Demo Day Podcast
by CoEfficient Labs
Demo Day is the podcast for founders, venture capitalists, and anyone who wants to learn more about the top accelerator, incubator, and VC programs across the country. Come hear the top venture capitalists and founders in the game discuss what it takes to go from seed to exit.
Episodes
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20-Somethings: This is How To Guarantee Future Success w/ Jim Armstrong
In your twenties, should you be focused on the size of your paycheck or the depth of your skill set? According to legendary venture capitalist Jim Armstrong, chasing a salary early on is the fastest way to plateau your career. In this episode of Demo Day, host Sean Goldfaden sits down with Jim...
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Paul Orlando on the Strategy for Timing Your Startup Success
Why did one health tech startup raise $1 million just days after being rejected? Paul Orlando reveals the "secret signal" that separates massive success from total failure. Paul Orlando (Director of the USC Incubator) once had to choose between two promising health tech startups. He picked the…
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Why You Must Build to Survive the AI Cambrian Explosion with Adam Struck
If you aren't elbow-deep in the code, you're flying blind. We are currently witnessing a "Cambrian explosion" of AI, and most investors are watching from the sidelines without a clue of what’s actually happening under the hood. In this episode of Demo Day, Adam Struck, Managing Partner at Struck...
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Alex Rubalcava on the Financial Red Flags VCs See Instantly
Think your 75% EBITDA margins look impressive? Unless you’re running a drug cartel, Alex Rubalcava says you’re probably just showing a lack of financial sophistication. In this episode of the Demo Day podcast, we sit down with Alex Rubalcava, Managing Partner of Amplify LA, to deconstruct the...
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Why Brian Garrett Says Most Founders Focus on the Wrong Things
"Strip out the bullsh*t." Brian Garrett reveals the hard-won lessons from 18+ years in venture capital and how he survived his most devastating year yet. Discover why one of LA’s most seasoned investors is pivoting away from generalist VC to go all-in on Frontier Tech and the "techno-industrial...
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The One Truth Every CEO Needs to Hear with Brian Lee
Most startup advice tells you how to grow, but Brian Lee is here to tell you how to survive. In this episode, the legendary founder of LegalZoom and The Honest Company reveals the "one truth" that separates elite CEOs from those who run out of runway. Whether you’re a first-time founder or a...
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How VCs Predict Startup Success with Ben Savage
What is the single most powerful indicator that a founder will succeed? According to Ben Savage, it isn’t just a great product or a massive market—it’s the "Compete Test". When a seasoned investor looks at a founder and realizes, “That’s not somebody I want to compete with,” they know they’ve…
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Why VCs Reject Impressive Founders with Jesse Draper
VCs aren’t just judging your deck and market size, they’re judging you as a human being. In this episode, Jesse Draper breaks down exactly why investors walk away from “impressive” founders and strong companies when the founder fails the character test. Jesse Draper is the General Partner at...
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The AI Race Is Rigged -- Here’s Why with Manu Kumar
The AI boom isn’t a level playing field—and most startups are running a race they’re set up to lose. In this episode, Dr. Manu Kumar explains why the real winners of this AI wave are the incumbents who already control distribution and customers, not the scrappy upstarts. Dr. Manu Kumar is the...
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The Industry Quietly Taking Over VC with Gabriel Schlumberger
Space startups today look a lot like the internet in 1995 – early, chaotic, and packed with upside for the founders brave enough to build in the void. With VCs going all in on space, Techstars betting big on the category, and an entire industry quietly taking over venture capital, this is a…
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Mark Suster’s Guide to Becoming Successful (For Ambitious Young People)
What if everything you’ve been told about "success" is backwards? In this episode, Mark Suster shares a brutally honest guide to becoming successful for ambitious young people trying to break into startups, tech, and venture capital. Mark Suster, Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures, breaks down...
