The Learning Corner by Precursor
Episodes
Episode #72: Delve's Compliance Fraud, Has Startup Advice Ever Worked, OpenAI Refocuses
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we cover the explosive whistleblower exposé on Delve, a YC-backed compliance startup accused of fabricating audit evidence and leaving hund...
Episode #71: Symbolic Capitalism and the Attention Game, Token Output as a Performance KPI, Choosing Your Intellectual Shoulders
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Om Malik makes the case that reputation and perceived authority now convert faster than financial capital, and that ...
Episode #70: The VC Returns Suck Narrative, Venture's Nifty Fifty Moment, The Four Approaches to Early Stage Venture
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Micah Rosenbloom from Founder Collective challenges the viral narrative that VC returns suck and asks whether we are...
Episode #69: Anthropic's Safety Reckoning, Jack Dorsey Cuts Block in Half, The Venture Consensus Addiction
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles unpack the resignation letter of an Anthropic safety researcher who walked away from one of the most...
Episode #68: The 2028 AI Crisis Memo, Rethinking Series A, 2021 Founders Hitting Reset
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we dig into the viral Citrini Research "2028 Global Intelligence Crisis" memo, a scenario written from the future that rattled public market...
Episode #67: Always In The Office, Bubbles vs. Balloons, Tool Shaped Objects
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by a special guest, Ariana Ferwerda, CEO and co-founder of Halfdays, a women's ski and outdoor wear brand, to discuss her piece...
Episode #66: AI Fatigue Is Real, Patient Capital Will Eat VC, Building a GP Reference List
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles unpack why AI is making engineers more productive but more exhausted, exploring the hidden cost of c...
Episode #65: I See Dead VCs, Tech Media Echo Chambers, VC-Backed Startups' Status Collapse
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week features Beezer Clarkson from Sapphire Partners discussing her analysis on venture's first substantial firm contraction in 20+ years, with f...
Episode #64: Hubristic Fundraising's Hidden Costs, VCs Can't Win Talent, SaaS Death Greatly Exaggerated
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we discuss Jason Lemkin's analysis of Brex's $5.15B exit and how hubristic fundraising creates impossible success benchmarks, Auren Hoffman'...
Episode #63: Sequoia Breaks Portfolio Conflict Rules, Pre-Seed Is Dead?, FAANG to Startup Regret
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we discuss Sequoia's groundbreaking decision to invest in Anthropic despite existing stakes in OpenAI and xAI, challenging traditional VC ta...
Episode #62: Firm Over Fund, Relevance Decays, The Privilege of Belief
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we explore David Haber's framework on why most investors run funds but few build lasting firms, and what it takes to create a defensible moa...
Episode #61: AI-Generated Reddit Hoax, Tech Career Crisis, Venture FOMO Reality
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we unpack the viral AI food delivery hoax that fooled thousands on Reddit and what it reveals about misinformation in 2026. We discuss the c...
Episode #60: The 2025 Venture Review feat. Hunter Walk (Homebrew, Screendoor) and Peter Walker (Carta)
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This end‑of‑year episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor brings together our first podcast guests, Hunter Walk (Homebrew, Screendoor) and Pete...
Episode #59: Pivots Rarely Work, Missionary Founders, Does Seattle Hate AI?
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we break down Ben Casnocha’s shift in thinking on whether good ideas matter more than good founders, Aaron Harris’ chall...
Episode #58: Charles Schwab Acquisition of Forge Global, Holding "Venture Zombies" Forever, What Is Burnout Actually?
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor, Mia Farnham is joined by Charles Hudson and Missy Martin to unpack three timely reads. First, we ...
Episode #57: Founder update signals, AI is a bubble and that's good and bad, YC's call to build "fundable" companies
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner by Precursor, Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson dive into three thought-provoking reads shaking up the venture ecosystem...
Episode #56: VC is Hard, Unconcentrated Fund Math, Cluely Growth Updates
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We kick things off with a short but sharp post from Ben Choi reminding us that “VC is hard”—not just because of performance pressure, but becaus...
