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Why startups should ‘be more concerned’ about competition in VCs’ portfolios l Best of Build Mode

This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about venture capital. Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit conversations from past seasons to give founders a glimpse behind the VC curtain and a better understanding of what investors are really looking for. From choosing the…

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This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about venture capital. Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit conversations from past seasons to give founders a glimpse behind the VC curtain and a better understanding of what investors are really looking for.

From choosing the right investors to building a differentiated go-to-market strategy, these venture capitalists and founder-turned-investors share hard-earned lessons on fundraising, portfolio dynamics, investor-founder relationships, and what separates the companies that successfully raise their next round from those that don’t.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:
⁠Yuri Sagalov, managing director at General Catalyst⁠
⁠Ross Fubini, managing partner at XYZ Venture Capital⁠ and Leslie Feinzaig, founder and general partner at Graham & Walker⁠
⁠Paul Irving, partner at GTMfund⁠
⁠Leah Solivan, founder of TaskRabbit and founder of Precedent VC⁠

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:19 Yuri Sagalov (General Catalyst): The three types of investors and who founders should avoid
03:29 Ross Fubini (XYZ VC) & Leslie Feinzaig (Graham & Walker): What great investors actually bring to the table
08:36 Paul Irving (GTMfund): The go-to-market signals investors look for
12:30 Leah Solivan (TaskRabbit / Precedent VC): Understanding the competition inside your investors’ portfolios
14:30 Outro

Subscribe to Build Mode on⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠⁠, or⁠ ⁠wherever you like to listen⁠⁠. And watch the full videos on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠. New episodes of⁠ ⁠Build Mode⁠⁠ drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @stepheninscoe1707

    June 19, 2026 at 2:26 am

    Not complicated. The VC model is a form of gambling, like the horse races. The VCs read form (what have you done up to this point). They look at the ground conditions (market and competition), they look at the potential prize (size of market, exit valuations and number of exits/odds). Then they decide how much money to place on that bet, if anything. One difference is that for some bets they also need to guess the probability of other gamblers join the bet later on and probably on worse odds (valuation). The VCs want their horse to win, but the reality is they are meeting on several horses in several races and only need some of them to win. They are not all in on one horse.

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I Tried “Smart” Basketball Tech, and Now I Can’t Stop Shooting | STAT

CNET Senior Video Producer, Owen Poole examines consumer-grade basketball technology that is comparable to what the pros use. Can a smart ball and a smart hoop actually help improve your jump shot, and what does widely available smart training mean for the future of basketball? You can find the products mentioned in this video linked…

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CNET Senior Video Producer, Owen Poole examines consumer-grade basketball technology that is comparable to what the pros use. Can a smart ball and a smart hoop actually help improve your jump shot, and what does widely available smart training mean for the future of basketball?

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Spalding TF1000 Smart Basketball – Shot Tracking App & 1 Year Subscription
huupe Arena Basketball Hoop Upgrade Kit Shot Tracker and LED Light System
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Intro: The Evolution of Basketball Tech1
0:20 Spalding TF-1000 Smart Basketball Overview
0:58 Testing the Smart Basketball & Live Audio Feedback
1:50 Analyzing Shot Data, Metrics & App Features
3:06 Price, Subscription & Battery Life
4:35 Testing the Huupe Arena Smart Hoop
6:01 Reviewing Huupe IQ Data & Sensor Tech
7:30 Social Features, Remote Challenges & Team Mode
8:33 Final Thoughts on Smart Basketball Products
8:48 Testing Free AI Analysis Options
10:43 The Impact of Tech on the Future of Basketball

Video Credits:
Host: Owen Poole
Scripted by: Owen Poole
Producer: Owen Poole & Dillon Lopez
Camera: Dillon Lopez & Owen Poole
Video Editor: Owen Poole
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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#basketball
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Science & Technology

Why Application-Level Permissions Won’t Secure AI Agents With Okta’s & NanoCo | Disrupt 2026

Enterprises are learning to rebuild the basics of cybersecurity from scratch for agentic AI. Okta’s President of Products and Technology Ric Smith and NanoCo Co-Founder and CEO Gavriel Cohen explain what agent security takes at the infrastructure level and which architectural choices matter most. #TechCrunchDisrupt2026 Follow us across… Read more:

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Enterprises are learning to rebuild the basics of cybersecurity from scratch for agentic AI. Okta’s President of Products and Technology Ric Smith and NanoCo Co-Founder and CEO Gavriel Cohen explain what agent security takes at the infrastructure level and which architectural choices matter most.

#TechCrunchDisrupt2026

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Science & Technology

So You’ve Got a Hit Product. How Does Your Company Do It Again? | Disrupt 2026

Most startups stall because they build one great product instead of a repeatable multi-product engine. Daring Ventures’ Maddi Holman, Verkada’s Filip Kaliszan, and Atlassian’s Tamar Yehoshua discuss the operational playbook for capital allocation, systemizing internal innovation, and engineering a compounding “Second Act” before the core product’s growth curve flattens. #TechCrunchDisrupt2026 Follow us across… Read more:

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Most startups stall because they build one great product instead of a repeatable multi-product engine. Daring Ventures’ Maddi Holman, Verkada’s Filip Kaliszan, and Atlassian’s Tamar Yehoshua discuss the operational playbook for capital allocation, systemizing internal innovation, and engineering a compounding “Second Act” before the core product’s growth curve flattens.

#TechCrunchDisrupt2026

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