285: Startup Smarts & Web3 Wisdom | Highlights from the Past Year
This week, we’re taking a look back at some of my favorite moments from the past year—the conversations that stuck with me long after we hit stop on the recording. If you missed them the first time around, now’s your chance to catch the highlights, chock full of startup smarts and web3 wisdom!
And here’s the kicker—seven of the eight segments I pulled together feature a mentor from the Techstars Web3 Accelerator that I lead. It’s part highlight reel, part "thank you" to these incredible people who help founders navigate the startup grind. A huge shoutout to Mai Santamaria, Patrick Pinschmidt, Hesus Inoma, Rita Martins, Alejandro Gutierrez, Laura Walsh, Philipp Pieper, Timo Lehes, and Arabian Prince from NWA for sharing their wisdom.
A number of these guests will also be joining us at the Techstars x Crypto Mondays Ireland event that Hugh McGirr and I are hosting in Dublin on Monday, March 10th at Toner’s Pub. If you’re around, come reconnect with old friends, meet new builders, investors, and operators across Web2, Web3, and enterprise, and hear from our Techstars Web3 Class of 2025. You might even enjoy a pint of Guinness while you’re at it. Check out the Luma link to register here.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Mai Santamaria on AI, Vitalik Buterin’s Manifesto, and the Role of Technology (ep 241)
One of the most thought-provoking conversations of 2023 was with Mai Santamaria. We riffed on Vitalik Buterin’s manifesto, the societal role of AI, and how the way we train AI today will shape its long-term impact. Mai compared AI to a child learning from the world around it—if we feed it negativity, that’s what it will learn. Deep stuff!
Patrick Pinschmidt on the Investor Mindset and the Power of Lines, Not Dots (ep 248)
Patrick Pinschmidt from MiddleGame Ventures joined me to talk about deal flow in venture capital. One of my biggest lessons learned after looking at over 2,000 Techstars deals? Investors invest in lines, not dots. It’s all about building relationships over time, understanding how founders execute, and ensuring alignment before the first check is written.
Hesus Inoma on the Core Traits of Great Founders (ep 257)
In my episode with Hesus Inoma, we went deep on what makes a great founder. The key traits? Honesty, focus, ambition, and resilience. Also, if your LinkedIn says you’re running five startups at once—huge red flag. Founders who execute relentlessly and listen to feedback are the ones who make it.
Rita Martins on the Convergence of TradFi and Web3 (ep 264)
With Rita Martins, we talked about the ongoing collision of traditional finance (TradFi) and Web3. It’s happening faster than people think, and big financial players are moving into tokenization and digital assets. The worlds of DeFi and TradFi are converging, and if you’re in finance and not paying attention, you’re at risk of being disrupted. Check out Rita’s book Web3 in Financial Services here..
Alejandro Gutierrez on the Rise of Stablecoins and What Comes Next (ep 269)
Alejandro Gutierrez and I got fired up about stablecoins as the killer app for crypto. The big shift? Countries like Brazil and Mexico now have native access to USDC, which changes everything for cross-border payments and financial inclusion. The real question: what happens when interest rates drop? The yield-driven stablecoin boom will need a new playbook.
Laura Walsh on Why We Don’t Need a U.S. CBDC (ep 266)
My conversation with Laura Walsh was a fiery one. We both agreed that a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC) is a bad idea. Why? Privacy concerns, potential government overreach, and the fact that stablecoins already do the job better. Plus, banks already have enough control over financial access—a programmable dollar would only tighten their grip.
Philipp Pieper & Timo Lehes on RWA, the Swarm Origin Story, and That Iconic Hat (ep 277)
Philipp Pieper and Timo Lehes from Swarm joined me to talk about the real-world asset (RWA) revolution and how tokenization is unlocking new opportunities. Also, shoutout to Katie Evans from Swarm for creating the iconic RWA hat, styled after NWA’s logo. Who knew that nostalgic counterculture crypto merch would turn into such a phenomenon?
Arabian Prince on Tech, Music, and Building Through Relationships (ep 283)
Rounding out this highlight reel, I had the privilege of interviewing Arabian Prince from NWA. The legendary artist-turned-entrepreneur talked about leveraging relationships to build the future, why he stays at the cutting edge of technology, and how his network has helped him shape new innovations.
LINKS:
Keywords: #techstars #mentors #web3 #cbdc #beststartupinsights #entrepreneurship #podcast #startupecosystem #venturecapitalinsights #blockchaintrends #AI #crypto #fintechinnovations
Check out all of the original episodes we featured:
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248: Venture Investing and Connecting the Dots with Patrick Pinschmidt
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266: Crypto Politics: Unpacking Trump's Campaign Promises with Laura Walsh
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277: Straight Outta Crypton | Swarm and the Rise of RWAs | Timo Lehes and Philipp Pieper
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283: Arabian Prince | The N.W.A Pioneer Empowering the Next Tech Generation
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Pete Townsend
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Early-stage startup investor, MD @Techstars Web3, founder of Norio Ventures, mentor, non-executive director, podcaster and bad guitar player.
Arabian Prince
Founding Member N.W.A & Founder of iNov8 Next Open Labs
If you know your rap history, you know Arabian Prince as one of the founding members of N.W.A, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rap group that redefined music and culture. But what you might not know is that he’s also a lifelong technologist, entrepreneur and futurist—a kid from Compton who got his hands on a computer early and never looked back. From songwriting, rapping and DJ-ing to producing electro-funk beats and Grammy-nominated #1 hit song Supersonic to leading innovation in 3D animation, video games, and blockchain, he’s been pushing the boundaries of technology for decades, most recently as founder of INov8 Next Open Labs and co-founder of INov8 Capital to bring the next generation of kids into the world of tech. Arabian Prince is also a scratch golfer and founder of the GGGOAT Golf and GGGOAT PC brands.
