Podcast
Just Raised
Hosted by Joe Sweeny, a Workweek friend · EN
Venture-backed startups are springing up across the globe, but how do you keep up with what’s coming next? On Just Raised, you’ll be first to hear from the founders of those newly minted companies about the companies they’re building. Hosted by Joe Sweeny, the show dives deep into a venture-led startup, discussing the product, business model and new technology. Expect experts from the world of space commercialization (Atomos Space), rivals to the Airbnb model (Casai), and companies making relationship management an art form (Clay) plus many more. You’ll get the inside scoop on cutting-edge enterprises, and hear the inspiring personal stories behind them. Every episode, you’ll hear a thoughtful prediction from each of Joe’s guests on where the future of their industry is heading. Don’t miss new episodes dropping every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2 Ep 17: Space Tourism with Space Perspective CEO Jane Poynter
Jul 13, 202200:38:34Tap to summarizeSpace Perspective just raised $40M to build the Disney World of space. To do it they’re using Space Balloons.NASA has been toying with space balloons since the 1970s but you may remember them from Red Bull’s halo jump — a skydive from the edge of the stratosphere.Space Perspective is betting that instead of strapping into a rocket for a 12 min trip you might prefer a 6 hour trip with WiFi, a cocktail bar, a culinary experience, and a full bar.And if you’re looking to grow your business, you need great developers.That’s where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who’ve been vetted and tested. You’ll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at Lemon.ioAnd if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Jane:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-poynter/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpacePerspectivCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep16: How Shortwave is Rethinking Email And Improving Customer Experience, With Andrew Lee
Jul 7, 202200:40:28Tap to summarizeWhen was the last time you enjoyed your Gmail inbox? Shortwave is picking up where Gmail dropped the ball and redesigning your inbox. Find out how.Joe gets straight into conversation with Andrew about why email should be as much fun as WhatsApp, why Slack is email’s greatest threat, and the $9 million Series A they raised in 2020.You’ll also hear Andrew’s plans on building a professional grade email product for heavy users and what the future looks like for Shortwave.And if you’re looking to grow your business, you need great developers.That’s where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who’ve been vetted and tested. You’ll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at Lemon.ioAnd if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Andrew:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/startupandrewTwitter:twitter.com/startupandrewCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep15: How SESO is Solving a Multi-Billion Dollar Agriculture Problem, With Michael Guirguis
Jul 4, 202200:34:42Tap to summarizeWhen your crop’s ready for harvesting, you need workers ready to go. But getting reliable, legal workers is tough and that’s where SESO is stepping up.Joe and SESO CEO Michael get into the multi-billion dollar problem facing the agricultural industry, the very messy visa entry system, and why farmers just want to farm without the hassle of backend operations.You’ll hear how SESO is streamlining the hiring and onboarding process, why payroll is the next big win, and why agtech is innovating at a dizzying pace.And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Michael:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelguirguisCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep14: Mmhmm — Product Design 101
Jun 29, 202200:44:42Tap to summarizePhil Libin has founded a few companies — Evernote the early mobile app giant, All Turtles a product design firm, and now Mmhmm, the culmination of a decade long mission to kill Powerpoint.We dive into how Phil names companies, what he learned about fundraising from raising $400M from Sequioa for Evernote, and how to build products people love.And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Phil:Twitter: https://twitter.com/plibinCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep13: How Swaypay is Bypassing The Cold Start Problem on TikTok
Jun 27, 202200:39:29Tap to summarizeWhen you can tell Andrew Chen from A16z how to solve the cold start problem, you know you’re on to a good thing. Meet Swaypay, the company with all the answers.And those answers come from Kaeya Majmundar, Founder and CEO, with a $4.2 million Series A to her name.Joe and Kaeya, discuss how Swaypay is riding on TikTok’s coattails, how to capture the longtail of social media through everyday users, and why Swaypay customers pay based on the virality of the post.You’ll hear all about the rise of social fintech, effective online marketing, and how word of mouth marketing really works.And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Kaeya:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaeyaCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep12: How Fruitful Creates Financial Freedom Through its Membership Model
