company out of collegeJob offer from Daimler to figure out driverless carsIntroduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VCTrust your intuitionDon’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance How Maryanna defines deep tech‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’Index on novelty at Future Ventures What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right awayAsks what she must believe about reality for YES to holdDiscussion with partner to temper her excitement Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in ventureIdeal for its efficiency and intellectual honestyNever puts someone in tie-breaker position Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investorConfident in ability to assess tech on first principlesKnow how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech  What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer toStructure of open AIDeep seabed mining, recycling battery technology Maryanna’s definition of successFeel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted‘Everything I could give to this, I did’ Connect with Maryanna Saenko Future Ventures https://future.ventures/ Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVCFuture on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko Resources Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehiclesAirbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlabBeeflow  https://www.beeflow.com/Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/ Connect with Boost VC Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVCBoost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/ 
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    50 mins
  • DeepTech Series Ep # 3: What to Look for in a Deep Tech Founder—with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures

    DeepTech Series Ep # 3: What to Look for in a Deep Tech Founder—with Greg Castle of Anorak Ventures
    Jun 5 2023
    Deep tech founders are either technically gifted or great at building a business. But it's seldom both, at least in the beginning. So, what should venture investors pay attention to when we’re choosing founders in these disruptive technologies? Greg Castle is Founder and Managing Director at Anorak Ventures, a firm that invests in early-stage deep tech startups. An entrepreneur and corporate marketer turned VC, Greg has invested in 120 companies, including Oculus, Flexport and Mux. On this episode of Boost VC, Greg joins us to explore how his view of venture investing has changed since he wrote his first check, explaining what he looks for in a founder and how he evaluates deep tech startups differently. Greg shares his mixed feelings about the VR market right now and how he benefits from having a partner to engage in conviction-based decision-making. Listen in for Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep tech and learn how Anorak chooses founders who apply disruptive technologies to business problems in any industry. Topics Covered How Greg got into venture capitalCurious person who advocates for people he believes inGot lucky in first few personal investments, e.g.: Oculus The most important lessons Greg has learned as a VCWhat high-functioning teams and companies look likeNot to take it personally when things don’t go as planned What Greg pays attention to when he’s choosing foundersHow they interact with cofounders, react to feedbackPunctuality at meetings, preparedness and responsiveness The questions Greg asks himself before he invests in a startupDo I believe in the founder?Do I believe in the market? How Greg evaluates deep tech companies differentlyMove forward with presumption that anything’s possibleConsider if technically gifted person can build business Greg’s mixed feelings about the VR market right nowViable platform where developers make real moneyFrustrated by lack of competition, Meta fumbling the ball Greg’s thoughts on Apple entering the VR/AR market‘Nobody can make a product cool like Apple can’Not well-positioned in immersive gaming (primary use case) The Anorak investment thesisHandful of technologies will have outsized impact on futureFind teams leveraging those technologies, industry agnostic Greg’s advice on where to deploy capital in deep techAlways comes down to peopleBuild out ecosystem of investors, founders How Greg thinks about scale in venture investingFind great people in areas that are not your strengthsScale of funds = $15M to $25M per partner How Greg benefits from taking on a partnerNeed to explain yourself to thought partnerCan still move quickly when he needs to Greg’s biggest accomplishments before age 20Building group of friends in collegeStill works with many of them Greg’s definition of successConfident and comfortable in your own skinContent with what you have Connect with Greg Castle Anorak Ventures https://www.anorak.vc/Anorak on Medium https://anorakvc.medium.com/Anorak on Twitter https://twitter.com/AnorakVenturesAnorak on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/anorak-ventures/Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycastle/Greg on Twitter https://twitter.com/gpcastle12 Resources Greg Castle on Boost VC EP001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyO3LpZD9QGreg Castle on Boost VC EP089 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qYRcDMoemjrMHDxKONu4AOculus https://www.meta.com/quest/GOLF+ https://www.golfplusvr.com/FitXR https://fitxr.com/Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman https://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman-ebook/dp/B000FC130ESnow Crash by Neal Stephenson https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B000FBJCJE/Hyperion by Dan Simmons https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004G60EHS/Neuromancer by William Gibson https://www.amazon.com/Neuromancer-Sprawl-Trilogy-William-Gibson-ebook/dp/B000O76ON6/ Breakfast with Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook by Adam Draper & William Henry Draper, III https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF‘Perception Is Reality’ Presentation https://www.anorak.vc/post/perception-is-reality-8-startup-marketing-principles Connect with Boost VC Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVCBoost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/
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    45 mins

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