technology
Hosted by Walter Thompson · technology · EN · 133 episodes
After working for years in early-stage startups and as a journalist, here are three hard truths I’ve learned:1. Success in Silicon Valley hinges on connections, hard work and luck.2. Startups often fail because founders lack fundamental business knowledge.3. Real, actionable advice comes from those who’ve actually done it.There’s no such thing as “founder DNA.” If you’re willing to take on risk and invest years of your life in something that has maybe a 10% chance of paying off — less if you’re a woman or person of color — you can be a startup founder.Here’s why I founded Fund/Build/Scale:1. To help founders make fewer mistakes.2. To share successful strategies that can accelerate your go-to-market journey.3. To inspire more people to see themselves as potential founders. There’s a lot of overlooked talent out there, and we are missing out.This podcast is for anyone who’s interested in learning the basic skills required to launch a startup, secure initial funding and transform
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Signup to Generate a PitchAfter working for years in early-stage startups and as a journalist, here are three hard truths I’ve learned:1. Success in Silicon Valley hinges on connections, hard work and luck.2. Startups often fail because founders lack fundamental business knowledge.3. Real, actionable advice comes from those who’ve actually done it.
Fund/Build/Scale is hosted by Walter Thompson. The show has published 133 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Why Some Startups Get Taken Seriously and Others Don't" (19 October 2026, 35 minutes), "How Much Proof Does a Consumer Startup Need to Raise Money?" (6 October 2026, 37 minutes), and "What You Permit Is What Gets Produced" (2 October 2026, 50 minutes).
Fund/Build/Scale publishes roughly a few times a week, with episodes averaging 42 minutes across 133 episodes.
Booking probability for Fund/Build/Scale is 35%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Fund/Build/Scale requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Fund/Build/Scale's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Fund/Build/Scale are Business & Management Consulting and Investment Banking & Trading. Fund/Build/Scale has a technology audience.
Walter Thompson hosts Fund/Build/Scale, a technology show with 133 episodes published.
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Episode #120
Why do some startups get taken seriously while others struggle to earn attention, even when they're solving similar problems? Beck Bamberger, founder and CEO of startup communications agency BAM, joins Fund/Build/Scale...
Episode #119
“Follow your dreams and quit your day job” is terrible advice. That’s not me saying it. That’s Jon Keidan, founder and managing partner of Torch Capital, where he’s backed companies including Sweetgreen, Acorns and...
Episode #118
Most of us learn culture by adapting to one that already exists. We join a company, figure out what gets rewarded, who has power, what people say in meetings, and what they say after the meeting ends. Founders don’t...
Episode #117
What makes a startup worth backing if it has no product, revenue or meaningful traction to evaluate? Paige Craig, founder and managing partner of Outlander VC, invests at the idea stage, which means much of his job...
Episode #116
Selling your pitch to an investor is one thing. Showing that you understand how to sell your product to customers is another. Amy Cheetham, partner at Costanoa Ventures, sometimes watches founders talk to prospective...
Episode #115
If you work in tech long enough, there’s a good chance you’ll go through a layoff. Either your own, or one that leaves you wondering whether you’re next. Shanon Olsen, COO of Henley Leadership, works with executives and...
Episode #114
America is getting older. Tens of millions of people are caring for parents, grandparents and other family members. The problems are everywhere, and many of them are painful, expensive and still poorly served by...
Episode #113
If you have a startup idea, how do you know whether you’re onto something—or just really good at convincing yourself? Pete Martin has spent his career finding out. He’s worked at six cybersecurity startups, most of them...
Episode #112
Peter Wang is co-founder and Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Anaconda, a company he helped start in 2012 after years of working as a software developer and consultant. In this episode, Peter draws on Anaconda’s early...
Episode #111
Canvas Prime Co-founder and Managing Director Rebecca Lynn has spent 25 years in venture capital, backing companies including LendingClub, Doximity and Casetext and helping founders navigate more than a dozen exits. In...
Episode #110
Head of Marketing for Observe at Snowflake Shruti Bhat has spent her career helping highly technical companies explain why their products matter, find the customers who need them most, and build go-to-market systems...
Episode #109
Tamara Steffens is managing director of Thomson Reuters Ventures, where she invests in early-stage companies building around legal, tax, accounting, and enterprise workflow. Corporate venture capital can look like a...
Episode #108
Thanks to AI, you could have an idea for a startup on your way home from work Thursday and finish a rough prototype by Monday morning. That's great news for founders, but it also raises the bar: if everyone can build a...
Episode #107
A lot of founders assume raising venture capital is just part of the process: you have an idea, build a deck, find some investors and start pitching. But what if you don't actually need the money yet? Elia Wallen is the...
Episode #106
Most startup fundraising advice focuses on how to get investors interested. Ryan Ziegler sees the process from the other side of the table. As a General Partner at Edison Partners, Ryan evaluates startups that have...
Episode #105
Conventional wisdom says the hardest part of building a startup is building the product. Shanea Leven says the harder challenge is figuring out what customers will actually pay for. Before co-founding Empromptu.ai...
Episode #104
If you're building a startup, there are easier industries to choose than healthcare. Sales cycles are long, regulations are complex, and earning the trust of providers and patients takes years. In this episode, Mayo...
Episode #103
Most startup advice assumes the biggest challenge is finding customers. But what happens when the demand is obvious and the real question is whether the technology can actually work at scale? In this episode of...
Episode #102
<p>Most technical founders can explain how their product works. </p> <p>Far fewer can clearly explain why a customer should care.</p> <p>In this episode, Cribl CMO Abby Strong shares what she has learned from building...
Episode #101
<p>What does it actually mean to build an AI-native company?</p> <p>In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, I talk with True Ventures Managing Partner Puneet Agarwal and Gather CEO/co-founder Mayank Mehta about how the...
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