Something Ventured Podcast
Hosted by Something Ventured
A Silicon Valley insider interviews fellow VCs and founders about their journeys, focusing on the transition from operator to investor.
An interview show where a founder-turned-VC talks shop with other investors and operators. The conversations are less about specific portfolio companies and more about the craft of venture capital, career paths, and the psychology of switching from building to investing. The host's own extensive background allows for a peer-to-peer discussion that often contrasts individual journeys with industry tropes.
“The host's peer-to-peer dynamic stands out. As a founder-turned-VC himself, Kent Lindstrom's shared experience with guests leads to conversations that go beyond standard interview questions into the emotional and psychological journey of the profession.”
Who hosts this show
Kent Lindstrom is a serial entrepreneur and investor who hosts "Something Ventured" to explore the reality behind Silicon Valley headlines. As a co-founder and General Partner at 8-Bit Capital, he brings his experience as a former CEO, COO, and CFO at companies like Friendster and Nuzzel to the conversation. The podcast, which has been named one of Fortune's "Best Business Podcasts," features in-depth interviews with venture capitalists and founders.
Credentials & credits
- Co-founder & General Partner, 8-Bit Capital
- MBA, Kellogg School of Management
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Former CEO/COO/CFO, Friendster
- Former COO, Nuzzel
- Guest Lecturer, Harvard Business School
Other ventures
- 8-Bit Capital
- Friendster (early executive)
- Nuzzel (COO)
- NetRead (co-founder)
- PlacePop (founder)
- Neo (COO)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06Uncork Capital's Andy McLoughlin on Megafunds and LP ReturnsMay 17, 2026 · 44s
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures: Los Angeles’ VC Powerhouse...
A representative episode where the host and a fellow founder-turned-VC discuss the transition between roles and the specifics of a non-Bay Area tech ecosystem (LA).
- 02Uncork Capital's Andy McLoughlin: Silicon Valley's British Invasion...
This episode covers the journey of a founder from the UK to Silicon Valley, discussing the 'golden era' of angel investing and the mechanics of a prominent seed-stage firm.
- 03Eric Ries: The Lean Startup Revolution in an AI-Driven World
An interview with the author of a foundational text in the startup world, updating his famous methodology for the current AI-focused landscape.
What you'll be asked on this show
Kent Lindstrom's interview style is built on establishing a peer relationship. He often opens with a personal, light-hearted anecdote to build rapport, such as recounting his attempts to find the correct pronunciation of a guest's name. He frequently frames questions by contrasting the guest's experience with common industry narratives or his own observations as a founder and VC. Rather than aggressive pushback, he probes deeper by asking guests to compare different roles (e.g., founder vs. investor) or explain the unique strengths of their specific market. This collaborative, insider-to-insider approach encourages guests to reflect on their career paths and the psychology of their work.
This is a one-on-one interview show. Host Kent Lindstrom uses his own background as a founder and investor to establish a collegial, "in the trenches" rapport with his guests, who are typically other VCs and seasoned founders.
Questions Something Ventured keeps coming back to
5 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Something Ventured reaches for it.
process
1- Q.01
“How did you make the transition from being a founder to a venture capitalist?”
This is a core question that explores the fundamental career shift many of his guests have undertaken.
craft
1- Q.01
“How do you contrast the job of a founder with the job of a VC?”
He asks this to surface the psychological and day-to-day differences between operating and investing.
origin
1- Q.01
“What was the first or early computer you worked on?”
Used with veteran guests to elicit personal anecdotes about early technology and their origin story.
industry
1- Q.01
“What is the unique advantage or 'thing' for the [guest's city] tech scene?”
This question seeks to understand regional differentiators beyond the Silicon Valley monoculture.
personal
1- Q.01
“Did you think [guest's college] was a party school before you went there?”
A lighthearted question used early on to explore a guest's personal background and decision-making.
Signature segments
- · Host self-introduction as co-founder of 8bit Capital
- · Contrasting guest's path with industry stereotypes
- · Discussing the founder-to-VC transition
- · Exploring regional tech scene advantages
- · Reminiscing about early computing history
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Primarily seasoned venture capitalists, often those who were previously successful founders themselves. Guests like Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures and Andy McLoughlin of Uncork Capital are typical, speaking to the evolution of the industry and their own career trajectories.
- Mark Susteron Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures: Los Angeles’ VC Powerhouse on Why LA is Dominating Space,...
- Andy McLoughlinon Uncork Capital's Andy McLoughlin: Silicon Valley's British Invasion and Building a Great...
- Sam Shankon HotelTonight Founder: How Sam Shank Built & Sold a $400M Travel App (And What He's Building...
- Frank Rotmanon Frank Rotman: The Midas List Veteran on Building Fintech Empires at Capital One and QED...
- Eric Rieson Eric Ries: The Lean Startup Revolution in an AI-Driven World | Something Ventured -- Silicon...
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Estimated: The podcast's audience of VCs, founders, and tech professionals would be attractive to B2B software companies, financial services firms, and professional services (legal, accounting) that target the startup ecosystem.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Something Ventured
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People also ask
- Who is the host of Something Ventured?
- The host is Kent Lindstrom, a co-founder and General Partner at the venture capital firm 8-Bit Capital.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is a one-on-one interview show where Kent Lindstrom talks with venture capitalists and startup founders.
- Is the Something Ventured podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast is active and releases episodes on a regular basis.
- What kind of guests appear on the show?
- The show primarily features established venture capitalists and successful founders, often those with a long history in Silicon Valley.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and has a channel on YouTube.
- Was this podcast really named a top podcast by Fortune?
- Yes, multiple official bios for the host and the podcast itself state that it was named one of Fortune's "Best Business Podcasts".
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · medium confidence
- [01]Kent Lindstrom - 8-Bit Capital8-bit.capital
- [02]Kent Lindstrom - Investor and host of the Something Ventured podcastkentlindstrom.com
- [03]Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast (Official Site)somethingventured.us
- [04]Something Ventured Podcast - YouTubeyoutube.com
- [05]8-Bit Capital seeks $25M for debut fund | PitchBookpitchbook.com
- [06]Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast | Podchaserpodchaser.com
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