The Inquisitive VC

Introduction
In this first episode of The Debrief, Nawaz and Vignesh launch a new podcast focused on venture, technology, and startup conversations that are more relevant to the New Zealand ecosystem. They unpack the collapse of Allbirds from a heavily hyped public company to a distressed acquisition, debate whether direct-to-consumer brands really fit venture economics, and explore why companies like Halter are changing how global investors view New Zealand tech. The conversation also moves into founder fears around venture capital and boards, with both hosts arguing that strong governance is usually less about control and more about helping founders scale responsibly.
Key Moments
·      [00:00:34] Show launch: Nawaz introduces The Debrief and Vignesh explains why a local NZ-focused venture conversation matters.
·      [00:02:52] Allbirds acquisition: The hosts react to Allbirds being acquired for around $68 million after once peaking near $4 billion.
·      [00:06:14] D2C and venture fit: They question whether consumer brands should raise venture capital or build sustainable businesses through revenue and profit.
·      [00:13:40] Venture as a tool: Vignesh argues founders do not need venture money to pursue their vision, but it can accelerate scale when the business model fits.
·      [00:14:57] Eucalyptus and healthcare D2C: The discussion shifts to why some consumer companies win by solving real needs rather than selling discretionary products.
·      [00:17:36] Halter’s rise: Nawaz and Vignesh discuss Halter as a defining New Zealand venture success story with real local investor participation.
·      [00:21:39] Compounding in venture: Vignesh explains how Halter’s long fundraising arc shows that scale, strong investors, and time can create a flywheel.
·      [00:25:32] Founder control and boards: The episode closes with a candid discussion on why boards exist, what founders get wrong about investor control, and how governance evolves as companies grow.

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed speaks with Bhavik Vashi serves as Managing Director for APAC at Carta, the platform powering over 9,000 fund managers worldwide.
We talk about Bhavik's unique perspective on the venture ecosystem, overseeing Carta's expansion across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa regions, which represent some of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving venture landscapes globally. From his vantage point supporting thousands of fund managers across diverse markets, Bhavik has unparalleled insights into emerging manager trends, regional differences in venture capital, and the operational challenges facing today's fund managers. In this episode, the conversation explores the data-driven insights Carta sees across its platform, the unique characteristics of venture markets in APAC and MENA, and how technology is reshaping the infrastructure that powers modern venture capital.
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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!
Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!
Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed speaks with Hootie Rashidifard, Founder and General Partner of Hash3, a $30M crypto venture fund built on a mission to bring self-sovereignty to all end users.
Hootie shares how his Iranian upbringing—watching his father’s bank accounts frozen after the 1979 revolution—instilled a deep mistrust of centralized systems and shaped his belief in Bitcoin’s promise. From investment banking to five years at Canaan Partners, and now leading Hash3, he reveals what it takes to raise and run a crypto fund through market chaos.
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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!
Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!
Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed sits down with Andy Kangpan, Founder and General Partner of Metalayer Ventures, a $25M crypto venture fund focused on blockchain adoption in financial services.
Andy shares his journey from investing at Two Sigma during the 2017 ICO boom to founding Metalayer after the FTX collapse—driven by the belief that crypto’s next chapter lies in real-world deployment, not speculation.
He opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of raising a first fund, the key lessons learned from rejection, and how Metalayers balanced 50/50 approach to equity and token investments positions them for the evolving crypto landscape.
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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!
Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!
Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com

In this episode of Inquisitive VC, host Nawaz Ahmed sits down with Alex Lin, Founder and General Partner of Reforge, a crypto venture fund investing in coordination infrastructure across capital markets, AI, and compute systems.
Alex shares his journey from running a gaming bot farm that led him to Bitcoin, to becoming a venture capitalist with a mission to rebuild trust in failing institutions. He talks about leaving Shima Capital to launch Reforge, the brutal realities of fundraising, and why early-stage venture—not speculative liquid markets—will define the next decade of crypto
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The podcast is also available on your favourite podcast sources like Spotify, Apple and Youtube!
Check out the Substack for show notes and transcript!
Intro & Outro soundtrack from - https://www.purple-planet.com