Gordon "Butch" Stewart went from selling ACs to building the multi-billion dollar Sandals empire. His story is a masterclass in spotting value where others see ruin, applying aggressive service standards to redefine luxury tourism in Jamaica and beyond.
Safety nets disappear when you become a CEO. HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan joins Sequoia to unpack the transition from founder to executive. Learn how he views modern leadership, 'Halliganisms,' and why AI is forcing leaders to rewrite their scaling strategies.
OpenAI's acquisition of OpenClaw signals a war for the AI interface. As the industry shifts, we explore the implications for open-source independence, the move toward an "app-less" world, and the ethical frontiers of digital cloning. Is this the end of traditional UI?
Before NFTs became a buzzword, Larva Labs released 10,000 pixelated characters for free. This experiment, CryptoPunks, generated billions and changed digital ownership forever. Discover how a project with zero expectations became the blueprint for the entire NFT ecosystem.
In this deep dive from Tokyo, Jason Calacanis joins Amanda Bradford and William Barnes to rewrite the startup playbook. Learn why raising on a slide deck is dead and how 'Year Zero' founders must prioritize execution, low-code building, and validation over chasing capital.
Many founders use AI to speed up tasks, but true innovation lies in being "AI Native." This means moving beyond chat tools to orchestrate autonomous agents. Discover how this shift allows small teams to achieve results previously requiring massive human capital.
The "salaryman" era is fading. Jason Calacanis and Shin Takamiya explore Tokyo's seismic shift, where rigid corporate ladders are replaced by a vibrant startup ecosystem. Discover why being a founder is the new status symbol in Japan.
Silicon Valley often champions the abrasive genius, but Sam Lessin argues that etiquette is a strategic tool. Learn how "showing up with a low heart rate" signals the confidence and competence needed to build trust and close deals in the high-stakes startup world.
The gap between "pretty good" and the "greatest" isn't linear—it's logarithmic. David Senra explains why achieving the apex requires a rejection of balance in favor of singular obsession.
Over a decade after The Lean Startup, Eric Ries discusses how the methodology has become the default OS for ventures. He tackles persistent misconceptions about MVPs and argues for an evolution in governance to address AI and founder mental health.
Scaling from $1M to $10M ARR requires a new strategy. Enterprise sales expert Jen Abel shares a counterintuitive playbook: target Tier 1 logos first, sell the vision, and use creative deal-crafting over rigid rules to land transformative, six-figure deals.
For Lulu Cheng Meservey, PR is survival. Move beyond the "build it and they will come" mentality. Learn how to leverage "cultural erogenous zones," stop shouting into the void, and craft strategic narratives that travel under their own power.
Gustaf Alströmer has guided over 600 startups at Y Combinator. In this deep dive, he shares the recurring mistakes that kill early-stage ventures, insights from Airbnb’s original growth team, and why the next decade’s biggest opportunities lie in climate tech.
Pete Kazanjy breaks down why sales isn't a "black box" but an engineering discipline. Learn why you can't outsource early discovery and how to build your "sales source code" to validate product-market fit before scaling a team.
While most founders cut costs during a recession, Bravado CEO Sahil Mansuri suggests a different approach. Drawing on data from 300,000 sales pros, he explains how to restructure forecasting, compensation, and customer engagement to hit revenue targets when capital is expensive.
Lauren Ipsen (General Catalyst) has placed 80+ senior product leaders. She shares a 360-degree view of the hiring ecosystem: what founders get wrong, how to land top talent, and actionable advice for product managers eyeing the C-suite.
