Next Big Thing HQ

Hosted by Connor Fata

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Aug 2024

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Welcome to Next Big Thing HQ, where we interview founders and showcase startups raising capital. Hosted by Connor Fata, we bring you closer to the next wave of innovations and the pioneers behind them. Whether you're an investor, startup enthusiast, or a future-thinker, Next Big Thing HQ is your go-to source to stay ahead of the curve. Subscribe today to witness the future unfold, one founder at a time.

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58 recent

August 26, 202423 min

Blockchain in the Creator Economy: Transforming Attention Monetization w/ Gadi Buch | Ep. 44 [HD]

Gadi Buch, founder of Promeet, is revolutionizing the creator economy by developing a platform that allows users to monetize their online meetings and streams using blockchain technology. The company aims to eliminate third-party intermediaries, reduce fees, and give users more control over their earnings. Promeet offers a simple and frictionless experience for both content creators and viewers, making it easy to set up and join paid events. With a competitive 5% fee on transactions, Promeet provides a more affordable alternative to traditional platforms. The future vision for Promeet includes expanding features such as charging for replay videos and creating profiles for hosts to showcase their past events. Check out Promeet and see how it can help you monetize your content: Promeet: https://www.promeet.live Promeet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/promeetlive/ Gadi Buch's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gadi-benari-buch-01296932/ Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: YouTube Channel Join our community: LinkedIn Community Tweet us your thoughts: Twitter Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Chapters: 0:00 What is Promeet & why do we need it? 02:48 Understanding Blockchain 3:41 End-to-End Product Walkthrough 07:10 Promeet's Business Model 11:50 Go-to-Market Strategy 14:01 Micro Payments and Flexible Pricing 17:09 Favoring Tailwinds 20:10 Customer Receptiveness and Feedback 21:02 Rapid Questions!

August 8, 202436 min

The Future of Work w/ AI: Revolutionizing Talent Hiring w/ Bill Kerr | Ep. 43 [HD]

Bill Kerr, founder of Athyna, is tackling the pressing challenge of global talent management by developing innovative remote staffing solutions. The company aims to address issues such as connecting top talent worldwide, streamlining the hiring process, and optimizing operational efficiencies. Athyna's proprietary technology leverages AI and automation to match job seekers with companies, ensuring a seamless and efficient recruitment experience. Athyna just ended their Reg CF round, but go check out their site and see how they can help you with your recruiting: Athyna: https://www.athyna.com/ Athyna's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/athyna/ Bill Kerr's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebillkerr/ Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjOwrXJpU83a8aZJ-PeduiA Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Book Recommendations: How to Win Friends & Influence People - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 0:59 Why now? 3:39 Macro Tailwinds for Athyna's Business Model 7:18 End to End Process Customer Journey 10:45 Go-To-Market Strategy 14:13 What is the Future of Hiring? 18:58 Capital Allocation and Growth Opportunities 23:40 Fundamentals to Achieve +140% NRR 28:13 Most Influential Book 32:43 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 34:32 Where will Athyna be in 5 to 10 Years?

July 5, 202434 min

Transforming Cities: AquiPor's Revolutionary Water Tech w/ Greg Johnson | Ep. 42 [HD]

Greg Johnson, founder of AquiPor, is tackling the pressing environmental challenge of urban water management by developing innovative solutions to stormwater management. The company aims to address issues such as stormwater runoff pollution, outdated water infrastructure, and the depletion of groundwater resources. AquiPor's proprietary technology includes a precast concrete system that allows rainwater to be absorbed into the ground, as well as engineering technologies for recharging aquifers with cleaned gray water. The company's business model focuses on being a design-build entity that oversees projects from start to finish, ensuring quality control and customer satisfaction. AquiPor is currently raising capital on StartEngine to further develop its technology and expand its market presence. AquiPor is currently raising a Reg CF, offering the opportunity for anyone to invest alongside angel investors and VCs in AquiPor. The link to invest is below. Conduct due diligence before investing. Invest in AquiPor: https://www.startengine.com/offering/aquipor AquiPor: https://aquipor.com/ AquiPor's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aquipor Greg Johnson's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggjohnson1 Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjOwrXJpU83a8aZJ-PeduiA Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Book Recommendations: King: A Life - https://www.amazon.com/King-Life-Jonathan-Eig/dp/0374279292 Zero to One - https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296 Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 0:56 The Problem AquiPor is Solving 4:04 Solution the Current Crisis of Urban Water Management 8:20 AquiPor's IP and Patents 10:45 Go-To-Market Strategy 18:40 Story Behind AquiPor 21:40 Exciting Trends of Future Cities 24:44 Raising on StartEngine 29:21 Book Recommendation 30:48 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

