• 8 minutes 44 seconds
    Investor Stories 486: The Traits of Visionary Founders: Ecosystem-Scale Thinking, Data-Driven Truth-Seeking, and Relentless Customer Experience Design (Blank, Demaree, Cheng)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Steve Blank of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation
    • Grant Demaree of Onebrief
    • Larry Cheng of Volition Capital

    We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    30 July 2026, 11:03 am
  • 6 minutes 57 seconds
    Investor Stories 485: Inside VC Anti-Portfolios: Missing Whatnot, Facebook & MongoDB (Dillon, Cheng, Black)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Natalie Dillon of Maveron
    • Larry Cheng of Volition Capital
    • Ben Black of Akkadian Ventures and Powerlaw Corp

    Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    23 July 2026, 8:17 am
  • 44 minutes 26 seconds
    513. Opening Late-Stage Venture to Everyone, Beating 10-Year Lockups, Why Logos Don't Equal Alpha, and Building Power Law as a Public VC Fund (Ben Black)

    Ben Black of Co-founder & MD of Akkadian Ventures and CIO of Powerlaw Corp joins Nick to discuss Opening Late-Stage Venture to Everyone, Beating 10-Year Lockups, Why Logos Don't Equal Alpha, and Building Power Law as a Public VC Fund. In this episode we cover:

    • Details of Power Law's Portfolio and Investment Strategy
    • Challenges and Benefits of Power Law
    • Innovation and Evolution in Venture Capital
    • Balancing Demand and Supply in Power Law
    • Regulatory Compliance and Educational Efforts
    • Future of Power Law and Market Positioning

    Guest Links:

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter

    20 July 2026, 1:28 pm
  • 6 minutes 35 seconds
    Investor Stories 484: Why Selling Too Early Hurts Returns, The Leadership Power of Sleep, and The Costliest Investment Mistakes (Tananbaum, Ries, Demaree)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Jim Tananbaum of Foresite Capital
    • Eric Ries Author of The Lean Startup
    • Grant Demaree of Onebrief

    We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    16 July 2026, 3:36 pm
  • 6 minutes 58 seconds
    Investor Stories 483: Best LP Questions from David Ulevich, Eric Ries, and Larry Cheng: Mission, Partnership Culture, and Enduring Institutions (Ulevitch, Ries, Cheng)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • David Ulevitch of Andreessen Horowitz
    • Eric Ries author of "The Lean Startup"
    • Larry Cheng of Volition Capital

    We asked guests to share the best question they've ever been asked by an allocator.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    9 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 42 minutes 10 seconds
    512. Is SpaceX Over or Undervalued, Why Consensus Kills, How Chewy Beat Amazon, and the GameStop Saga from a Board Member (Larry Cheng)

    Larry Cheng of Volition Capital joins Nick to discuss Is SpaceX Over or Undervalued, Why Consensus Kills, How Chewy Beat Amazon, and the GameStop Saga from a Board Member. In this episode we cover:

    • E-commerce and AI-Driven Era
    • GameStop's Transformative Moves
    • SpaceX's Market Cap and Future Value
    • AI and Software Industry
    • Impact of AI on Jobs and Companies
    • Volition Capital's Investment Thesis
    • Investor Mindset and Risk Management
    • Board Management and Advice for Founders

    Guest Links:

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    6 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 6 minutes 43 seconds
    Investor Stories 482: Key Advice from a Top Investor and Two Unicorn Founders: Why Companies Pick Investors, Authentic Leadership, and Loving the Game (Austin, Schlacks, Demaree)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Ethan Austin of Outside VC
    • Willy Schlacks of EquipmentShare
    • Grant Demaree of Onebrief

    We asked guests for the most important piece of advice that they'd share with folks early in their venture career.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    2 July 2026, 8:00 am
  • 5 minutes 23 seconds
    Investor Stories 481: Lessons Learned from Centana Growth, a16z, and Emergence: Trusting Management, Spotting Original Thinkers, and Investing Before Revenue (Byunn, Ulevitch, Saper)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Eric Byunn of Centana Growth
    • David Ulevitch of Andreessen Horowitz
    • Jake Saper of Emergence Capital

    We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    25 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 48 minutes 13 seconds
    511. The Future of Military Planning: Defense Tech Beyond the Bubble, AI Software as Combat Power, and the Rise of AI Wargaming (Grant Demaree)

    Grant Demaree of Onebrief joins Nick to discuss The Future of Military Planning: Defense Tech Beyond the Bubble, AI Software as Combat Power, and the Rise of AI Wargaming. In this episode we cover:

    • West Point and Army Background's Impact on Founding One Brief
    • Challenges and Insights in Military Planning
    • Co-Founder Relationships and Founder Mode
    • Future of One Brief and Defense Tech
    • Defense Tech and American Hegemony
    • Military Staff of the Future

    Guest Links:

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    22 June 2026, 8:12 am
  • 7 minutes 25 seconds
    Investor Stories 480: The Traits of Visionary Founders: Customer Obsession, Self Disruption, and Why Love Can Be a Competitive Advantage (Dillon, Patnam, Ries)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Natalie Dillon of Maveron
    • Sandesh Patnam of Premji Invest
    • Eric Ries Author of The Lean Startup

    We asked guests to discuss the most visionary founder that they've worked with and what makes them so special.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    18 June 2026, 8:00 am
  • 6 minutes 14 seconds
    Investor Stories 479: Startup Lessons from Steve Blank, Seth Levine, and Ben Orthlieb: Hubris, Influence, and Founder Selection (Orthlieb, Levine, Blank)

    On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

    • Ben Orthlieb of Blue Moon
    • Seth Levine of Foundry
    • Steve Blank is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford

    We asked guests to tell the most important lesson they've learned in their career.

    The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

    We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.

    Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

    11 June 2026, 8:00 am
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