PODCAST · business
Confluence.VC
by Clay Norris and Tyler Dean
Perspectives from the next wave of world-class investors and operators
Episodes
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#82 - Data-driven LP investing with Jake Kupperman (Principal @ Level VC)
Guest: Jake Kupperman (@jbkupperman) Company: Level Ventures Location: New York, NY Background: Level is a leading data-driven investment manager focused on technology innovation. Their team thinks about venture investing differently than most, and they apply deep levels of data science to inform...
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#81 - VC over-saturation and workflow automations with Tim Flannery (CEO @ Passport)
Talking points (five-second version): The old state of venture investing The new state of venture investing Why the market is ripe for new workflows
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#80 - How to use programmatic SEO to reach 200k monthly unique site visitors with Nico Cerdeira (Founder @ Failory)
Guest: Nico Cerdeira (@nicocerdeira) Company: Failory Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Background: Failory is a content side for founders, and Nico has led their team for the past five years. Their team has mastered their marketing, and their site brings in hundreds of thousands of unique…
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#79 - Running an angel group vs. running a traditional fund, subsections of proptech worth betting on, and growing a paid community to 200 members with Matt Knight (Founder @ Proptech Angel Group)
Guest: Matt Knight (@JustMattKnight) Company: Proptech Angel Group Location: Atlanta, GA Background: Proptech Angel Group is an angel group out of Atlanta that, as the name suggests, invests in companies shaping the future of real estate. The group has grown to ~200 members, and Matt is the…
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#78 - Alternative ways to build track record with Mack Kolarich (VP @ Assure)
Guest: Mack Kolarich (@MackKolarich) Company: Assure Background: Assure is the OG and most-used special purpose vehicle platform. They help anybody running SPVs by handling all of the administrative work that you don't have time for. Mack is a VP, and he also leads up their analytics team to...
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#77 - Investing in the future of finch with Drew Glover (General Partner @ Fiat Growth)
Guest: Drew Glover (@DrewBailer) Company: Fiat Growth Background: Fiat Growth is an emerging VC focused on supporting and growing the next generation of fintech companies. Talking points (five-second version): Differences in evaluating and investing companies at different stages of the lifecycle...
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#76 - Portfolio construction and scenario planning with Anubhav Srivstava (Founder @ Tactyc)
Guest: Anubhav Srivastava (@anubhav0313) Company: Tactyc Background: Anubhav is the founder and CEO of Tactyc, a venture portfolio construction, performance forecasting, and scenario planning software for data-driven funds. Get started with a 30% discount on their Construction and Solo plans by...
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#75 - Community, capital, and the future of venture with Jacob Peters (General Partner @ House Capital)
Guest: Jacob Peters (@J__Cub) Company: House Capital Role: Co-Founder & General Partner Background: House Capital is the venture arm of Launch House. They invest ~$100k checks to support builders of the next Silicon Valley, and all of their portfolio companies get lifetime access into Launch…
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#74 - Seeding the next era of fund managers with Mike Suprovici (Head of Acceleration @ VC Lab)
Guest: Mike Suprovici (@msuprovici) Company: VC Lab Role: Head of Acceleration Background: VC Lab is the leading venture capital accelerator for fund managers. The program is 16 weeks, it's free for participants (once accepted), and the goal is to help participants reach their first close.…
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#73 - Building and scaling online communities with David Kobrosky (CEO @ Intros AI)
Guest: David Kobrosky (@thebrunchguy) Company: Intros AI Role: CEO Background: Intros AI helps automate introductions to help communities build stronger connections. We use their software to help our community make more meaningful relationships, and Confluence premium members can sign up for that...
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#72 - Melissa Widner (CEO @ Lighter Capital) on venture alternatives and revenue-based financing
Guest summary (10-second version): Guest: Melissa Widner (@melissawidner) Company: Lighter Capital Role: CEO Background: Lighter Capital is a revenue-based financing fund that helps SaaS companies raise capital without giving up ownership. Talking points (five-second version): Revenue-based...