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The Real Reason Jeff Crusey Walked Away from Brazil’s Solar Boom
How do top VCs really pick winners, and what’s the “fine print” every founder misses? In this Demo Day episode, we go deep inside the investing mind of Jeff Crusey, EVP at Blacklake Group—one of the most unique and active voices in deep tech, defense, and venture capital. Jeff Crusey’s journey...
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Mark Mullen: Why VC Success is Broken
What does it really mean to “succeed” as a founder or a VC? In this episode of Demo Day, we sit down with Mark Mullen, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Bonfire Ventures, to explore the realities behind startup success, venture capital, and what it takes to build a high-performing team in…
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The Simple Rule That Predicts Founder Success with Santhosh Devati
In this episode of Demo Day, Sean Goldfaden interviews venture capitalist and angel investor Santhosh Devati (Managing Parter at Anamika Ventures) about the secret to building lasting success. Santhosh, a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience, shares the unconventional philosophy...
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David Yi on Why VC is Dying
Is venture capital dead? According to VC David Yi, the answer is more complex than you think. In this eye-opening conversation with host Sean Goldfaden, David, a veteran founder and investor, reveals why the traditional VC model is "dying" and what will replace it. David, the general partner of...
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The Secret That Took Netflix to the Top with Petra Griffith
What if the real secret behind Netflix’s success wasn’t movies… but data? In this episode of Demo Day, Sean Goldfaden sits down with Petra Griffith, Managing Director at Wedbush Ventures and a former product leader at Netflix and Yahoo, to uncover the hidden strategies that helped Netflix rise to...
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How to Build Relationships in Venture Capital with Jonathan Hung
In this episode of Demo Day, we sit down with Jonathan Hung, Managing Partner at Entrepreneur Ventures, to explore why relationships matter more than returns in venture capital. Jonathan shares how he transitioned from family offices and Trousdale Ventures to launching a fund under Entrepreneur...
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The Mindset Behind Every Great Founder with Kevin Moore
From humble beginnings in Tulsa to launching his own venture capital firm, Kevin Moore’s story is one of resilience, grit, and vision. In this episode of Demo Day, host Sean Goldfaden sits down with Kevin Moore, Managing Partner at Serac Ventures, to uncover the mindset, habits, and experiences...
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Why Most First-Time VCs Struggle (And How to Survive) with Rick Smith
Starting a venture capital fund sounds glamorous — but the reality? It’s a long, grueling, high-stakes journey. In this episode of the Demo Day Podcast, we sit down with Rick Smith, Co-Founder of Crosscut Ventures, to unpack why most first-time VCs fail, how to navigate the emerging manager...
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The Strategy Quietly Changing Venture Capital with Minnie Ingersoll
In this episode of Demo Day, we sit down with Minnie Ingersoll, Partner at TenOneTen Ventures and host of the LA Venture Podcast, for an insider look at how venture capital is evolving in 2024. Minnie drops exclusive insights on a growing trend: LP sharing - a powerful but rarely discussed tactic...
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How to Pick the Right Investor with Jeff Bocan
In this episode of Demo Day, host Sean Goldfaden sits down with Jeff Bocan, Partner at Okapi Venture Capital, to dive deep into the founder-investor dynamic, red flags to watch for, and what truly sets top-performing startups apart. 🚨 Founders: Are you doing due diligence on your investors? Jeff...
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The #1 Habit that Predicts Founder Success with TX Zhuo
What’s the one trait that separates successful startups from the rest? According to TX Zhuo—Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fika Ventures—it’s not pedigree, pitch decks, or market size. It’s founder responsiveness. In this episode of Demo Day, TX reveals the surprising results of a study…
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Why Most Founders Fail with Marlon Nichols
What makes a great founder? How do VCs really decide who to back? In this episode of Demo Day, host Sean Goldfaden sits down with Marlon Nichols, Managing Partner at MaC Venture Capital, to explore what separates good founders from great ones, the mindset of successful venture capitalists, and…
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The Keys To Becoming A Successful Founder with Laurent Grill
Welcome to the Demo Day Podcast – Your Inside Look at Venture Capital & Startups Hosted by Sean Goldfaden of Coefficient Labs, Demo Day brings you in-depth conversations with top venture capitalists, startup founders, and industry leaders to demystify the world of VC, fundraising, and startup...
