Will Little @wclittle Subscribe

Managing Director at Prota Ventures.
I'm a bioengineer-turned-software-developer and venture builder/investor. Learn more about me professionally on LinkedIn, personally here, and check out the podcast I host, Ventures.

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Topic:   Ventures Podcast

Ventures is an audio/video podcast devoted to exploring entrepreneurial stories, market landscapes, problem spaces, and opportunities to create for-profit and nonprofit ventures to benefit human beings.

You can listen and download shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, PocketCast, Castro, Castbox, Podchaser, PodcastAddict, Deezer, Listen Notes, or directly via the show’s RSS feed here. In addition, you can watch videos of episodes in the posts below or on YouTube here.

Scroll to the bottom for more recent episodes and the reverse chronological order of all episodes.

However, if you missed episodes from Year 1 (i.e. Season 1), we considered how to categorize each show by meta-theme/subject and discovered it was essentially the following ten categories:

  • Blockchains & Web 3.0
  • Leadership & Business Management
  • Entrepreneurship & Fundraising
  • Product Management
  • Life Sciences
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Cybersecurity
  • Design & Branding
  • Education
  • Founder Stories

Here they are (with links below) in reverse chronological order by category (again, scroll further down to see more recent episodes):

Blockchains & Web 3.0

  • Web 3.0 and agricultural supply chains; connecting farmers and startups via scaled trust :: with Joni Kindwall-Moore (Ep52)
  • How are blockchains creating value for humanity? Why is Web 3.0 important? :: with Andrew Cronk (Ep48)
  • Virtual Identities, Dream Thinking, and Human Flourishing in the Web 3.0 era :: with Joel Fariss (Ep24)
  • Taking back the Internet: Blockchains, Privacy, Web 3.0, and Figment.io :: with Andrew Cronk (Ep19)
  • What’s up with Blockchain? Web 3.0, DeFi, and scaling trust :: with Spencer Graham and Tony Little (Ep18)
  • Blockchains, the State of the Crypto Ecosystem, Proof-of-Stake, and Figment Networks :: with Lorien Gabel, Andrew Cronk, and Tony Little (Ep2)

Leadership & Business Management

  • The Amare Wave, love vs. war in business, and uplifting customers :: with Moshe Engelberg  (Ep51)
  • Navigating geopolitics, startup lawyers, and the parallels between the 1920s and 2020s :: with Larry Little (Ep50)
  • Self-discovery, discerning our limits, and transitioning from idealism :: with Kathryn Little (Ep45)
  • Finding purpose, embracing curiosity, and navigating a career path in the 2020s :: with Kim Porter, Eric Sullivan, and Sol Cates (Ep39)
  • Growing as a technology leader, engaging value-add investors, and optimizing go-to-market strategies :: with Bill Murphy and Sol Cates (Ep33)
  • Listening to your community, empowering the marginalized, and knowing when to step back :: with Foxy Davison (Ep27)
  • Coaching founders on leadership, holistic communication, team building, purpose, values, vision, and mission :: with Shandel Sutherland (Ep16)

Entrepreneurship & Fundraising

  • From founder to VC to founder again: practical advice for startups and investors :: with Alex Giannikoulis (Ep47)
  • Ideation to Product-Market Fit, choosing revenue models, and general advice for founders :: with Dave Parker (Ep43)
  • Emerging technology, startup funding, and books for entrepreneurs :: with John Biggs (Ep15)
  • Entrepreneurship, fundraising, and practical advice for startup founders :: with Troy Henikoff (Ep14)
  • Global impact investing, social entrepreneurship, and Global Brigades :: with Steve Atamian and Brian Howe (Ep8)

Product Management

  • Scaling a product management team, lessons learned from startups and enterprises, and how to drive customer success from a product advisory board :: with Kiel Sanders and Patrick Lowndes (Ep46)
  • Technical product management, architecting a growing product team, and deeply understanding your customer’s needs :: with David Pierce (Ep41)
  • The dance of product and growth within a startup, from idea through acquisition into enterprise :: with Jenna Langer (Ep38)
  • Web development for startups vs. enterprises, StimulusReflex vs. React, and New Magic with Ruby on Rails :: with Joe Clarke and David Parrott (Ep22)

