Joe Sriver, 4giving: Episode 8, Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about the impending paradigm shift represented by the metaverse, and relate it to past shifts. They speak with Joe Sriver, the first UX/UI hire at Google, founder of the cellphone flashlight function, and CEO of 4giving. Joe talks about the importance of being data-driven as an early employee […]
2ndKitchen Acquired by REEF
Fund I portfolio company 2ndKitchen has been acquired by REEF Technologies, Inc. From the article: “At its heart, 2ndKitchen is a data company. Our top priority has always been connecting local businesses and empowering them with everything they need to operate efficiently and seamlessly add value to their guests,” said Nick Anastasiades, CEO and co-founder […]
Venture studio startup jobs + advice for founders from founders
Welcome back to the Great North Ventures newsletter! This month we have advice for founders featured in our latest podcast episode. In the latest episode of “Execution is King” we feature the best advice for founders, recorded live at our 2021 Annual Event. What is the Great North Annual Event? Every year, we gather investors, founders, […]
Best Advice from the Great North Annual Event: Episode 7, Execution is King
In this compilation episode, Josef features the best advice for founders that we picked up at our 2021 Annual Event. Every year, Great North gathers investors, founders, and ecosystem builders together for networking and progress updates. In this episode, you can hear advice from our stakeholders- people who have proven they can execute- on hiring […]
Newsletter: Do you fit our investing themes?
Welcome back to the Great North Ventures newsletter! (Sign up here!) This month we have some advice for founders as well as an open call for funding applications. In the latest episode of “Execution is King” we talk with Jonathan Treble of PrintWithMe. Jonathan talks about his path from Wharton to Grubhub to CEO/founder, and shares […]
Jonathan Treble, PrintWithMe: Episode 6, Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about some Twitter controversy over founder extravagances, and the difference between, say, personal chefs at work used for recruiting, vs. buying a used fishing boat with your profits. This is something we looked into in a piece Rob wrote on BuiltIn, “The Weird and Wonderful Things Midwest Founders […]
Anna Mason, Revolution: Episode 5, Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about of-coast investing, and the strategy behind Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and its founder, Steve Case. Anna Mason, Partner at Revolution, joins, and Rob talks about how they met, and about doing deals for the past 5 years. Anna shares how she went from Wall […]
Mynul Khan, FieldNation: Episode 4, Execution is King
Ryan and Josef talk about the Weber brothers’ long history, with Ryan tracking Mynul since they took classes together in college. He talks about his journey as a first-generation immigrant who came from Bangladesh to St. Cloud, MN. His biggest lesson for founders? “Never run out of cash.” He shares how his “hobby” turned from […]
Nick Moran, New Stack Ventures: Episode 3, Execution is King
Rob and Josef talk podcasts, and comes clean about his awkward intro to Nick Moran. Nick talks about his path to becoming a General Partner of New Stack Ventures and the host of The Full Ratchet podcast. We talk decision-making as investors, and advice for founders, including the most common mistake: building a product then […]
Molly Pyle, Center on Rural Innovation (CORI): Episode 2, Execution is King
Ryan and Josef talk about the importance of startup communities and the importance of innovation in rural communities, including St. Cloud, MN. Molly shares her experience working with incubators, builders, and startups with Singularity University and how that led to her position as the Entrepreneur Ecosystem Development Lead at CORI, where she works with communities to […]