June 8, 202435 min

Jurny's $100M AI Solution for Property Management w/ Luca Zambello | Ep. 41 [HD]

Luca Zambello is the CEO and founder of Jurny, a tech-driven hospitality company revolutionizing short-term rental and property management with its AI-powered platform. In this conversation, Luca discusses the inspiration behind Jurny, how its innovative technology automates property management tasks to boost productivity, and the critical role of AI in modernizing hospitality. He also shares insights on navigating industry challenges, Jurny's approach to raising capital on platforms like StartEngine, and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the sector. Jurny is currently raising a Reg CF, which offers the opportunity for anyone to invest alongside angel investors and VCs in Jurny. The link to invest is below. *Conduct due diligence before investing Invest in Jurny: https://www.startengine.com/offering/jurny Jurny: https://www.jurny.com/ Jurny LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jurny/ Luca's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucazambello Luca's Book Rec: https://www.amazon.com/How-Economy-Grows-Why-Crashes/dp/047052670X Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigThingHQ Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 0:41 Story Behind Jurny 3:52 Why Jurny is Important for Property Management 8:08 AI w/ Vertical Integration 11:25 AI Improving Hospitality 20:00 Implication AI has on the Future 23:30 Growth 25:00 Raising Capital on StartEngine 27:26 Vision for the Future 32:13 Luca's Book Rec 32:50 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

May 26, 2024Episode 4041 min

The Future of AI Innovations w/ Microsoft Azure Product Expert Nataraj Sindam | Ep.40 [HD]

Nataraj Sindam is a Product Manager at Microsoft Azure and a Partner at Incisive Ventures. In this conversation, Nataraj Sindam discusses the impact of AI on knowledge workers, the cloud industry, and product managers and developers, the value of prompt engineering, the long-tail opportunities for small teams to create high-value AI applications, and open-source vs closed source. Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ 100 Days of AI: https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/ Incisive Ventures: https://incisive.vc/ Nataraj's Book Rec: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Thinking-Book-Mental-Models/dp/0525533583 Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigThingHQ Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 The Impact of AI on Knowledge Workers 07:36 Startups Trusting Cloud Services 09:27 The Impact of AI on Product Managers and Developers 15:47 100 Days of AI 20:07 Where Value Will be Captured in AI 24:35 Open Source vs. Closed Source 29:19 Generative AI 32:45 Investing in Vertical SaaS Startups 37:25 Overrated vs. Underrated 39:00 Book Recommendation: 'Super Thinking' 40:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

May 16, 2024Episode 3942 min

Building a Media Empire w/ Michael Sikand, Cofounder of Our Future | Ep. 39 [HD]

In this conversation, Michael Sikand, discusses his journey from starting a podcast to pivoting to short-form content, building a team, scaling a company, being on Forbes 30 Under 30, and ultimately deciding to pursue an acquisition offer. Background: Michael Sikand was the cofounder of Our Future, the #1 source of Business for Gen Z. Our Future was acquired by Morning Brew in January of 2023. Give it a listen and hear Michael Sikand's insights on navigating the startup world, his experiences with growth and acquisition, and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs! Check out Michael and Our Future Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtrwNtR3_ilqa2nS6GEKL7w TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ourfuturehq Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelsikand Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsikand/ Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@nextbigthinghq Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 00:00 Introduction 01:19 Getting Started in Podcasting 04:40 Evolution to Short Form Content 07:45 Creating Engaging TikTok Stories 11:14 The Future of Short Form Content 14:49 Exposure for Young Founders 16:25 Skill Acquisition 19:19 Hiring, Acquiring, and Scaling 24:06 Transitioning to Agency Business 25:25 Getting Acquired by Morning Brew 30:05 The Post-Acquisition Experience 34:58 Forbes 30 Under 30 36:42 Behind the Scene of Our Future Podcast 37:13 The Value of Trying New Things 38:30 Advice to Younger Self 40:00 What's Next for Michael

April 18, 202438 min

Riding the Wave of Innovation w/ Ed Kearney, CEO of Valo | Ep. 38 [HD]