Life Sciences

  • Soil science, microbiomes, and loving grains again :: with Joni Kindwall-Moore (Ep49)
  • Brokering trust, bringing transparency into medical supply sales, and distributing COVID-19 rapid antigen & antibody tests :: with Susie Kataoka and Norris Liu (Ep34)
  • HealthTech entrepreneurship, surviving cancer, and starting FertilityAnswers :: with Alice Crisci (Ep29)
  • Cholesterol, lipidology, ketogenic diets, N=1 experiments, and the future of health technology :: with Dave Feldman (Ep11)
  • COVID-19 response and innovation at University of Washington Medicine. Plus, a call-to-action for medical technology entrepreneurs :: with Danica Little, Dimitry Levin, and Dr. Robert Sweet (Ep9)
  • Life Sciences Entrepreneurship & Price Transparency in Healthcare with Dr. Jeffrey Roh, Susie Kataoka, and Dr. Tony Little (Ep1)

Marketing & Sales

  • Connecting people, building community, and learning from super connectors :: with Weston Woodward and Sol Cates (Ep44)
  • Marketing operations, building a MarTech stack, and ensuring data visibility and security in a growing startup :: with Kelly Jo Horton and Sol Cates (Ep37)
  • Complex business-to-business (B2B) sales, the inflection point in a buyer’s journey, and strategies for building a sales team :: with Steve Crepeau and Sol Cates (Ep36)
  • Teaching financial literacy after the NFL, and embracing TikTok for marketing :: with Jed Collins (Ep26)
  • Public Relations (PR) for startup founders: How to effectively communicate with journalists, influencers, and potential customers :: with Alexandra Skillman (Ep17)

Cybersecurity

  • Cybersecurity and user experience philosophies through Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 :: with Jim Reavis and Kurt Seifried (Ep42)
  • History and principles of cybersecurity for startup founders, individuals, and Web 3.0 builders :: with Malcolm Harkins and Sol Cates (Ep40)
  • Cybersecurity, 5G, extraterritoriality, and the dynamic negotiation of trust :: with Tony Rutkowski, Sol Cates, and Tony Sager (Ep32)
  • The history of cybersecurity & the Internet, and lessons for the Web 3.0 generation :: with Tony Sager and Sol Cates (Ep31)
  • Cybersecurity, Rapid Antigen Tests, Learning to Code, the Enneagram, and Meta-Level New Year’s Resolutions :: with Sol Cates (Ep25)

Design & Branding

  • Building a co-founder team with product and design capabilities, and the future of UX in the no-code/low-code era :: with Perry Azevedo (Ep35)
  • Design, innovation, work, and the future of humanity :: with Joel Fariss (Ep21)
  • Startup Branding :: Strategy, Competitive Positioning, Personas, Naming, and Visual Design :: with Elisabeth Hass and Natalie Grummer (Ep5)

Education

  • From social work to social entrepreneurship and starting an inner-city boarding school :: The Ryan Banks Academy story, with Valerie Groth (Ep28)
  • Home Education & Practical Suggestions for Parents this Fall :: with Abby Wahl and Sarah Little (Ep4)

Founder Stories

  • Starting a company in the pandemic, leveraging no-code solutions, and finding co-founders online :: The indifit.co story with Cheryl Kemp (Ep30)
  • The Bird Buddy story, raising over $2m on Kickstarter, and growing an IoT company :: with Franci Zidar and Kyle Buzzard (Ep23)
  • Entrepreneurship and innovation in media, No Excuses Jobs, and the Converge Media story :: with Omari Salisbury (Ep20)
  • Starting a side business, validating a product idea, and managing people :: the Lead Honestly story with Shay Howe and Darby Frey (Ep13)
  • The VendorHawk story: Idea to successful acquisition within a few years, and the importance of founder worldview alignment :: with Patrick Lowndes and Brian Geihsler (Ep12)
  • Period equity, femtech, health education, and Project Untaboo :: with Rachael Kim (Ep10)
  • Finding a technical co-founder, becoming an angel developer, and starting a new golf clubs company :: with Gabe Coyne (Ep7)
  • Co-founding Kickstarter, empowering creatives, and starting a tangible goods company in a pandemic :: with Charles Adler and Wilson Fong (Ep6)
  • Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), Fighting Human Trafficking, and Starting a Nonprofit :: with Amanda Hightower and Brent Turner (Ep3)

You can, of course, browse my Satchel site and view additional categories and sub-categories.

As part of Season Two, in addition to more interviews, I’m planning to mix in shorter episodes on specific topics, pulling clips from Season One and mixing in my own commentary. If you have any recommended episodes/topics I should cover, please let me know (will@wclittle.com).