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#71 - Zain Jaffer (Zain Ventures) on prepping for a successful exit, non-obvious differences between family offices and traditional funds, and opportunities in the future of real estate
This week we had on Zain Jaffer (@zainjaffer) from Zain Ventures. Zain is a former operator with multiple exits under his belt, the most notable being Vungle's $780 million acquisition by Blackstone in 2019. Zain now primarily focuses on his family office, Zain Ventures, and he invests primarily…
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#70 - Alexa Grabell (Co-Founder & CEO @ Pocus) on branding as a product-led growth company, creating early demand for your product, and extracting value from investors after they write checks
This week we had on Alexa Grabell (@alexa_grabell) from Pocus. Pocus is a product-led sales platform that helps GTM teams use data to improve customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion. Alexa is the co-founder & CEO, and she just raised $23mm to fuel their next phase of growth. In this talk,...
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#69 - Nick Moran (General Partner @ New Stack) on building influence within venture, the solo capitalist movement, and why it's worth betting on talent outside of the hubs
This week we had on Nick Moran (@TheFullRatchet) with New Stack Ventures. New Stack is a Chicago-based funds that invests in outsiders. They aim to back pre-seed and seed founders working on problems within software, fintech, protech, healthcare, supply chain, and e-commerce. Nick is the managing...
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#68 - Kirby Porter (Founder @ New Game Labs) on athletes and web3
This week we had on Kirby Porter (@KirbyPorter_) with New Game Labs. Kirby started her career in venture, and switched over the operating side recently to launch New Game Labs to help athletes learn, connect, and create in web3. In this talk, we cover: Figuring out your "why" NIL deals and their...
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#67 - Corey Walters (CEO & Here) on educating before selling, the process of fractionalizing hard assets, and solving bottlenecks as you scale
This week we had on Corey Walters with Here. Here let's anybody invest into vacation rentals like stocks. They handle all the administrative work; investors earn passive income. We love this company, and we're currently syndicating a small allocation into their upcoming round (to view our memo…
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#66 - Jared Fuller (Partnerships @ BuiltFirst) on using ecosystems to your advantage, modern partnerships 101, and how to make sure that your portfolio CEOs are making the right hires
This week we had on Jared Fuller (@fullerfreedom) with BuiltFirst. BuiltFirst helps communities spin up vendor marketplaces to help community members make better software decisions. We're one of the 200+ communities they have onboarded (we use them for our perk board), and they have already…
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#65 - Nik Talreja (Co-Founder & CEO @ Sydecar) on why more junior investors are using SPVs to build their track record, the benefits of not building in public, and attracting top talent
This week we had on Nik Talreja (@niktalreja) from Sydecar. Sydecar is a frictionless deal execution platform for venture investors. Their platform handles back-office operations, automating banking, compliance, contracts, and reporting so that customers can focus on making deals and building...
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#64 - Fed (Founder @ Hive Index) on things that great online communities do well, why community-focused businesses are here to stay, and the rise of the solopreneur
This week we had on Fed (@foliofed) with Hive Index. Hive Index is an aggregation tool that let's anybody find the right online communities to join. Fed is a nomad, a bootstrapped founder, and he also runs another software company when he's not busy with Hive Index. In this talk, we cover: Things...
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#63 - Dustin McCaffree (Founder @ Marvel) on winning at SEO, why every company is becoming a media company, and overcoming bottlenecks
This week we had on Dustin McCaffree (@terribledustin) with Marvel. Marvel helps businesses outsource their content creation, and it specializes in blogs and other forms of written content. We use them for a lot of our content, and we would recommend them to anybody reading this. In this talk, we...
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#62 - Tyler Denk (CEO @ beehiiv) on creating tribalism, processes to ship faster, and why free is not always better
This week we had on Tyler Denk (@denk_tweets) of beehiiv. Beehiiv is an all-in-one newsletter solution that helps writers create better content is keep more of their revenue. In this talk, we cover: Creating an "us vs. them" mentality Processes to ship product faster Why free is not always better
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#61 - Michael Quigley (Co-Founder @ SpinCar) on investing with an operator mindset, partnerships and commitment in a world of abundance, and what trends are most exciting within venture
This week we had on Michael Quigley at SpinCar. SpinCar is an automative merchandising platform for automative dealers, wholesalers, and OEMs. The company has grown to millions in recurring revenue, and Michael acts as the president while also serving as a managing partner at StartFast. In this...