Episode #55: Unsafe SAFEs, 15 Charts on the Future of VC, Big CPG Leveraging Gen AI, Sequoia Changes Guards
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles break down four of the most thought-provoking reads shaping the tech and venture ecosystem right now...
Episode #54: Teaching Students to Challenge AI, Is AI The New Shadow Bank?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
First up, we dive into “Beyond True or False: Teaching Students to Interrogate AI Unreliability”, a Substack by Nick Potkalitsky, which proposes a...
Episode #53: The Magic of DTC, Power of Iteration Speed, Secondaries in Term Sheets
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re digging into three thought-provoking topics shaping the current startup and investing landscape: 🧼 Coterie’s $650M Exit & the Return of ...
Episode #52: Goldman Sachs Acquires Industry Ventures, Is AI Causing Brain Obesity?, Investing In A Friend's Company
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles discuss Goldman Sachs’ acquisition of Industry Ventures and what it signals for the venture ecosys...
Episode #51: Three Venture Paths, When Great People Leave, Solo Founders
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor, Mia and Charles explore three themes shaping today’s startup and VC landscape: The Thr...
Episode #50: What Does ARR Mean?, High Agency in Silicon Valley, Debt Fueling The Next AI Wave
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We start with a Fortune article on how founders are using “creative accounting” to boost ARR, once the gold standard for SaaS success and now a mu...
Episode #49: Making Money on AI, Consumer Deserves Attention from Investors, Nvidia Invests in OpenAI
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We explore Jerry Neumann's "AI Will Not Make You Rich," which argues that transformative technologies like AI may not deliver lasting competitive adva...
Episode #48: VCs are Cockroaches, Engineers Fixing Vibe-Coded Projects, Serial Entrepreneurs Continue to be Favored
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, Mia and Charles explore three compelling venture capital topics: (1) Micah Rosenbloom's comparison of VCs to "cockro...
Episode #47: We Are The Enemy, The AI Productivity Paradox, Anthropic's Author Class Action
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
First, we dive into “We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us” by Euclid Ventures, which explores how venture capital is drifting from its roots as a ma...
Episode #46: AI Troubles for Taco Bell, Is Non-Consensus Dangerous, Are Software Economics Going Off a Cliff with AI
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner by Precursor, Mia and Charles dive into three major topics shaping the future of AI, startups, and software economics...
Episode #45: Hire the experimenters, Lessons from "failed" enterprise AI pilots, Valuations soar past the 2021 bubble
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off the episode by discussing Rebecca Kaden’s essay, “Hire the Experimenters”, which argues that speed, adaptability, and creative risk-...
Episode #44: Founding Engineers Are Impossible To Hire, Regulators Come For AI Therapy Chatbots, What VCs Get Wrong About Hiring
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, we dig into the changing dynamics of talent, regulation, and hiring in venture. We start with the San Francisco Stan...
Episode #43: Two Silicon Valley Modalities, Are VCs Independent Thinkers?, 20 Somethings Swarming SF
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, we explore three perspectives shaping how startups get built and funded in today’s environment. We start with Adi...
Episode #42: The "Winners" in AI Today, DaaS Is Not Venture Backable, Seed Rounds Grow As Startups Shrink
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, we dive into three sharp pieces exploring the evolving shape of venture. We kick off with Elad Gil’s take on why A...
Episode #41: Investor to Fund Manager, Picking the RIGHT Capital, Seed Is Experiencing A Crisis
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner, we dive into the evolving reality of seed-stage venture capital. We kick things off with takeaways from the Supercl...
Episode #40: Windsurf "Blitzhire", Demystifying Venture Speak, Founders Running "Fast and Loose"
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson dig into three big conversations lighting up the venture world: 🔥 First, we...
Episode #39: Adopting Parent Investors, The Art of Curating Fund Manager Investment Opportunities, AI Product Pricing Today
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Learning Corner by Precursor, hosted by Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson. After a quick break for the Fourth of July, we’re back w...