Will Little

Aug 30, 2022
Blockchains Startups Ventures Podcast

Introducing the New Startup Incubator Program Hosted by Prota Ventures (Begins Oct 4th, Apply Today) :: with Mike Anderson

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Mike Anderson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeandersonjr/) and I discuss the launch of a new startup incubator program hosted by Prota Ventures (learn more and apply here → https://www.protaventures.com/labs). We talk about the program’s background, motivation, vision, details, mentorship and investor opportunities, cohort model, and more. Prota has an enormously successful track record of incubating and investing in startups at their earliest stages. This new incubator is for those who either want to work as a startup CEO on an existing idea, bring their own idea to the table, and/or propose a general market area for us to incubate a new startup idea together within.
Will Little

Aug 23, 2022
Startups Startup Fundraising Ventures Podcast Web3

The past, present, and future of FinTech and DeFi :: with Drew Glover

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Drew Glover (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbailerglover/) and I discuss all-things FinTech, growth, venture capital, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). We cover his background co-founding Fiat Growth (https://www.fiatgrowth.com/), raising a $15m fund w/ Fiat Ventures (https://www.fiat.vc/), the overall FinTech landscape, advice for founders leveling up their growth strategies, and the future of finance technology for entrepreneurs and the rest of the world.

Will Little

Aug 16, 2022
Blockchains Startups Ventures Podcast Web3

Accessing blockchain data for practical Web3 development, the SubQuery story :: with James Bayly

In this episode of Ventures, my guest James Bayly (https://twitter.com/jamesabayly) and I discuss SubQuery (https://subquery.network), including information that Web3 developers need to know about how to practically access data from blockchains to engineer decentralized applications. We talk about the various APIs available, where SubQuery fits in the Web3 data availability landscape, the difference between indexers and RPC nodes, SubQuery’s financial model, and what excites James about the Web3 space in general.
Will Little

Aug 9, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3 DAOs NFTs

How NFTs and DAOs changed entrepreneurship forever :: with Prof. Yanto Chandra

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Prof. Yanto Chandra (https://twitter.com/yanefted) and I talk about the implications of Web3 for global entrepreneurship. We discuss his background PhD work in rapidly growing international businesses, his professorship in Hong Kong teaching entrepreneurship, his thoughts about how NFTs and DAOs are changing the venture-building game around the world, and why smart and thoughtful regulation is vitally important for the future of the space.
Will Little

Aug 2, 2022
Blockchains Startups Ventures Podcast Web3

Web3, Open Mobility Data, and the Digital Infrastructure for Moving Objects (DIMO) story :: with Andy Chatham

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Andy Chatham (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-chatham-a5a45825/) and I talk about Digital Infrastructure for Moving Objects (DIMO, https://dimo.zone/). We discuss the background and story of the project, why giving people an open platform for mobility data matters, the journey of creating and shipping a hardware product, parallels to the Helium network, keeping OEMs accountable, and the future vision of DIMO to create a positive impact on our world.

Will Little

Jul 26, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3 Social Impact

Web3 vs. Web2 incentives for tangibly helping the developing world :: with Daniel Wilson, PhD

In this episode of Ventures, I introduce and play an important clip from episode 97 with Daniel Wilson, PhD (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-wilson-phd-46956b35/) regarding the importance of Web3 to help humans flourish around the world. We talk about how while incentives for traditional organizations (e.g. banks) are often not compelling enough to provide the same services that developed nations enjoy, Web3 - especially Decentralized Finance (DeFi) - allows unprecedented access to quality financial services. We also talk about how a multidisciplinary approach to Web3 in the developing world is critical, and we discuss the work that Daniel is doing right now to help more language communities participate on the Internet.

Will Little

Jul 19, 2022
Blockchains Startups Ventures Podcast Web3 Metaverse Social Impact

The Otherside Metaverse: A powerful new medium for brands, entrepreneurs, and social impact :: with Jesse Bryan

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Jesse Bryan (https://twitter.com/jessebryan) and I talk about our experience on the first voyage within The Otherside (https://otherside.xyz/) and the resulting implications for brands and people IRL. During this episode, we overlay video of our experience, talk about addressing skeptics, the Otherside litepaper, what can be built on plots of land, how brands should be thinking about The Otherside, and how specifically entrepreneurs can - and should - be thinking about impacting the world with metaverses in general.
Will Little

Jul 12, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3 DAOs

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations with DAOHaus: History, Philosophy, and Vision :: with Spencer Graham

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Spencer Graham (https://twitter.com/spengrah) and I discuss the history of DAOHaus (https://daohaus.club/) and the upcoming release of the third version of the platform. We talk about how Spencer has been working full-time in DAOs for a couple years, how he began working with DAOHaus, the details of the new component-based platform and features, how people can contribute, why DAOs in general “matter”, and thoughts about ImpactDAOs.