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#60 - Kenny Rose (Founder @ FranShares) on alternative ways to build passive income
This week we had on Kenny Rose with FranShares. FranShares makes it possible for anybody to build passive income through franchise investing. Their team is planning to open up access soon, and you can sign up for the waitlist for free using this link. In this talk, we cover: The appeal of cash…
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#59 - Jake Barry & Kai Han (Co-Founders @ Pallet) on the past, current, and future state of business recruiting, community-based marketing, and creating value through aggregation
This week we had on Jake (@jjbarry17) and Kai (@hankai1998) from Pallet. Pallet is building hiring infrastructure for communities and creators. We use it for our job board, we love the product, and we wanted to bring on their team to show them some love for helping us add value to this community....
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#58 - Amir Kabir (Partner @ AV8) on the hierarchy of VC priorities, finding product-market fit as an insurtech business, and looking for honesty when evaluating founding teams
This week we had on Amir Kabir (@AmirKabir99) at AV8. AV8 is an early-stage fund that focuses on healthcare, enterprise, financial services and deep-tech. Within his role, Amir primarily covers fintech and insurtech. In this talk, we cover: The four things that matter as a VC Finding…
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#57 - Kristofer Martin (Principal @ Will Ventures) on successful traits of athletes-turned-founders, applying skills from different backgrounds, and sectors and opportunities within consumer tech
This week we had on Kristofer Martin (@K_Swizzy20) from Will Ventures. Will is an early-stage fund that invests in consumer, health, and media companies. Their entire team is former college athletes, and they look to back founders with the same type of background. In this talk, we discuss:...
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#56 - Phil Nadel (Managing Director @ Forefront Venture Partners) on building distribution advantages
This week we had on Phil Nadel (@NadelPhil) from Forefront Venture Partners. Forefront is one of the largest and most successful syndicates on AngelList. Phil is the host of a popular podcast called The Pitch, and his partner is also an investor on Shark Tank. Their syndicate focuses on backing...
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#55 - Kai Cash (Investor @ Primary) on creating leverage as a junior investor
This week we had on Kai Cash (@kuaicash) at Primary Venture Partners. Primary is one of the best seed funds in the world. They focus on backing the best founders in New York, and this approach has resulted in their companies raising follow-on capital nearly 90% of the time. Kai is on the…
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#54 - Helene Servillon (JourneyOne Ventures) on problems that alcohol, pharma, and CPG don’t address, what makes a cannabis business investible, and obstacles and tailwinds for the cannabis industry
This week we had on Helene Servillon (@HServillon) from JourneyOne Ventures. JourneyOne is a first-time fund focusing on backing cannabis companies poised for high-velocity growth. Helene is the founding partner of the fund, and she does everything within her role. In this talk, we discuss:...
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#53 - Justine Humenansky (Strategy @ RabbitHole) on ownership-based networks, onboarding late adopters, and staying compliant as a Web3 project
This week we had on Justine Humenansky (@j_humenansky) with RabbitHole. Justine has worked as an investor at Dorm Room Fund, First Round Capital, Playground Global, and she recently switched over to RabbitHole to help the next era of people gain skills for participating in the new digital…
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#52 - Abigail Tisch (Investor at RRE) on learning to operate within venture, problems that can't be solved with money, and tailwinds and opportunities within mobility tech
This week we had on Abigail Tisch at RRE Ventures. RRE is one of the top funds in the world investing in early-stage, category-defining startups across all sectors and across the country. Abigail works on their investment team, and she focuses on opportunities within mobility, climate, supply...
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#51 - Victor Pascucci (Managing Partner @ Energy Capital Ventures) on aging utilities infrastructure, powering the clean energy revolution, and applying mental models across industries
This week we had on Victor Pascucci (@victorpascucci3) at Energy Capital Ventures. ECV is a first-time fund focusing on the ESG imperatives and the transformation of the natural gas industry. As a firm, they leverage strong relationships with strategic limited partners in the utilities industry…
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#50 - Andrew Gadecki (CEO @ MicroAcquire) on flaws with the M&A process, the media painting the wrong picture of entrepreneurship, and replacing gatekeepers
This week we had on Andrew Gazdecki (@agazdecki) at MicroAcquire. MicroAcquire has become the marketplace for startup M&A, and since launching a year ago, it has already helped facilitate 500+ exits. Andrew has built up a brand as one of the most-liked people within tech, and we had a ton of fun...
