Is seed investing dead? Are AI companies a good bet for VCs? And which founders will thrive in a post-ZIRP tech landscape? Sam Lessin weighs in on these topics and more in this episode of World of DaaS.
Sam is a GP at Slow Ventures, a former Facebook product manager, and the founder of Drop.io and Fin. He’s also the co-host of a excellent podcast on tech called More or Less.
In this episode, Sam gives a comprehensive breakdown of the state of venture capital. We discuss the current environment for raising capital, the path to IPO for public companies, the influence of megafunds like Tiger Global and SoftBank, and the fundamental shift in investor behavior compared to the bull run in 2018-2022.
Sam also shares his outlook on the best areas for investment in 2024 and beyond, including which founders and business models he thinks will win and which businesses are likely to struggle. We go deep on the dynamics of investing in AI– Sam is confident that some of the largest companies in the world in the coming years will be in artificial intelligence.
To close out, Sam and I also dive into some of the “weird” investment ideas Slow Ventures is exploring, like buying equity in people via income share agreements and backing creators. We also reflect on the changing global landscape of tech and discuss why Sam believes the era of the “open internet” is over.
World of DaaS is brought to you by Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit World of DaaS on YouTube.
We post videos every week on all things tech, data, and venture capital, so make sure you subscribe:
You can find me on X at @auren and Sam Lessin on X at @lessin.
