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Shawn Flynn
The Investor's Podcast

Silicon Valley by The Investor's Podcast Network is hosted by Shawn Flynn. It is an in-depth look into the workings of companies based in Silicon Valley. It delves into up-and-coming startups, established giants and the views of people who are making a mark in the technology scene in Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley - The Investor's Podcast Network Trailer

Silicon Valley by The Investor’s Podcast Network is hosted by Shawn Flynn. It is an in-depth look into the workings of companies based in Silicon Valley. It delves into up-and-coming startups, established giants and the views of people who are making a mark in the technology scene in Silicon Valley.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV001: Canva, Disrupting Design with Melanie Perkins

On today’s show, we have Melanie Perkins. She is the CEO and co-founder of Canva, an online design and publishing tool which makes graphic design simple for everyone. Since launching in 2013, Canva has grown to over 15 million users across 190 countries, with more than 1 billion designs created, at 36 designs per second. Today, Canva is growing with over 600 team members across 3 offices in Sydney, Manila and Beijing, working together on a mission to empower everyone to create beautiful design.

After hundreds of revisions to the Canva pitch deck, Melanie has now raised more than $140 million from investors including Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen, Yahoo! CFO Ken Goldman, and funds such as Felicis Ventures and Blackbird Ventures. Today, Canva is valued at US$2.5 billion, making Canva the second Australian startup to achieve Unicorn status.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What was the strategy to enter China and have there been any pivots along the way?
Who could disrupt Canva and its massive growth?
What is the implication of the acquisition of Pexel and Pixabay and Canva’s expansion through partnering or acquiring other companies?
What is the future of graphic design and what can people anticipate in the next 2-3 years?

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Website for Canva
Download your free audio book at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV002: Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Cars with Piero Scaruffi

On the show today, we chat with Piero Scaruffi, a freelance software consultant who has been a visiting scholar at both Harvard and Stanford, conducting research on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science. He has lectured on "The Nature of Mind" and "History of Knowledge", and published several books including Thinking About Thought (2003) and The Nature of Consciousness (2006). His book History of Silicon Valley was named the 7th most influential book in China in 2012. He has a passion for music and the arts, and founded the Leonardo Art Science Evenings (LASERS) at the University of San Francisco and Stanford University in 2008 which now has chapters around the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How one defines or explains Artificial Intelligence
Who will lead the AI race in the coming 5 – 10 years
How far along the technology for autonomous vehicles is, and when should we expect to have fully autonomous vehicles
Advice for cities/countries who try to mimic the Silicon Valley ecosystem
What is the next big technology from Silicon Valley

Tweet your comments about this episode directly Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using the hashtag #TIPSiliconValley.

Help us out!

Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!

Books and Resources

Official website of Piero Scaruffi
The book Intelligence is Not Artificial
Link to Humankind 2.0
TIP Mastermind Group’s discussion of Google’s valuation
Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV003: TEN Capital, Startup Funding, and Trends in Tech with Hall Martin

On today’s show, we interview Hall Martin, who is the founder and CEO of TEN Capital, a company that helps startups and growth companies everywhere raise funding from angels, family offices, venture capital and high net worth individuals. To date, the company has helped entrepreneurs raise over $410M. He is also the founder of the Texas Open Angel Network, which has helped to educate over 6000 investors.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What is the future for family funds, VC and Angels groups
What are some key metrics for the success rate of a startup receiving funding
From an investor standpoint, what to focus on in the due diligence process
Which cities in the US are housing some exciting startups at this moment

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

LinkedIn for Hall Martin
Website for TEN Capital
Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV004: Robotic Process Automation: Will Robots Take our Jobs? with Sunil Ranka

On today’s show, we talk to Sunil Ranka. In the last 17 years, Sunil has built analytics and solution processes on more than 10 billion worth of businesses. He is the founder of Predikly (A Data Innovation Company) which thrives on solving any platform, application, and data-related problem. As a Venture Partner at Znationlab, Sunil is a mentor and has invested in 17 startups. He is also a featured writer for The Forbes Technology Council.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is being used in industry today
What is Information Process Automation (IPA) and how it works with RPA
Will robots take our jobs and what we can look for in the coming years
How Artificial Intelligence plays a part with Robotic Processes Automation

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using the hashtag #TIPSiliconValley.

Thank you so much to Elisa Chiu, the founder of Anchor Taiwan, for introducing Sunil Ranka and making this episode possible.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Sunil Ranka Forbes Technology Page
Learn more about Predikly
Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

Connect with our Guest

Connect with Sunil Ranka on LinkedIn
Connect with Sunil regarding investments at sranka@znationlab.com
To find out more about Predikly, email Sunil@predikly.com

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV005: Silicon Valley: A 40-year career with John McNulty

On today’s show, we chat with John McNulty who has been a driving force in the technology industry for almost forty years. He has held leadership positions starting as General Manager at Intel in 1980 and including Senior VP & GM roles at two firms and President, CEO and Chairman of four other companies in the software, hardware, networking, and communications industries. Today, Mr. McNulty serves on the Board of Directors of four private technology companies and is also a member of the University of Notre Dame College of Engineering Advisory Council.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The evolution of Silicon Valley over the last 40 plus years.
How important is culture to a company?
Is Facebook a security concern that people should be worried about?
What does the future look like for connected devices, IOT, and how important is cybersecurity to this technology?

