How do you build long-term trust between founders and investors—and what happens when that trust meets the chaos of AI-driven commerce?
In this episode, Peter Harris and Jon Bradshaw sit down with Kimberly Shenk, founder & CEO of Novi, and Brian Rothenberg, partner at DeFi VC, to explore:

• How past working relationships shape investor–founder dynamics
• The art of saying “no” without burning bridges
• Why small brands can outrank giants in AI-powered shopping
• The death (and rebirth) of SEO in the LLM era
• Real frameworks for finding product-market fit

“Machines care more about truth; humans are easily persuaded.”
A high-signal, no-fluff conversation on the future of trust, data, and growth in the age of AI.

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Venture capital isn’t dead — it’s evolving. Carta’s Head of Insights, Peter Walker, joins Jon Bradshaw and Peter Harris to unpack what the data really says about the 2025 market. From the AI-fueled bifurcation to shrinking equity packages and a wave of secondaries, this episode breaks down how founders, VCs, and LPs are adapting in real time.

Peter shares Carta’s inside view on:

• The comeback of deal flow and valuations
• Why down rounds are easing but hiring hasn’t rebounded
• How founder dilution and equity norms have shifted
• The rise of liquidity via secondaries and fund-to-fund capital
• What signals matter most heading into 2026

If you care about where venture is heading next — this is the episode.

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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789
Website: https://www.venturecapital.fm/

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In this episode of the Venture Capital Podcast, hosts Jon Bradshaw and Peter Harris are joined by Alex Sen, CEO of Meridian, and Nnamdi Okike, an investor associated with Meridian, to discuss the transformative role of AI and software in private equity and venture capital investing. Alex shares his journey from nearly a decade in private equity, battling with outdated CRM tools, to founding a next-generation AI-powered CRM and deal sourcing platform that streamlines workflows, surfaces proprietary deal opportunities, and enhances decision-making for some of the world's largest firms.

Nnamdi provides the investor’s perspective, highlighting their decade-long commitment to leveraging software and data analytics to revolutionize venture operations. They discuss how AI is expanding the total addressable market by automating manual tasks, improving deal sourcing efficiency, and enabling investors to better track, prioritize, and engage with evolving companies. Both guests reflect on the challenges of AI adoption, the changing nature of junior analyst roles, and the importance of human intuition alongside advanced technology.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the evolution of investing software, the competitive shifts AI is catalyzing in the finance industry, and how firms must continuously elevate their capabilities to succeed. The conversation touches on the broader impact of AI on workflow, learning acceleration, and founder-investor relationships, making this episode a must-listen for investors, founders, and anyone curious about the future of AI-enabled investing.

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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789
Website: https://www.venturecapital.fm/

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