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#49 - Nicole (Williams) Ruiz (Investor @ Compound) on narrative-driven investing, ingredients of great narratives, opportunities within deep tech, and the future of digital education
This week we had on Nicole (Williams) Ruiz (@nwilliams030) at Compound. Compound is a thesis-driven seed stage venture firm investing in bleeding edge technology on the brink of commercialization. Within her role, Nicole focuses on finding and supporting frontier tech companies at the seed. In…
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#48 - Hanel Baveja (Investment Team @ Union Square Ventures) on thesis-driven sourcing, sharing thoughts online to create magnets for deal flow, and opportunities within fintech and digital wellness
This week we had on Hanel Baveja (@HanelBaveja) at Union Square Ventures. USV is one of the best venture capital funds in the world, and since 2003, they have invested in over 100 companies that use the power of the internet to re-shape markets. Within her role, Hanel focuses primarily on...
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#47 - Justin Smith (GP @ Recharge Ventures) on starting a fund from scratch, consumer tech in emerging markets, and investing in consumer brands in today's world
This week we had on Justin Smith at Recharge Ventures. Recharge is a first-time fund that is betting on consumer technology within emerging markets. Justin is a friend of ours, an advisor to our syndicate, and he’s one of the smartest and most genuine guys we’ve met since starting Confluence. In...
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#46 - Mel Strong (Founding Partner @ NEXT Ventures) on transitioning from a major corporate into VC, identifying DNA traits of good founders, and sub-verticals to monitor within sports tech
This week we had on Mel Strong (@girlstrong) at NEXT Ventures. NEXT is a first-time fund designed to invest in sports, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Mel is one of three managing partners at NEXT, and before joining the team, she spent the bulk of her career building and designing products at...
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#45 - Lolita Taub (GP @ The Community Fund) on productizing yourself, non-obvious benefits to building an audience across platforms, and thoughts on the the current and future state of community
This week we had on Lolita Taub (@lolitataub) at The Community Fund. Lolita is a force of nature, and she is universally loved by everyone in the startup world. In her role at The Community Fund, she focuses on backing community-led businesses that create outsized returns. In this talk, we…
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#44 - Vinay Iyengar (VC @ Two Sigma Ventures) on why now is the golden age to start a business, implications of software becoming commoditized, and demystifying job searches
This week we had on Vinay Iyengar (@VinIyengar) of Two Sigma Ventures. Two Sigma is a multi-strategy fund that invests from seed to Series B across a number of industries. Vinay helps lead up the San Francisco office, and he focuses on early-stage investments in enterprise software, machine...
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#43 - Aashay Sanghvi (Investor @ Haystack) on navigating the venture hype cycle, the business and game of being a VC, and breaking down what is attractive about dev tools
This week we had on Aashay Sanghvi (@aashaysanghvi_) of Haystack. Haystack is an early-stage fund that backs outlier founders at the earliest stages. Some of their portfolio companies include DoorDash, Instacart, Figma, Carta, and OpenDoor to name a few. Aashay is one of the three members of the...
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#42 - Ali Jamal (Founder Partner @ First Check Ventures) on developing a product mindset, how syndicate leads can offer more value than traditional funds, and thoughts on the influx of syndicate leads
This week we had on Ali Jamal (@MrAliJamal) of First Check Ventures. First Check is one of the largest and most active syndicates on AngelList, and Ali is the founder and sole member of the team. Since launching in July of 2020, the group has already invested in 25+ companies from around the…
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#41 - David Teten (Founding Partner @ Versatile VC) on opportunities within the VC tech stack, signaling risks when selling a luxury asset, and thoughts on why VC is usually the wrong option
This week we had on David Teten (@dteten, teten.com) of Versatile VC. Versatile is a different type of VC that focuses on capital-efficient startups. Of the Inc. 5000 companies, only 6.5% raised money from VCs and 7.7% raised from angels. Versatile is VC for the other 93%. Versatile provides free...
