Startups should rethink how they pursue sales and traction, according to VC Tim Chen
After a small startup exit and being turned down by every VC firm he applied to, Tim Chen began angel investing and eventually stumbled into raising his own fund.
Now, as the solo investor behind Essence VC, he just closed his fourth fund at $41 million "without even trying." Chen's secret weapon? Being technical enough to debate PhD founders on implementation details while understanding the market dynamics that turn scrappy startups into category leaders.
Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Julie Bort sat down with Tim Chen to explore the rise of solo VCs and who's rewriting the traditional venture playbook.
Listen to the full episode to hear about:
Why the YC playbook of "revenue at all costs" doesn't work for infrastructure startups, and what Chen tells technical founders to focus on instead
The strategic pivot Chen pushed one portfolio company to make that completely changed their trajectory
What being a "small exit founder" taught Chen about venture capital, and why he thinks the industry has it backwards
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OpenAI wants to power your browser, and that could be a security nightmare
The browser wars are heating up again, this time with AI in the driver’s seat.
OpenAI just launched Atlas, a ChatGPT-powered browser that lets users surf the web using natural language and even includes an “agent mode” that can complete tasks autonomously. It’s one of the biggest browser launches in recent memory, but it's debuting with an unsolved security flaw that could expose passwords, emails, and sensitive data.
On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Max Zeff, Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane break down Atlas’s debut, the broader wave of alternative browsers, and more of the week’s startup and tech news.
Listen to the full episode to hear about:
Why Rivian spinoff Also just landed a massive deal with Amazon for thousands of pedal-assist cargo vehicles (and why the name is a nightmare to say in conversation)
How Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raised $250M for a product that doesn't really exist yet
The AWS outage that broke much of the web, turned Eight Sleep mattresses into temperature nightmares, and exposed just how fragile the internet really is
The alternative browsers that either embrace or push back against AI-everything, from privacy-focused options like DuckDuckGo and Brave to "mindful" browsers like Opera Air
Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
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Sam Altman’s eye-scanning startup wants to prove humanity in the age of AI bots
Ever wonder if you’re talking to a real person online or just another bot? As bots increasingly outnumber humans online, leading to an explosion of deepfakes and AI-driven fraud, one company has a solution straight out of sci-fi: scanning your iris to verify your identity.
Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Adrian Ludwig, Chief Security Officer and Chief Architect at Tools for Humanity, the company behind World’s eye-scanning Orbs appearing around the globe. Bellan and Ludwig discuss building privacy-first identity verification, the open-source approach to biometric tech, and why proving humanity matters now more than ever.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
How zero-knowledge proofs verify that you're over 18 (or human) without revealing your location, browsing history, or other identifying information.
Why Tools for Humanity open-sourced the entire Orb — from hardware to firmware and software.
How Match Group, Event Pop, and other major platforms are partnering up to combat bot abuse.
Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
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From SB 243 to ChatGPT: Why it's ‘not cool' to be cautious about AI
Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development.
On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility is getting blurrier, plus what happens when pranks go from digital to physical.
Listen to the full episode to hear about:
The real-world DDoS attack that blocked Waymo service for a day near a dead-end San Francisco street
Goldman Sachs acquiring Industry Ventures for up to $965 million, signaling Wall Street's growing interest in the secondary venture market
FleetWorks' $17 million Series A to modernize trucking with AI
Why advocating for AI safety has become "uncool" in Silicon Valley from Anthropic facing backlash to California's SB 243 regulation of AI companion chatbots and the success of companies like Character.AI
Which startups are using an SEC workaround to file for IPOs during the shutdown
Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.
Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
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Disruption via doping: Enhanced Games founder on the controversial 'future of sports'
Can performance-enhancing drugs push the limits of human potential? The creators of the Enhanced Games say yes — and they’re building a new sporting event to prove it.
Backed by Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital, the Enhanced Games aims to disrupt the Olympics with a competition that allows athletes to dope. Launching in Las Vegas in May 2026, the games promise $1 million bounties for breaking world records and lean on a business model reminiscent of Red Bull’s, using the spectacle as marketing for future enhancement products.
Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan spoke with Aron D'Souza, co-founder and President of the Enhanced Games, about the business of enhancement, what it means to build in the longevity space, and who gets to do it.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
How the venture has raised "double-digit millions" and signed Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley, whom D'Souza believes will break Usain Bolt's 100m record at age 31.
Why D'Souza believes Olympic drug testing has stunted performance enhancement research, and how allowing enhancements in sports could drive longevity breakthroughs.
Enhanced's plan to build a telehealth platform selling testosterone and weight-loss drugs (which have yet to be developed).
The societal, economic, and ethical implications of extending human longevity.
Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
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The intersection of technology, startups, and venture capital touches everything now. That’s why Equity, TechCrunch's flagship podcast, digs into the business of startups for entrepreneurs and enthusiasts alike. Every Wednesday and Friday, TechCrunch reporters keep you up-to-date on the world of business, technology, and venture capital. Equity is ranked the No.2 podcast in the Top 100 Venture Capital All time leaderboard on Goodpods—As well as No.17 for the Top 100 Finance All time chart and No.32 for the Top 100 Business News All time chart.
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