wrichardson.eth

Head of Operations & Marketing @Interplay
Connector of Dots
Music/Music Tech Enthusiast
Go @nyknicks

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Anduril: $5B raise, $61B valuation. The same week was the largest defense-tech VC week on record. Silicon Valley is re-enlisting — and it's worth remembering the Valley was born defense (Fairchild → Minuteman, Apollo → ~60% of all ICs, DARPA → ARPANET).

Then it drifted. Cold War wound down in '91, the web arrived in '93, and by the late 2000s the dominant Valley archetype — Google, Facebook, Twitter — had near-zero federal exposure. The near-divorce hardened in 2018, when 3,000+ Googlers signed the letter that killed Project Maven.

The reversal came quietly: Palantir (In-Q-Tel → 2020 IPO → $300B+), Anduril (founded 2017 to rebuild a prime the Valley way), SpaceX (the Pentagon's biggest launch provider). Today's Stanford/MIT grads compete for the offers that were career suicide in 2018.

What changed? A hot geopolitical backdrop, DoD on-ramps (Replicator, OTAs) that fit startup timelines, and a founder generation that decided ceding the frontier was the bigger ethical risk.

The $5B isn't the story. The story is there's no longer a contradiction.

Full piece: https://t.co/ROQL18gX8q

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Cats are 40% of the pet market, but are somehow still chronically overlooked. Every innovation goes to dogs first. Even your vet's office is built for dogs first. Matt Michaelson, cofounder and CEO of Smalls, and his team have built an incredible cat-first brand precisely because of that blind spot.

In this episode, I sit down with Matt to break down:
• Why the cat industry is structurally underinvested (which includes VCs simply saying "I don't really like cats")
• What "human-grade" actually means for pet food — and the sustainability trade-offs nobody talks about
• Ingredient splitting: the regulatory hack that lets pet brands disguise what's actually in the bag
• "Wrestling in the mud": a feedback culture where every hire is expected to disagree
• Founders Pledge, and why committing 5% early changes the giving conversation later

Big thanks to Matt for coming on the pod and sharing the playbook behind Smalls.

[Interplay @interplay]

US manufacturing output is rising. Headcount is not. Q1 2026 BLS: factory productivity +3.6% — 5x the rest of the economy. Output up, hours down. That's the AI/automation story showing up in government data.

https://t.co/m0d2Vk82Pm

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

The elevator pitch is dead.

For years, founders have been coached to cram their entire business into a 60-second monologue, in case they corner a VC in an elevator. That's not how real conversations work — and it's not how investors decide what to look at next.

When I meet a founder and ask what they're working on, I want a normal answer. One sentence. "We're helping people do X by offering a service that does Y." If I'm interested, I'll ask questions. If I'm not, I'll say so and we both move on.

A canned, rapid-fire pitch doesn't make me lean in. It makes me wonder why you're talking at me instead of with me. The founders who actually raise well speak plainly about their business, answer questions directly, and send a clean executive summary afterward. The pitch isn't a performance. It's the start of a conversation.

If you're prepping to fundraise, throw out the script. Be able to explain what you do in plain English, and trust the investor to ask for the rest.

From The Fundraising Rules — the chapter on getting the meeting.

[wrichardson.eth @_wrichardson]

RT @mpd: Venture studios are quietly becoming one of the most effective models for company creation, but most people still don't understand…

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Most founders treat fundraising like a finish line. It isn't. It's a pit stop.

You stop racing for a few weeks. Fresh tires, souped-up engine, the right advisors on board.

If the raise doesn't make you faster after, you ran the wrong play.

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Is the global economy stronger than it looks or more fragile beneath the surface? If you’re trying to reconcile booming markets with rising geopolitical risk, this week’s episode brings an important perspective.

I sat down with Chris Zhang, Partner & CIO of Ascend Interplay, to break down the real forces shaping 2026:

- How AI is shifting from a narrative to a measurable economic impact
- Why labor markets may determine where we go next
- Global structural shifts that are underway - from escalating Middle East tensions to the rise of protectionism - and what they imply for supply chains, inflation dynamics, and U.S. debt sustainability.

Big thanks to Chris for a thoughtful, data-driven discussion.

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

We're proud to share that @interplay Ventures portfolio company @olliepets has been acquired by Agrolimen. This is an exciting outcome; the Ollie team deserves a big congratulations on building a defining brand in the human-grade pet food space. Read more about our investment and the Ollie story here: https://t.co/V9Wq8VC5yf

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

We’ve all been there: wanting to resell clothes but dreading the 'listing' process. For your customers, that friction is the #1 barrier to a circular economy. Relist is changing that, and we’re proud to announce they’ve joined the Interplay Accelerator. 🚀

Resale is already happening around every brand and Relist makes that process brand-safe, easy, and scalable by letting customers resell past purchases in one click across major marketplaces.

If you’re a brand ready to make resale as easy as the initial purchase, this is the infrastructure you’ve been waiting for.

Huge credit to founders Maneesh K., Ben Leitner, and Ben Tatsuoka for building core resale infrastructure at the intersection of commerce, sustainability, and customer experience.

We're excited to partner as they build the future of brand-led resale.

Read the blog here: https://t.co/GB7UWizzpS

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

@bradsvrluga has been a mentor and a close friend of mine for years. Watching him build @PrimaryVC - one of the most respected firms in the industry - has been a masterclass in itself, so sitting down with him for this episode was a highlight I've been looking forward to and a great way to kick off the year.