Ed Kearney is the CEO of Valo, a hydrofoil electric vessel that is revolutionizing the future of water transportation. In this conversation, Ed talks about the story behind Valo, the business model and go-to-market strategy, timeless Y Combinator advice, challenging the status quo, raising capital on Wefunder, and much more. Valo is currently raising a Reg CF, which offers the opportunity for anyone to invest alongside angel investors and VCs in Valo. The link to invest is below. *Conduct due diligence before investing Invest in Valo: https://wefunder.com/valo Valo: https://www.ridevalo.com/ Valo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ride-valo/ Ed's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-kearney/ Ed's Book Rec: https://www.amazon.com/When-Heavens-Went-Sale-Geniuses/dp/0062998870 Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@nextbigthinghq Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 0:45 How is Valo Inventing the Future? 1:42 What is Valo? 5:01 Making Efficient Energy Consumption 6:25 Business Model 9:35 Challenging the Status Quo 11:16 Customer Receptiveness 13:02 Go-To-Market Strategy 14:48 Ultimate Vision for Valo 16:40 Story Behind Valo 19:55 Environmentally Friendly 21:10 Creating a Transportation Revolution 23:01 Handling and Adjusting to Waves & Depth 26:30 Y Combinator Experience 29:30 Raising on Wefunder 32:52 5 to 10 Year Vision 35:07 Most Influential Book 36:18 Advice for Young People

April 12, 202422 min

How to Live a Healthier Life for Longer w/ Peter Ward, Cofounder of Humanity | Ep. 37 [HD]

Peter Ward is the cofounder of Humanity, the #1 health and longevity app that helps you live a healthier life for longer. In this conversation, Peter talks about the mission of Humanity, how to live a healthier life for longer, important metrics to track, virality, raising capital on Wefunder, importance of synthetic data, and much more. Humanity is currently raising a Reg CF, which offers the opportunity for anyone to invest alongside angel investors and VCs in Humanity. The link to invest is below. *Conduct due diligence before investing Invest in Humanity: https://wefunder.com/humanity Humanity: https://www.humanity.health/ Humanity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanityinc/ Peter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwardwayn/ Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@nextbigthinghq Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 0:50 Why Does the World Need Humanity? 2:22 Metrics on How to Live a Healthy Life 4:00 Adding a Billion Years of Life in a Decade 7:15 Walkthrough the Humanity App 8:39 Impact of Humanity App on Users 10:20 Business Model 12:36 Raising Capital on Wefunder 13:23 Virality 16:41 Importance of Synthetic Data 19:20 Most Impactful Book 20:45 Advice on How to Live a Healthier Longer Life

April 9, 202439 min

How to Be a Smart Investor w/ Dan Devlin, Cofounder of Doriot Venture Labs | Ep. 36 [4K]

Dan Devlin is the cofounder of Doriot Venture Labs, a platform democratizing and consumerizing the early-stage equity markets through venture success tools. In this conversation, Dan talks about the mission of Doriot Venture Labs, the future of equity crowdfunding, the accredited investor rule, roadmap to getting SEC Approval, vision for the next 10 years, and much more. Doriot Venture Labs: https://www.doriot.com/ Doriot Venture Labs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doriot Dan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devlindan Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@nextbigthinghq Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Introduction 1:10 Mission Behind Doriot Venture Labs 3:05 Fantasy Startup 7:35 Equity Bible 9:15 Backstory Behind Doriot Venture Labs 10:48 Perspectives on Equity Crowdfunding 15:00 Importance of Having an Investor Community 18:00 Challenge of Investing in Startups 19:31 Qualified Accredited Investor 23:05 Roadmap for SEC Approval 27:55 Common Misconception Investing in Startups 31:50 Future of Equity Crowdfunding 34:07 Vision for Next 5 - 10 years 35:32 Favorite Book 36:15 Connection Between Running a Startup and Rugby President 37:00 Venture Weekend

March 26, 202441 min

Investing in Innovative Startups w/ Tristin Chambers, GP of Spark | Ep. 35

Tristin Chambers is the solo GP of Spark, a venture firm that invests in equity crowdfunding startups. In this conversation, Tristin talks about the investing in startups, deploying capital, his perspective on the equity crowdfunding industry, the importance of social media, and much more. GRFK: https://grfk.framer.website/ Spark: https://sparkgca.com/ Spark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparkgca Tristin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taze Stay Connected: Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@nextbigthinghq Join our community: www.linkedin.com/company/nextbigthinghq/ Tweet us your thoughts: https://twitter.com/NextBigThingHQ Don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe for more content like this! Outline: 0:00 Intro 1:05 Spark 2:03 What to Look for Investing in Startups 3:49 Secondary Markets & SPACs 8:53 Perspective on Equity Crowdfunding 12:35 Investing in Jibby Coffee 15:55 Social Media Impact on Startup Growth 21:20 Deploying Capital & Run Rate 26:01 Regulation Digital Securities & Crypto 32:37 Vision for Next 5 Years