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DrinksWithAVC (DWAVC)Author: Bree Hanson & Vikram Lakhwara
Grab a drink and join Vik (Green Cow Venture Capital) and Bree (Cooley) as they sit down with top venture capitalists to uncover the stories behind the spreadsheets. Each episode blends laughter, quirks, and candid conversation with practical frameworks founders can use to build, grow, and fundraise more successfully.If youre a startup founder, VC, or LP, this show helps you get to know the people you may be partnering with for the next 710 years. From Tuvan throat singing and mini piano playing to our signature Fidelity Five lightning round, youll discover surprising sides of the investors shaping the startup ecosystem.We feature leaders from powerhouse firms like Bessemer, Costanoa, Scale VP, and Lightspeed, as well as emerging funds such as Touring, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Hustle Fund, and Precursor. Expect founder-tested advice, real talk about venture, and plenty of laughs along the way.New episodes drop monthly. Pour your favorite drink and dive in. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Investing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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DWAVC Episode 38 | Tae Hea Nahm (Storm Ventures)
Episode 38
Thursday, 18 September, 2025
We filmed this episode back in May, before Bree welcomed a new life into the world and before Vik lost his mother. A lot has changed since then. As we release it now, it feels more relevant than ever. Drinks With a VC has always been about more than startups and term sheets. It’s about the humans behind the headlines, the resilience it takes to build, the humility to grow, the clarity to catch the next wave, and the wisdom to know when to let one go.There’s no better guest to rejoin the conversation with than Tae Hea Nahm. He is the founding managing director of Storm Ventures, co-author of Survival to Thrival, and a deeply thoughtful investor, operator, and teacher. From St. Louis to Seoul to Sand Hill Road, Tae Hea has seen it all, and he continues to anticipate the next wave before most founders even paddle out.In this episode, we dive into his Path to Surfing Unicorn framework and why founders need to anticipate the wave before they try to surf it if they want to build category-defining companies.We also get into:🌊 How to ride, and switch, the right market wave🤖 Where AI startups should play in the stack (and what layers are getting crushed)🚨 Real talk on platform risk and why Google’s bundling may change the game📈 A founder-friendly definition of product-market fit, plus three signs your customers are truly happy🧠 Why empathy isn’t optional, and how customer discovery really works🧑💼 How founder-CEOs evolve, and how to know when they can’t📊 How to use advisors the right way, including what equity to grant them💸 The fundraising two-step: win a champion, then arm them with a killer one-pagerAlso: green juice, soju, seaweed soup, Civilization V, and one of our biggest unboxing gifts ever (yes, it’s a surfboard).👇 Must-have links and founder resources:🧭 Survival to Thrival (free downloads): https://www.survivaltothrival.com/📖 The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey by Andrew Ackerman: http://bit.ly/4kfrtKu📊 Cap table management done right: www.fidelityprivateshares.com🚀 The Irresistible Startup fundraising guide: https://www.taylorstreetco.com/irresistible-startup🤖 Meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot: https://www.taylorstreetco.com/meet-ira🗞 Sign up for our monthly newsletter: www.dwavc.com🎧 Like, subscribe, and share if this one resonates.🏄 Keep your eyes on the wave.📺 Episode chapters:00:22 Introduction and Welcome00:44 Sponsor Message: Fidelity Private Chairs01:06 Catch-Up with Brie01:51 Introducing Today's Guest: Te04:08 Te's Early Life and Education07:51 Choosing a Career Path11:20 Immigration Experience in St. Louis20:38 Founding Venture Law Group23:11 Investing and Founding Storm Ventures27:26 The Surfing Analogy for Startups28:26 VC Unboxing Segment33:59 AI and the Future of Investment38:59 The Importance of Platform Choice42:01 Customer Discovery and Empathy44:24 Closing Thoughts and Reflections45:28 Empathy for the Customer46:06 The Decline of Customer Empathy46:37 Exercising the Empathy Muscle47:14 Teaching Customer Empathy50:16 Defining Product-Market Fit50:53 Identifying Happy Customers54:17 The Founder to Manager Transition55:06 The Role of Founder CEOs57:30 Learning from Failures01:02:47 The Importance of Mentors01:08:07 Advice on Fundraising01:13:18 Qualifying Your Inner Circle01:17:15 The Fidelity Fiv📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter