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Marlon Nichols on Valuable Advice for Aspiring VCs, MaC Venture Capital
Marlon Nichols gives top tips for people who want to become a venture capitalist and describes what a cultural investing thesis means for MaC Venture Capital. Guests - Marlon Nichols Website - https://macventurecapital.com/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Derek Norton on Passionate Founders and The People Business, Watertower Ventures
Derek Norton shares advice on working with your friends, the truth about transitioning from entrepreneurship to venture capital, and the necessity of in-person events in the startup and VC ecosystem. Guests - Derek Norton Website - https://www.watertowerventures.com/ Follow Us! LinkedIn:...
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Peter Lee on The Reality of Investing in Hard Tech, Embark Ventures
Peter Lee shares his journey between startups and consulting, before landing in venture capital. He also discusses the true value proposition of robotics companies and the reality in investing in hard technology. Guests - Peter Lee Website - https://www.embark.vc/ Follow Us! LinkedIn:...
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Brian Lee on His Unique Entrepreneurial Experiences, BAM Ventures
Brian Lee shares the incredible stories of how LegalZoom, ShoeDazzle, Arena Club, and The Honest Company came to fruition. He also describes his transition into venture capital and the types of founders that VCs want to invest in. Guest - Brian Lee Website - https://www.bam.vc/ Follow Us!…
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Alejandro Guerrero on Optionality and Delusional Founders, Act One Ventures
Alejandro Guerrero shares excellent advice for first generations, the differences between sober and delusional founders, and why checks are the least valuable asset coming from a VC. Guest - Alejandro Guerrero Website - https://actoneventures.com/ Follow Us! LinkedIn:...
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Will Schmitt on Leading versus Co-Investing Strategies, Miroma Ventures
Will Schmitt reveals valuable advice to aspiring VCs, the key differences in leading vs. co-investing, and what VCs seek and don’t seek in a startup founder. Guest - Will Schmitt Website - https://miromaventures.com/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Ben Savage on Investing in People, Clocktower Technology Ventures
Ben Savage shares the importance of investing in human capital, the concept of athleticism versus skill, and top tips on interviewing startup founders. Guest - Ben Savage Website - https://www.clocktowerventures.com/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Paul Bricault on Startup Advice and Trusting Your Gut, Amplify.LA
Paul shares useful advice on the culture needed to grow a startup, the importance of learning from other companies' mistakes, and the value in trusting your gut as a venture capitalist. Guests - Paul Bricault Website - https://www.linkedin.com/company/amplify-la/ Follow Us! LinkedIn:...
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Carlos Alonso Torras on Startup Founder Green Flags, Fintech Collective
Carlos shares his top advice to people just starting their careers, advice on hiring/firing within a company, and the essential green flags in startup founders. Guests - Carlos Alonso Torras Website - https://fintech.io/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Carlos Alonso Torras on Entrepreneurial Culture & Hiring and Firing, Fintech Collective
Carlos reveals the differences of entrepreneurial culture between the US and Latin America, gives crucial advice on hiring and firing within a startup, and shares traits that startup founders need when seeking VC funding. Guests - Carlos Alonso Torras Website - https://fintech.io/ Follow Us!...
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Brett Brewer on the Three Golden Rules of Business, Crosscut Ventures
Brett Brewer shares in detail his three golden rules of business and entrepreneurship. Guests - Brett Brewer Website - https://crosscut.vc/team/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/...
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Brett Brewer on Myspace and Crosscut Ventures
Brett Brewer reveals what made Myspace so successful in the first couple weeks of its launch and how the birth of Crosscut Ventures came to be. Guests - Brett Brewer Website - https://crosscut.vc/team/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Brett Brewer on the Dot-Com Gold Rush and The Dot-Com Crash, Crosscut Ventures
Brett Brewer shares what life was like during the dot-com gold rush in ‘93 and the dot-com crash in the late ‘90s. Guests - Brett Brewer Website - https://crosscut.vc/team/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/ Facebook:...