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley.

We would like to give a special thanks to James Cape who is a managing Partner at Matrix Solutions made the introduction to John. Without James we would not have been able to conduct this amazing interview.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV006: What Really Happened when eBay Went to China with Alan Tien

On today’s show, we talk to Alan Tien, an experienced senior executive in Internet, e-commerce, Online Payments, Emerging Markets (APAC), and Strategy. He has deep experience in Product Management, rooted in a strong understanding of technology. He has led teams including PayPal into China with eBay in the early 2000s.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What is the real story behind what happened when eBay went to China
What is the most common business model that is being utilized in China
What companies such as Stripe and Facebook face when going into Asian markets
What are some of the Financial Technology that China has adopted that the West has not
Who are some of the real disruptors in Financial Technology

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community with the hashtag #TIPSiliconValley.

I would like to make a special thanks to Wendy Xue. Without her, I would never have met Alan. And without him, much of what has happened with Silicon Valley could not have happened.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

Connect with our Guest

Connect with Alan Tien on LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV007: Tech and the Future of Construction with Michael Keogh

Michael Keogh recently joined Stanley Black & Decker as SVP of their new Digital Innovation office. He is leading the effort to transform a 175-year old industrial company into a data and digital company. In this role he is responsible for incubating internal startups, ecosystem development, and building new revenue streams for the company. Most recently, he was at Apple where he was the Senior Director of Finance for all of Apple R&D supporting the long-term hardware and silicon roadmap development. At Apple, he negotiated with the Shanghai government on a tax and economic incentive plan with a >$1B benefit to grow Apple’s business in China.

For over a decade spanning his time with Apple and Intel, he held several roles in China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Before starting in the tech world, Mike spent several years at a large Commercial Contracting and Property Development company as an estimator and Project Manager. He is an angel investor and hold several Board and advisor positions. He also invests in real estate and has built a portfolio of university student housing, as well as some international properties. Mike holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BA from the University of North Carolina. He speaks conversational Chinese and Italian.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Is the construction industry prime for disruption?
What will the future look like for the construction Tech sector?
How is construction Tech and Real estate tech different or the same?
What are some areas of the construction that can be semi-automated and automated?
What about the advances in the materials used for construction?

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley.

We would like to give a special thanks to Sonja Markova who is the Executive Director at Band of Angels which since 1994, has invested in over 400 companies with 62 profitable M&A exits and 12 IPOs. Without her introduction to Michael this interview would not have been able to happen.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.
Website of Stanley Black and Decker
Link to Band of Angels

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV008: The Rotten Tomatoes Story and Views on the Future with Patrick Lee

On today’s show, we sit down with Patrick Lee, the co-founder and former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes, a leading entertainment website focused on movie reviews and news. It is one of the top 800 most visited sites in the world. Patrick is now heavily involved with helping early-stage companies, advising companies such as Casetify, Credder, DNArt Inc., Instaread, Kiwi Campus, Leo AR, Magnesium Film, Oishii, WePloy, and Zeuss Technologies. He is a current or former mentor at SOSV, Berkeley SkyDeck, Blue Startups, Founder Institute, Mentorbox, Berkeley LAUNCH Startup Accelerator and was the executive Producer of "The Heavenly Kings", directed by Daniel Wu (Best New Director, 2007 Hong Kong Film Awards).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The story behind one of the most popular websites in the world!
What it was really like to manage a startup during and after the stock market crash in 2000
What it is like when the company you built is acquired
What are the features that make a great accelerator program
What is the future for online streaming platforms

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley.

We would like to give a special thanks to Alan Tien for connecting us with Patrick Lee. Without Alan, this interview would not have been possible.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Connect with Patrick Lee on LinkedIn
More about Patrick’s first company, DesignReactor
Book Patrick for Speaking Engagements
Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SV009: Fintech, Banking and the Future of MBA programs with Gregory LaBlanc

On today’s show, we chat with Gregory LaBlanc, who is a lecturer and Distinguished Teaching Fellow at the Haas Business school at University of California Berkeley. He teaches primarily in the areas of finance and strategy in the MBA and Master of Financial Engineering programs, and in Executive Education. His research interests lie at the intersection of law, finance, and psychology, in the area of business strategy and risk management.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What areas in finance will be affected by artificial intelligence?
What is “behavior in trading” and how will machines impact this?
Who are the biggest global players in Fintech?
What is the future for MBA programs?
What is Fintech School and what can you expect from it?

Tweet your comments about this episode directly to Shawn Flynn and the rest of The Investor’s Podcast Community using #TIPSiliconValley.

We would like to give a special thanks to My Nguyen who is the founder of Fintech School for connecting us with Gregory La Blanc. Without My, this interview would not have been possible.

Help us out!

Books and Resources

Gregory LaBlanc’s LinkedIn
Gregory LaBlanc at Berkeley Business School
Check out Fintech School
Download your free audiobook at Audible.
Find the best job candidate at Ziprecruiter.

CONNECT WITH SHAWN:

Shawn Flynn’s Twitter Account
Shawn Flynn’s LinkedIn Account
Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account
Shawn Flynn’s Facebook Account
Email Shawn@TheInvestorsPodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.