Jun 22, 202200:34:36Tap to summarize“If you’re not paying, you’re the product”. Josh McManus is shaking financial wellness up with a membership platform helping customers gain financial freedom.The problem with most financial institutions is they just want to sell you things. Fruitful is different. CEO Josh has a clear set of goals: To offer expert advice and powerful tools through a transparent, affordable subscription fee.Joe gets into conversation with Josh about why fintech is a tool for empowerment, how a subscription service makes great advice more accessible, and why it’s important to take a holistic view of your finances.You’ll also hear why Fruitful invests in design and technology equally, the difference between design and development, and Fruitful’s ambitious plans for the future.And if you’re looking to grow your business, you need great developers. That’s where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who’ve been vetted and tested. You’ll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at Lemon.io And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Josh:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/magnusmcmanusCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep11: How Rho is Taking The Friction Out of Finances With Killer Financial Software
Jun 20, 202200:17:16Tap to summarizeWhen Everett Cook saw a gap in the market, he didn’t just fill it, he set the bar for the entire industry and took his VC backed company to a new level.In this fly through, Joe gets into it with Everett, talking about why digital financial services are transforming the entire fintech market, how they raised $75 million in VC funding, and how Rho actually makes money. And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Everett:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/everettcookCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep10: How Delphia is Building an AI Oracle
Jun 15, 202200:34:47Tap to summarizeDelphia is using your data to beat the stock market. Today, the stock market is about having an information edge. Hedge funds use satellite imagery of Walmart parking lots and AI that crawls Twitter to bet on a company's returns. Delphia has it's own information edge: your data.Joe and Andrew Peek, Co-Founder and CEO of Delphia, get into why users would give Delphia access to their data - from Venmo transactions to Robinhood trading - Andrew's journey from software and boutique hotels to blockchain and fintech, and how causal forecasting could to much more than 'just' beat the market.You’ll also hear how Andrew attracts top talent by building great teams, how your long term goal is your North Star, and how what Andrew imagines Delphia's users could do with their data edge over the next 20 years.If you’re looking to build your own big data bet you'll need the best developers. You need Lemon. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who’ve been vetted and tested. You’ll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at Lemon.io/justraisedIf you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Andrew:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drupeekTwitter: twitter.com/drupeekCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →
S2 Ep 9: How Vendia is Fixing Broken Supply Chains With Blockchain
Jun 14, 202200:31:41Tap to summarizeSupply chains are broken. Poor communication among suppliers has the potential to affect all our lives from car safety to well stocked grocery stores. Vendia is building solutions.Tim Wagner and Shruthi Rao, Co-Founders, are, at heart, builders, and when they saw a market that needed their technical eye they jumped right in with Venida, which has just raised $30M in series B funding.Joe jumps into it with Tim and Shruthi. You’ll hear Vendia’s origin story as a problem-solving Venn diagram, the tough job of solving supply chain communication and why APIs are just the icing on the cake.You’ll also hear predictions on cutting edge Web3 technology, how Vendia is helping scale without losing control, and Tim’s vision for intelligent flying cars.If you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Shruthi:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shruthiraoFollow Tim:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timawagnerCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised.
Transcribe →
S2 Ep8: How Colossal Biosciences is Bringing Back The Wooly Mammoth
Jun 8, 202200:39:09Tap to summarizeBen Lamm is on a de-extinction mission and it’s no coincidence his company is backed by one of the original creators of the Jurassic Park franchise. As a serial tech entrepreneur, Ben Lamm knew his next startup was always going to have a big impact on the world. With Colossal Biosciences, he’s doing just that. Joe gets Jurassic with Ben as they discuss how Colossal is building tools and tech to help rescue species on the verge of extinction, how DNA technology can build an elephant, and how to raise $75 million dollars from investors including Paris Hilton and Thomas Tull, Executive Producer of Jurassic World.You’ll also hear how to create an artificial womb and the shift Colossal made from academic lab to tech startup.If you’re growing fast and need marketing talent on board, check out MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they’ll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.comAnd if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraisedThank you so much!Follow Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmychenCheck out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tYStay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweenyAnd if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
Transcribe →