Episode #38: First Round Capital Reflections and How Fundraising and Seeking an Acquisition Opportunity Are Mutually Exclusive
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of The Learning Corner, Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson dive into two thought-provoking pieces on modern venture capital and f...
Episode #37: Bill Gurley's Market Realities, Geo- Arbitrage Investing, The Acquihire Wave
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Learning Corner by Precursor: Reflections from Invest Like the Best’s episode featuring Bill Gurley. From zombie unicorns to misal...
Episode #36: Founder Optimism, Seed Math Is Broken, Aumni Venture Beacon Report
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of The Learning Corner, recorded in person during Precursor’s team onsite in San Francisco, Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson ...
Episode #35: A Founder's Postmortem, Teachers And The AI Dilemma, Emerging GTM Across AI
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor, Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson explore the emotional rollercoaster faced by startup founders, she...
Episode #34: AI’s Labor Problem, Bridge Round Realities & Big Tech’s Acqui-License Deals
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor, hosts Mia Farnham and Charles Hudson dive into the week’s most thought-provoking articles and t...
Episode #33: Do $1B Outcomes Matter?, Vibe Investing, The Agentic Web and The Original Sin
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Mia, Charles and Leon break down three timely topics shaping the future of venture and technology: VC Exit Math is Changing: David Clark (V...
Episode #32: Is AI Coming For Your Job?, Myths About AI Native Startups, Specialist vs. Generalist Investing
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we unpack three topics across the VC/Startup ecosystem: AI Is Coming for Jobs, And CEOs Are Finally Saying It: Fiverr CEO Micha Kauf...
Episode #31: Do We Need a VC Prenup?, Lightspeed Becomes an RIA, Financing the AI Revolution
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we explore founder frustrations with venture capital and the concept of VC prenups. The discussion transitions...
Episode #30: Pre-IPO Company Talent Wars, Winning Fast as Fund Managers, Tariff Impact on Startup/Early Stage VC
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we delve into the impact of AI enthusiasm and tariffs on tech businesses, exploring how these factors are resh...
Episode #29: Agentic Hunger Games, What's an Effective Board Meeting?, The Future of Angel Investing
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we begin with an introduction and welcome before diving into Ed Sim's insights on the "Enterprise Agent Hunger...
Episode #28: Fund 1 Over Performance Math, Media and Content Runs VC, Fund Manager Patience
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we kick off with an introduction and overview before diving into a consolidated discussion on Fund Ones and th...
Episode #27: Shopify's "Leaked" CEO Memo, Tourist Founders, Senior Partners Leaving Established Firms
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion begins with an overview of AI fever and its profound implications for startups. We examine the ...
Episode #26: Bradley Tusk Says VC Is Dead, Investor Learnings From The Last Overheated Market
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner delves into the dynamics between founder quality and market conditions. An introduction to the podcast sets the st...
Episode #25: Startup Media Hype Circles, 11x Tech Crunch Article, Market Arbitrage in Venture
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we dive into the venture ecosystem, focusing on optics versus nuance and founder expectations. We explore acqu...
Episode #24: LP POV on Secondaries, CoreWeave/NVIDIA Growth Loop, Questioning Traditional Reserves Strategies
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner kicks off with an introduction and overview, setting the stage for a deep dive into Cendana Capital's unique appro...
Episode #23: Unique Revenue Channels For Vertical AI, Ghosting in Venture, Is Data Driven VC Over?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion begins with an introduction to the podcast and hosts, followed by an overview of Harvey AI's im...
Episode #22: Secondaries Across Venture, Stripe's Tender Offer, Knowing How Much Is Too Much To Fundraise
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The discussion turns to venture capital insights, focusing on the importance of liquidity in the ecosystem. The nuances of secondary sales and the rol...
Episode #21: Anthropic's Latest Raise, Internal Turf Wars in Big Tech, IPO Alternatives In Venture
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation begins with an introduction to the hosts before diving into Anthropic's recent AI funding and...
