Brad Feld: Investing in Startups
Brad Feld, an avid ecosystem-builder, tech entrepreneur, and early-stage investor for over 35 years shares his insights on the venture capital, startup, and tech community...
March 20, 2023
Alexis Ohanian : Investing in Tech Startups
Currently, Miami is mostly seen as a town to party in or a town for so many other industries that are not tech. These perceptions are about to change, as more talented people are turning their attention to this delightful place.
On today’s episode, I am joined by Alexis – one of the co-founders of Reddit, who is an important player in the angel investing area, and Andrew – the founder of Papa, a Florida-based company. Alexis invested in Andrew’s business, and they are sharing with us their entrepreneurial journey.
Alexis Ohanian co-founded Initialized Capital with Garry Tan, in 2012. Alexis’s expertise includes product, marketing, and community, and he is a prolific early-stage investor. Alexis was a co-founder of Reddit, the third-largest website in the US, which was funded by Y Combinator in 2005 and acquired by Condé Nast in 2006. He also served as a partner at Y Combinator and wrote the bestselling book Without Their Permission.
Andrew Parker is the founder and CEO of Papa – a Florida-based tech startup. He started the company to support a personal need with his grandfather. Papa provides on-demand personal assistance and socialization to seniors.
So, listen to Episode 05, to learn about the future of Florida, tech-wise, and what we can do to attract more people to start their business here.
Questions I ask:
- How did you guys meet? (07:51)
- Andrew, I saw you expanded geographically. Tell us about that. (11:52)
- Alexis, what do you think of the deal flow here in investments versus California? (12:39)
- What tech do you see coming down the road, in terms of technology, from an investment standpoint? (16:33)
- Have you had any issues with recruiting people you need? (20:43)
In this episode, you will learn:
- How Initialized was born. (02:32)
- How Papa became a business. (04:21)
- Alexis’s experience with Y Combinator. (05:26)
- The reasons why technology can never replace the human touch. (18:08)
- What Florida needs to do right now, to become an important player in the tech space. (21:22)
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