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Brett Brewer on Myspace and the Three Golden Rules of Business, Crosscut Ventures
Brett Brewer reminisces about the unexpected early success of Myspace and shares his three golden rules of business. Guests - Brett Brewer Website - https://crosscut.vc/team/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/ Facebook:...
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Anna Barber on Hustle Culture & The Metaverse, M13
Anna Barber shares her thoughts on the increasing need for self-care in a world that glorifies hustle culture. She also discusses the future of work through the metaverse and what companies M13 is currently investing in. Guests - Anna Barber Website - https://m13.co/profile/anna-barber Follow Us!...
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Anna Barber on Startups Evolving in a Post-Pandemic Society, M13
Anna reveals two startups that excelled in the turbulence of COVID and what traits founders need to be successful and gain VC funding. Guests - Anna Barber Website - https://m13.co/profile/anna-barber Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Anna Barber on Top Advice For VCs and VC Firms, M13
Anna analyzes the best qualities of Techstars and M13 and differentiates pre-seed, seed, and Series A investments. Guests - Anna Barber Website - https://m13.co/profile/anna-barber Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/…
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Anna Barber on Post-Pandemic Evolution + Mental Health and Hustle Culture, M13
Anna shares the essential traits needed in a startup founder, key differences in pre-seed, seed, and Series A investments, and the correlation between mental health and hustle culture. Guests - Anna Barber Website - https://m13.co/profile/anna-barber Follow Us! LinkedIn:...
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Mark Mullen on Bonfire Ventures and Investment Strategies, Bonfire Ventures
Mark Mullen shares the origin stories of Mull Capital, Double M Partners, and Bonfire Ventures as well as investment strategies for a successful venture fund. Guests - Mark Mullen Website - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1 Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Mark Mullen on Forming Relationships With Founders, Bonfire Ventures
Mark Mullen discusses how to form and maintain a connection with startup founders. Guests - Mark Mullen Website - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1 Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/...
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Mark Mullen on The Bill Daniels Story, Bonfire Ventures
Mark Mullen chats about how he got his first investment banking job with Bill Daniels, the “father of cable television.” Guests - Mark Mullen Website - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1 Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/...
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Mark Mullen on Life Before Venture Capitalism, Bonfire Ventures
Mark Mullen shares his experiences growing up with two entrepreneurial parents and how that influenced him into the venture capitalist he is today. Guests - Mark Mullen Website - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1 Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Mark Mullen on Founder Relationships and Investment Strategies, Bonfire Ventures
Mark Mullen shares how to form and maintain a strong relationship with startup founders and the origin story of Bonfire Ventures. Guests - Mark Mullen Website - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1 Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Eva Ho on Valuable VC Partnerships and Investing In The Mainstream, Fika Ventures
Eva Ho shares the attitude one needs to succeed in VC, the key foundation essential to a valuable VC partnership, and the core principles of a high quality investment. Guests - Eva Ho Website - https://fika.vc/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram:...
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Mark Linao on The Metaverse and Raising a VC Fund, Progression Fund
Mark Linao shares advice on raising a venture fund, his theories on the Metaverse and gaming investments, and red flags in startups that VCs don’t want to invest in. Guests - Mark Linao Website - https://www.progression.fund/people Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs...
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Will Hsu on the Guaranteed Approach for VCs and Entrepreneurs to Win, Mucker Capital
Will shares how Mucker Capital rapidly iterated $100 into $300 million and the top characteristics VCs seek in a founder. Guests - William Hsu Website - https://www.mucker.com/people/ Follow Us! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labs Instagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/...
About this show
Demo Day is the podcast for founders, venture capitalists, and anyone who wants to learn more about the top accelerator, incubator, and VC programs across the country. Come hear the top venture capitalists and founders in the game discuss what it takes to go from seed to exit.
Hosted by
CoEfficient Labs