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#40 - Yohei Nakajima (General Partner @ Untapped Capital) on problems with relying on referrals, betting on businesses making real impact, and the expansion of opportunity as no-code eats software
This week we had on Yohei Nakajima (@yoheinakajima) of Untapped Capital. Untapped is an early-stage fund that bets on overlooked founders. Yohei has built up a massive network through previous experiences at Disney, Techstars, and Scrum Ventures, and part of Untapped’s strategy involves…
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#39 - Ariana Thacker (Founding Partner @ Conscience VC) on hacking a first-time fundraise, red flags for founding teams, and the future of consumer + science
This week we had on Ariana Thacker of Conscience VC. Conscience is an early-stage fund investing at the intersection of consumer and science. The fund backs pre-seed and seed companies within this thesis, and it tries to be the first check written when it has the chance. Ariana is the founding...
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#38 - John Smothers (Ambassador Program Lead @ Acrew Capital) on building businesses on top of online communities, problems with pattern matching, and venture becoming a hospitality business
This week we had on John Smothers (@smothers_john) from Acrew Capital. Acrew is a multi-strategy fund focused on modernizing security and infrastructure, rebuilding financial services, reimagining the future of work, better connecting datasets, and activated communities. Within his role, John...
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#37 - Tali Vogelstein (Founding Investor @ Avid Ventures) on earning the right to follow on investments, building an LP base that is a source of value, and Israel becoming an innovation hub
This week we had on Tali Vogelstein (@talivog) from Avid Ventures. Avid just closed on one of the largest first-time funds ever raised, and the firm is looking to win allocation into the best deals by taking a more collaborative approach. Within her role, Tali focuses on investing across consumer...
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#36 - Mikal Khoso (Investor @ Wavemaker) on the reversal of startup idea generation between established and emerging markets, super app wars, and the logic behind bundling services
This week we had on Mikal Khoso (@mikalkhoso) from Wavemaker Partners. Wavemaker is a multi-strategy fund based in LA and Singapore that invests globally across enterprise, consumer, and digital media opportunities. Within his role, Mikal focuses on emerging markets, and he documents a lot of his...
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#35 - Josh Schlisserman (Founding Partner @ Behind Genius Ventures) on the rise of operator-led rounds, hacking around getting into competitive seed rounds, and maximizing shots on goal
This week we had on Josh Schlisserman (@jslishi) of Behind Genius Ventures. Behind Genius is generalist fund that focuses on product-led growth companies. Josh is the founding partner of the fund, and he handles LPs and fundraising along with sourcing, evaluating, and supporting the companies…
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#34 - Halle Kaplan-Allen (Venture Operations @ AngelList) on leveraging software and building scalable systems, why funds cannot afford to overlook internal operations, building an authentic brand
This week we had on Halle Kaplan-Allen (@____hka) of AngelList. AngelList is the OG platform for startups, angel investors, and job-seekers looking to work in tech. Halle has built a unique skillset as an operator, no-code wizard, and Twitter personality, and we wanted to have her on to pick her...
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#33 - (Katie Shea (Managing Partner @ Divergent Capital) on establishing track record to pitch LPs, building scalable systems of support, and underwriting technical and and business model risks
This week we had on Katie Shea (@katiesheasays) of Divergent Capital. Divergent is a generalist fund that prefers to invest at the pre-seed. Katie is one of the founding partners of the fund, and within her role, she uses her previous experiences within marketing to help her portfolio…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Perspectives from the next wave of world-class investors and operators
HOSTED BY
Clay Norris and Tyler Dean
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Confluence.VC have?
Confluence.VC currently has 82 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Confluence.VC about?
Perspectives from the next wave of world-class investors and operators
How often does Confluence.VC release new episodes?
Confluence.VC has 82 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Confluence.VC?
You can listen to Confluence.VC on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Confluence.VC?
Confluence.VC is created and hosted by Clay Norris and Tyler Dean.
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