Science & Technology

Lightspeed is building its edge on followers, not just funds | Equity Podcast

Published

3 weeks ago

August 5, 2026

Venture firms are turning to creators to build trust with the next generation of founders before a check is ever written. It’s a trend that’s been building with a16z’s acquisition of Erik Torenberg’s Turpentine podcast and OpenAI’s acquisition of TBPN. Lightspeed Venture Partners just made its own notable hire in that vein, bringing on Claire Zau, a seed investor with a major following on Instagram and TikTok, to source deals and co-host the firm’s new show, Lightwork, alongside CMO Josh Machiz.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Dominic-Madori Davis is joined by Zau and Machiz to dive deep into whether the “creator-investor” is becoming a real function in venture or just something firms are still trying to figure out.

The content here does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or investment advisory services.

The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Lightspeed. Lightspeed makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information presented by the speaker. The speakers are not compensated in connection with the statements made herein, although Lightspeed portfolio company representatives generally receive compensation and investment opportunities in connection with their role at the relevant portfolio companies. Lightspeed portfolio company representatives also own securities in the respective companies and some invest in Lightspeed-sponsored vehicles, both of which benefit from Lightspeed’s continued involvement. Such compensation and investments subject the speakers to potential conflicts of interest in making the statements herein as they provide a financial benefit to Lightspeed and its funds. For more details please see

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:03 Getting hired…via Instagram DM

3:36 Creating for the tech-curious, not just tech Twitter

8:12 What Instagram taught Claire about Gen Z and AI

10:44 Does audience feedback shape investment decisions?

11:19 Do founders now expect investors to be creators?

13:13 Inside the editing grind: hours per video

15:42 Who’s actually doing creator VC well right now

18:52 The risk of being taken less seriously

21:41 Measuring ROI: brand awareness and founder conversion

27:41 What’s next for Lightspeed’s media empire

29:22 Outro

Up Next

Unboxing the $120 Clicks Power Keyboard

Don't Miss

Google Demos Google Glass in 2012 by Jumping Out of a Plane | CNET Archives

1 Comment

@KnowledgeSearcher

August 15, 2026 at 6:17 am

Interacting with minnows before they reach the competitive ocean

Reply

Science & Technology

What Meta’s Settlements Means for TikTok and Youtube

Meta’s $18 billion settlement could have consequences far beyond Meta. Equity’s Kirsten Korosec and Sean O’Kane break down how the deal could put pressure on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms to play by similar rules and whether they’ll actually follow Meta’s lead. Listen to the latest episode of Equity wherever you get your podcasts.

Published

23 hours ago

August 28, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Meta’s $18 billion settlement could have consequences far beyond Meta.

Equity’s Kirsten Korosec and Sean O’Kane break down how the deal could put pressure on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms to play by similar rules and whether they’ll actually follow Meta’s lead.

Listen to the latest episode of Equity wherever you get your podcasts.

Science & Technology

Why Nvidia is Ready to Pay $13B for Hugging Face l Equity

Published

1 day ago

August 28, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Earlier this week, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion and make sweeping changes to how minors access its social networks to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 states. But the eye-popping settlement figure wasn’t what caught the attention of the Equity podcast team. Instead, it was what Meta did next. The social media giant sent an open letter to TikTok and YouTube asking the companies to join it in setting industry-wide standards for teens, including daily time limits, blocking access to apps at night, and restricting notifications during school hours.

But will these other companies follow? The Equity team doesn’t think they will.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, and Sean O’Kane dig into the Meta settlement, rising investor interest in robotics startups, and the reported Nvidia and Hugging Face deal that’s in the works.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:
00:00 — Meta’s $18B Teen Safety Settlement
03:39 — Will Meta’s New Rules Actually Protect Teens?
08:55 — The Problem With Age Verification
11:11 — Robots Are Chasing Their ChatGPT Moment
16:22 — The Race to Build Smarter Robot Brains
19:34 — What Happens When Robots Work Alongside Humans?
21:41 — Waymo and Zoox Test Drivers Are Getting Hurt
23:38 — Gatik Raises $200M for Driverless Trucks
26:38 — Could Nvidia Buy Hugging Face for $13B?
29:18 — Why AI Infrastructure Is Becoming an Acquisition Target

CNET

Surprise Macs?! This Is Not Apple’s Typical Playbook | One More Thing

Apple has news to “surprise” us on Sept 9, but what do you mean there’s a new Mac Mini with M6 chip suddenly on sale? Don’t count on a typical September from Apple. Bridget Carey explains why Apple couldn’t wait on new Macs, but we keep waiting for the big iPhone event. Tim Cook’s final…

Published

1 day ago

August 28, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple 2026 Mac mini Desktop Computer with M6 chip
*Cnet may get commission on this offer.

Read more about it on CNET.com
Win an Apple Watch – Round 3 of CNET’s Guessing Game Is Live Now:

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:20 New M6 chip and new M5 Ultra chip
0:26 Apple Polishing Cloth gets a price cut
0:38 Tap to pay comes to Walmart
1:17 September 9 is iPhone announcement date
1:31 New Apple products coming soon include iPhone 18 Pro and possible folding iPhone
1:49 New Mac Mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips
2:21 New Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips
2:56 Mac shortages
4:01 Changing times for Apple
4:13 Apple launches Mac Mini with social-first video announcement
4:27 Walmart now accepts Apple Pay
4:59 Tim Cook’s final bow as Apple CEO
5:09 Win an Apple Watch in CNET’s Big Guessing Game

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Carly Marsh, CNET Archival
Video Editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#apple #mac #macbook #macos #applenews #appleevent