2020 in review: the podcasts and newsletters that got me through this year
To close out the year I have decided to “give” what comes most naturally to me — unsolicited podcast and newsletter recommendations! Below is a list of some of my favorites from this past year. If they can help me get through 2020, I hope you will agree that they are worthy of a follow!
On (mostly) B2B SaaS:
Podcasts:
Acquired: In each episode, Ben and David explore the history and the growth strategies of some of the most successful acquisitions (and IPOs). If you’re new to the podcast and looking for an episode to start with, check out “The Complete History and Strategy of Disney+” An oldie but a goodie — the episode follows the trajectory of longtime Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and the acquisitions he oversaw that set the stage for the Disney we know today: Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and BAMTech.
Bessemer Venture Partners’ Cloud Giants: Famed VC Byron Deeter interviews the leaders of today’s “Cloud Giants,” discussing their own personal founder journey, the early days of the company, and how they grew into the “giant” they are today. If you’re new to the podcast, a timely episode to start with is Byron’s interview with Eric Yuan, CEO and Founder of Zoom. In the episode, Eric details his time with Webex, where he was first inspired to build the second generation of video communication. A key lesson within the episode is how to succeed in a highly competitive space. As Eric argues, the key is to remain laser-focused on your customers. If you deliver value to your customers/users you can “sleep well” according to Eric.
Newsletters:
What’s hot in Enterprise IT/VC: Written by Ed Sim, a first check investor in enterprise technology, this newsletter has quickly become one of my favorite Sunday reads. Every week, Ed offers practical advice for founders, an update on that week’s biggest stories in enterprise technology and VC. A good post to start with is Ed’s breakdown of OpenView’s 2020 SaaS Benchmarking Survey. His big takeaway from the annual survey? Many companies responded to COVID with an abundance of caution, therefore sidelining major growth initiatives. In 2021 it’s time to ramp back up on GTM investments to ensure companies get back on their pre-COVID growth trajectory.
Lenny’s Newsletter: Lenny Rachitsky is a former Growth Product Manager Lead for Airbnb and a wealth of knowledge on all topics including product, fundraising, and startup building. If there’s one newsletter I would recommend an early-stage founder subscribe to this is it. Lenny has published several posts this year breaking down some of the most important metrics for any business. One of my personal favorites being his post on “What is good retention?” Lenny interviewed several experts, breaking down the difference between good and great retention, both user retention and net revenue retention. If you’re building a software business, I’d highly recommend reading his post and subscribing to Lenny’s Newsletter.
Clouded Judgement: Jamin Ball’s newsletter is consistently a “high signal” publication. Every week Jamin provides updates on the latest trends in public SaaS valuations, operating metrics, and comps in general. Looking to make sense of 2020’s bull run? Check out his most recent post, a look back on Q3 public SaaS earnings.
On Building Outside of Silicon Valley:
Podcasts:
Upside: Jay Clouse and Eric Hornung host one of my favorite podcasts, highlighting high-growth, typically Pre-Series A, companies outside of Silicon Valley. Each episode provides a short introduction of the company, an interview with the founder, and closes with a debrief from Jay and Eric. One of my favorite episodes is with Blake Lawrence of Opendorse. Upside recently re-aired the episode as a part of their “Rewind” series. Since the episode was first aired, Opendorse has grown a ton, recently announcing a partnership with Team USA!
Newsletters:
Excoastal: A weekly newsletter covering the startups and financings within the Midwest. Published by Evan Lonergan, the newsletter covers all the major deals, and exits, within the region. To close out each post, Evan also provides his own podcast recommendation and “culture break.”
On Venture Capital:
Podcasts:
The Full Ratchet: Hosted by Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, is a fantastic podcast for anyone interested in learning more about venture capital. The series “Investor Stories” is one of my favorites. In each segment, investors tell stories varying from lessons learned to predictions for what’s to come.
Origins: One of the few podcasts I’ve found which explores the rarely discussed world of Limited Partners (LPs). If you’re looking for an episode to start with I recommend listening to “Sahil Lavingia and Steve Schlafman on new VC structures” as they discuss new fund structures that have gained popularity in the past year, including rolling funds.
For Fun:
Podcasts:
The Knowledge Project: Interviews to “upgrade your thinking.”
The Big Picture: A podcast on the state of movies (even in 2020!)
Jam Session: For all things pop culture.