Will Little

Jul 5, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3

The Future of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and the Injective Blockchain :: with Eric Chen

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Eric Chen (https://twitter.com/EricInjective) - co-founder of Injective (https://injective.com/) - and I talk about all-things Web3 and DeFi. Injective is an open interoperable smart contracts platform optimized for DeFi applications. We talk about Eric’s academic background in the cryptography space, the story behind Injective, design decisions for primitives that Injective is advancing, the CosmosSDK, the future of stablecoins in Web3, and the vision for Injective long-term.
Will Little

Jun 28, 2022
Startups Venture Capital Ventures Podcast Web3

How to navigate an economic downturn as a venture builder and investor :: with Gary Raju

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Gary Raju (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-raju-a014865/) and I discuss how venture builders and investors should be thinking about the upcoming economic downturn. We talk about the role of a CFO in a growing company, an overall assessment of the market conditions globally and in the US, how new and existing entrepreneurs should prepare, how Web3/Crypto will play a role, and market areas that Gary is most excited about in the future.
Will Little

Jun 21, 2022
Blockchains Startups Ventures Podcast Web3

Tax considerations and bridge-building strategies in Web3 for investors, business operators, and regulators :: with Tela Andrews

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Tela Andrews (​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/telaandrews/) and I discuss all-things crypto taxes, bridge-building with regulators around the world, and his company Fyn (formerly https://bear.tax). We talk about how an efficient tax system in Web3 is good for everyone, what regulators need to know, what retail investors should be thinking about regarding their tax strategies, and how operators of businesses - especially CFOs - can efficiently run their books with crypto.
Will Little

Jun 14, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Social Entrepreneurship Web3 NFTs Social Impact

Web3 101 for Global Impact: Blockchains, DAOs, and NFTs for Preserving Languages :: with Michelle Schubert

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Michelle Schubert (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-schubert-92b259158/) and I discuss a “Web3 101” from her perspective as a relative newcomer to the space, and we talk about her work with International Literacy and Development (ILAD, https://ilad.ngo/). We learn about her story leading into development work, how her team’s upcoming “Stop the Extinction” NFT campaign is aiming to preserve languages all around the world, advice for those writing about and teaching Web3, and reflections from her attendance of Consensus 2022 in Austin, TX last week.

Will Little

Jun 7, 2022
Startups Ventures Podcast Web3

Celebrating Episode 100: Reflections on the origins of this podcast and the expanding definition of entrepreneurship and Web3

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Veronica Satastume (https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicalsagastume/) from Episode 81 graciously offered to interview me (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wclittle/) to reflect on the initial 99 episodes. She asked me about the origin story of the show, what surprised me along the way, themes that were/are compelling (e.g. Web3) along the way, advice for others considering starting a podcast, and expanding the definition of entrepreneurship.

Will Little

May 31, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3 DAOs NFTs

Web3 Product Management in DAOs, Dynamic NFTs, and Why Web3 Matters :: with Chase Merlin

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Chase Merlin (https://twitter.com/ChaseMerlin) and I discuss product management in Web3, specifically how he is approaching his projects within InfoTokenDAO (https://twitter.com/infotokendao) and BanyanDAO (https://twitter.com/BanyanDAO). We talk about how Chase got into Web3, how product managers need to think about Web3 differently than Web2, how NFTs are used in InfoToken, how dynamic NFTs will be used within BanyanDAO to signal progress, how to get involved and help, and why Web3 matters in general for humanity.
Will Little

May 24, 2022
Blockchains Ventures Podcast Web3 Metaverse DAOs NFTs BanyanDAO

How NFTs, DAOs, and metaverses can help humans IRL :: with Josh Vitulli

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Josh Vitulli (https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-vitulli-71926415/) returns to the show to not only reflect on the last six months of the metaverse space, but how DAOs and NFTs can help humans flourish IRL (in real life). We talk about his recent article “Beyond Beeple and Bored Apes” (https://longtalestudios.substack.com/p/beyond-beeple-and-bored-apes), soul-bound NFTs, his leadership of Project Starling within BanyanDAO, a number of practical use cases for NFTs beyond what is normal today, and how all these technologies can (and should) be designed to tangibly make the world a better place.