Podcast
The Puck: Venture Capital and Beyond
Hosted by Jim Baer · EN
The Puck: Venture Capital & Beyond showcases the innovative forethought that defines the venture capital world. Join us as we follow the puck and explore what this community has to offer.
Listen as we have in-depth conversations, gaining insights and lessons from well-established VCs, entrepreneurs, and other leading technology experts. We will learn about their successes, challenges, and how they got to where they are today. Along the way we will discover what investors most look for in who they invest in and what to avoid when making your pitch.
We will also follow industry leaders to understand the cutting-edge technologies and trends that continue to shape our world.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 117: Jessica Riedl
Mar 2601:02:16Tap to summarizeAmerica’s fiscal problem isn’t political—it’s mathematical.Jessica Riedl joins Jim Baer to explain why U.S. deficits are accelerating, why both parties misunderstand the drivers, and why Social Security and Medicare are at the center of the crisis.They explore the looming role of the bond market, rising interest rates, inflation, and why policymakers continue to delay action despite understanding the risks.This episode cuts through ideology and focuses on the core issue: promises that far exceed what the system can sustain.
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Episode 116: Joe Antos
Mar 1900:51:52Tap to summarizeAmerica’s healthcare debate has been stuck for decades — framed as a political fight between left and right. But what if that’s the wrong lens entirely?In this episode of The Puck, Jim Baer sits down with economist Joe Antos of the American Enterprise Institute to unpack the real issue: tradeoffs.Who pays? Who gets access? How much innovation do we support — and what are we actually willing to spend?Antos draws on decades of experience inside the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and Medicare policy to explain why the system feels broken — and why many of the proposed solutions miss the mark.Key themes include:Why insurance coverage ≠ access to careThe government-created bottleneck behind doctor shortagesHow incentives — not ideology — drive system dysfunctionWhy more subsidies won’t fix the problemThe hidden inefficiencies AI may accelerate instead of solveMedicare, life expectancy, and the actuarial reality we avoidWhere real reform might actually beginAs Antos puts it: “We have a system under pressure — but it created its own pressure.”This is a grounded, pragmatic conversation about how healthcare actually works — and what it would take to make it sustainable.
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Episode 112: Bill Gurley
Feb 12Tap to summarizeWhat do most people regret at the end of their careers? According to legendary venture capitalist Bill Gurley, it’s not the failures — it’s the risks they never took. In this wide-ranging episode of The Puck, Jim Baer sits down with Gurley — longtime Benchmark partner, early Uber board member, and author of Running Down a Dream — for a candid conversation on boldness, bubbles, AI speculation, venture capital cycles, and America’s structural challenges. Gurley reflects on: - Why “boldness regret” weighs heavier than failure - How to turn passion into mastery — and why most people don’t - The resume arms race and why young people feel trapped - AI: real revolution or speculative excess? (Hint: both) - Venture capital’s evolution — from discipline to burn-at-all-costs - Why five-year AI forecasts may set companies up to stumble - Regulatory capture in healthcare and education - State-by-state competition as America’s hidden advantage From Austin’s music scene to Silicon Valley’s capital cycles, Gurley delivers battle-tested insights from decades at the center of tech’s biggest waves. If you care about careers, markets, AI, or the future of the U.S. economy, this episode is essential listening.
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