We went deep on an often overlooked topic in VC: How do you actually scale a firm's infrastructure?

Whether you're a GP or a founder, Brad’s perspective on building a modern, institutional-grade firm is unmatched.

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

The legal sector has long resisted automation, but that resistance is finally breaking down. With GenAl, shifting economic incentives, and new regulatory flexibility, legal tech is entering a phase of real structural transformation. In this blog post, Marina Perez-Llorca shares how we're thinking about the opportunity from an investor and builder perspective, including:

• Why adoption is now being pulled by the market, not pushed by vendors
• How outcome-based pricing and tech-enabled services unlock real leverage
• Where we're seeing the strongest momentum: litigation, IP, and hybrid service models

Read the full post here: https://t.co/A48qjIpWRD

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Our 2026 predictions are in. From IPOs to AI to robots - check out what we think is actually coming in 2026.

To wrap up 2025, I regroup with @Mikeyjrog and @PhuongIreland for our annual end-of-year episode, where we look back at last year's predictions (they passed with flying colors) and set our sights on what’s ahead.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the topics covered:
✅ AI’s real impact on blue and white collar jobs.
📈 The slow thaw of the IPO market.
💸 The maturing of venture capital into a robust capital market ecosystem.
🤖 Why humanoid robots might finally enter the chat.
🚀 How seed-stage startups have fundamentally changed - and what will make or break them next year.

If you're a founder, investor, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, this one’s packed with insight.

🎧 Listen & let us know what YOU think is coming in 2026? Drop your predictions in the comments. 👇

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

What if you approached philanthropy like a startup? The results might shock you and completely rewire how you think about giving.

I sit down with the one and only @markgerson, Cofounder and Chair of 3i Members, to dive deep into how you can treat generosity like a capital allocation decision. We unpack a framework for ROI-driven giving that prioritizes measurable impact over emotional check-writing.

Whether you give already or you’re just starting to think about it, this is a practical, purpose-driven guide to doing the most good in a faster and smarter way.

Special thanks to Mark for joining me on the pod and for all the amazing work he does.

[wrichardson.eth @_wrichardson]

RT @mpd: Congrats to Tyler Maloney, Nick O'Brien, and the entire TeachMeTo team on their $3M raise as they build the go-to marketplace for…

[Bowery Legal @BoweryLegal]

Startup founders: Choosing where to incorporate isn’t just paperwork — it shapes your governance, funding, and exit path.

💼 Why Delaware still leads
🌎 Who’s catching up (WY, NV, TX)
📈 Trends in 2025
👇 A practical guide from @BoweryLegal

https://t.co/B2BfrsHL9N

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

We broke in the new Interplay HQ in true style last week with a Casino Night to remember.

To celebrate our fresh NoHo space, we gathered an incredible crew of founders, operators, investors, and friends for a night of high-stakes fun. The chips were flying, the dice were hot, and more than a few people found their lucky streaks.

It was the perfect way to introduce folks to our new space, and we couldn’t have asked for a better crew to help us kick things off. Huge thanks to everyone who came out and made the night so special.

We’re excited to host more events soon - so stay tuned!

[Bowery Legal @BoweryLegal]

Are you a founder looking to fundraise for your company? Are you unsure about what laws and rules need to be followed when raising funding from your friends, family, and angel or venture capital investors?

#fundraising #startups

https://t.co/Y8Q8D6KdIq

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Startups face countless hurdles, but few are more daunting than going head-to-head with a well-funded incumbent.

In this week’s pod episode, Phuong Ireland and I break down the playbook for winning as the underdog:
- Nail a niche
- Iterate faster than they can blink
- Build a brand people feel
- Deliver a customer experience that’s unforgettable

Whether you're bootstrapping or fresh off a seed round, this is must-know territory for any founder looking to turn scrappiness into scale.

A friendly heads up, this ep is the last one for a few months as we pause the pod for the summer. Thanks for listening and enjoy your summer - we’ll be back from a new studio, recharged and ready to roll.

[Bowery Legal @BoweryLegal]

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) can eliminate capital gains tax on up to $10M. If you're a founder, early employee, or investor—this is a powerful tax benefit to know. Hear Eric share more information about the advantages of QSBS. 💸🔥

#QSBS #startups #founderadvice

[Mark Peter Davis @mpd]

Outsourcing isn't new - but the way startups can use it today has radically changed. On this week’s ep, I sat down with Shaun Walker, CEO of Spoke (https://t.co/c3QHZZ9LYS), to unpack what business process outsourcing (BPO) can look like for high-growth startups in 2025.

Let me say this upfront: most early-stage founders are missing out. Outsourcing isn’t just about slashing costs - it’s about building operational leverage and unlocking global talent pools in a way that accelerates your entire business.

Spoke’s model stands out because it focuses on fully embedded, dedicated teams that feel like extensions of your startup - they're engaged team members motivated to help you hit your milestones.

Whether it’s customer support, finance, data operations, or even engineering, there’s a strategic opportunity here. Especially in today’s hybrid and AI-enhanced world, Shaun argues that outsourcing can be a “bionic” function - letting you scale up or down with flexibility, access talent faster, and focus your internal team on what truly matters.

If you're a founder thinking about how to stretch your funding and build operational leverage, this is a must-listen. Hope it helps you navigate your own growth journey.

#startupoutsourcing #scalingwithglobalteams #startupgrowthstrategies