closed{session} podcast
Join us – Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya – where we reveal all the joys and sorrows of company building. From the guttermost to the uttermost, we’re not going to hold back.
Featured episode
How operator scars build defensible AI startups
Dissect why operator scars beat VC theory with Salesforce veteran Leyla Seka.
Calling BULLSHIT
Tom and Vivek jump on the pod for a special bonus episode to call BULLSHIT on VCs, CEOs, the “categorical shit,” and more. So strap yourselves in because the takes are HOT.
The super{set} CEO
Tom and Vivek describe what the ideal CEO looks like in the early stage, why great product people aren’t necessarily going to make great CEOs, and what the division of labor looks like between the CEO and the rest of the early team. They then bring on special guest Dane E. Holmes from super{set} company Eskalera to hear about his decision to join a super{set} company and his lessons for early-stage leadership.
Early Stage Customers
Tom and Vivek discuss what the very first customers of a startup must look and act like, the staging and sequencing of setting up a sales operation with a feedback loop to product, and end with special guest Matt Kilmartin, CEO of Habu and former Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Krux, for his advice on effective entrepreneurial selling.