Episode #20: AgTech and Venture Capital, Signs of a Failing Company, What The Heck Does Pre-Seed Even Mean?
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation kicks off with insights into understanding the role of Agtech in early-stage investing. The d...
Episode #19: Venture Capital 3.0, Deciphering Early Stage Traction, 90's Tech Bubble vs. Current AI Valuations
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion kicks off with an introduction to the podcast and the significance of ARR milestones in the sta...
Episode #18: Founders Quitting vs Stopping, The Rise of Spinout VC Funds, AngelList State of Venture Report
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner the episode delves into Hunter Walk's essay, exploring the critical themes of founder perseverance and timing d...
Episode #17: DeepSeek, Importance of Running a Fundraising Auction, Growing Seed Round Sizes
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion begins with an introduction to the podcast, setting the stage for an analysis of DeepSeek and r...
Episode #64: Hubristic Fundraising's Hidden Costs, VCs Can't Win Talent, SaaS Death Greatly Exaggerated
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we discuss Jason Lemkin's analysis of Brex's $5.15B exit and how hubristic fundraising creates impossible success benchmarks, Auren Hoffman'...
Episode #16: Pre-Seed/Seed M&A Activity, Solo Founders, Harvey $3B Raise, Fund Performance Recalibrations
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation begins with an engaging overview of the current venture ecosystem, setting the stage for a di...
Episode #15: Andrea Funsten, Robert Vinall, Manny Medina
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation opens with a warm welcome, setting the stage for an exploration of transparency in venture ca...
Episode #14: The Information, TechCrunch, LifeSciVC (shared by Jay Ripley)
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion kicks off with insights into venture financing, setting the groundwork for a deep dive into Ben...
Episode #13: Rob Go, Zain Rizavi, New York Times
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the last episode of 2024 for The Learning Corner, and it's packed with great insights from across the ecosystem. The discussion first shifts t...
Episode #12: Peter Walker, Benedikt Langer, Aaron Levie
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation begins with an introduction to the series, leading into a discussion on graduation rates from...
Episode #11: Chris Neumann, Forbes, The Economist
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the conversation opens with insights into current market turbulence, setting the stage for a discussion on nav...
Episode #10: Euclid Insights, Benedict Evans
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the journey begins with an introduction to the series and a lively discussion about ChatGPT. The conversation ...
Episode #9: Jamin Ball, Hunter Walk, Menlo Ventures
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the discussion kicks off with an introduction to the series, setting the stage for a deep dive into venture ca...
Episode #8: Bowery Farms, Sapphire Partners, Patricia Halfen Wexler
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, the focus begins with the crucial task of managing raised funds, setting the stage for a discussion on the col...
Episode #7: Ubiquity Ventures, WSJ, Equal Ventures
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Learning Corner, we begin with an exploration of the pivotal role seed investors play in the venture ecosystem. The discussion ...
Episode #6: Pitchbook NVCA Venture Monitor Q3 2024 Report
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner delves into the key insights from the Q3 2024 PitchBook NVCA Venture Monitor, analyzing its implications for the v...
Episode #5: Euclid Insights, Strictly VC
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner delves into the nuanced debate of ownership versus selection in venture capital, setting the stage for a deeper ex...
Episode #4: David Clark from VenCap International, Continuation Funds by TechCrunch, Neal Sarraf from Forum Ventures
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner explores the evolving dynamics of venture scalability and the pressures that come with it. Expectations for the ve...
Episode #3: Nnamdi Iregbulem, Jordan Nel, The New York Times
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Learning Corner we have another member of the investment team joining us, Marina Girgis! The discussion then shifts to a comprehen...
Episode #2: Anthony Kwesi Hagan, Euclid Insights, Sarah Tavel's Newsletter
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the Learning Corner we discuss the importance of transparency in LP-GP relationships especially in a time where the growing need for liqu...
Episode #1: Welcome To The Learning Corner
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Hudson and Mia Farnham kick off the first Learning Corner episode. This week we delved through Hunter Walk's piece on VC misconceptions, the i...