Author: Vin Narayanan

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Upcoming Webinar: Meet Republic’s CEO

In the past few weeks, we’ve written extensively about the Republic Note. In early July, Andy Gordon first reported on the Note — calling it an opportunity unlike any other. And on Monday, Andy recommended that our First Stage Investor members invest in the Note.  The reason we’re so impressed with the Note is it instantly diversifies and derisks startup investing. By investing in the Note,…

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Startup Insider: Investing During a Pandemic

By Vin Narayanan on July 9, 2020

We have a special Thursday edition of Startup Insider for you this week. In this week’s show, Adam Sharp and I talk about how to approach investing in the middle of a pandemic. Watch the video below. Or read on for more details on the topics we covered…

Early Investing Webinar with Republic CEO

By Vin Narayanan on July 1, 2020

We know that many of you were unable to attend our webinar with Republic’s Chuck Pettid last week. So if you missed our discussion about crowdfunding real estate and video game investments, here’s the video so you can watch it at your leisure (you can also read more…
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Crypto Monitor: Feeling Good About Crypto

By Vin Narayanan on June 5, 2020

Crypto Monitor is back!  Adam and I are both working from home. But we’ve figured out how we can keep bringing you this show every other week. Click on the video to watch this week’s show. Or read the summary below. This week,…
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Webinar: Meet Ample Foods Founder Connor Young

By Vin Narayanan on April 27, 2020

Ample Foods founder and CEO Connor Young joins the First Stage Investor gang to answer questions about Ample's latest raise and how the company is performing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Why Aurora Cannabis Stock Took a Dive

By Vin Narayanan on December 30, 2019

Aurora Cannabis stock took a beating last week. Here’s why - and what investors should keep in mind going forward.
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The Real Hong Kong Is Worth a Visit

By Vin Narayanan on December 19, 2019

There are different versions of Hong Kong depending on the day of the week and the media’s portrayal of the city. But the real Hong Kong is a beautiful place to visit.

Nothing Is Immune to Disruption – Including Breakfast

By Vin Narayanan on November 16, 2019

No industry is safe from disruption. Even milk and orange juice are in trouble.

News Fix: CBD Products Could Still Make You Fail a Drug Test

By Vin Narayanan on November 9, 2019

In the news this week: New York hemp farmers get a break, Saudi Arabia backs Travis Kalanick again and David Marcus says bitcoin isn’t a currency.

News Fix: Who Watches the Watchers?

By Vin Narayanan on November 2, 2019

In the news this week: Colleges become legal battlegrounds for cannabis, China praises blockchain and the Fix ponders who watches the watchers.
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Four States Gobble Up 80% of Venture Capital Dollars

By Vin Narayanan on October 28, 2019

Just four states receive 80% of all venture capital money. And 40% of all VC money raised goes to Facebook and Google ads. This is a stark reminder of just how broken the VC system is.

News Fix: The Two-Minute Drill Version

By Vin Narayanan on October 26, 2019

In the news this week: Adam Neumann gets a hefty severance package, Indian startups have a record year and the Senate finally starts thinking about marijuana research.

News Fix: Cannabis Companies Roll With the Changes

By Vin Narayanan on October 12, 2019

In the news this week: The MedMen-PharmaCann deal is called off, the IRS updates its crypto guidelines and Andreessen Horowitz gets its fourth female general partner.

How Founders Get Funding and How Investors Ensure They Deserve It

By Vin Narayanan on October 5, 2019

When seeking funding, a startup founder needs to sell their vision to investors. And investors need to challenge that vision. Here are some specific points both parties need to talk about in order to succeed.

How to Modernize the SEC

By Vin Narayanan on October 2, 2019

The slow-moving SEC is in desperate need of an overhaul. And investors need to push for it.
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Airdrop Alert: Beowulf

By Vin Narayanan on October 1, 2019

This week’s airdrop is Beowulf, a project using blockchain and artificial intelligence to create a decentralized communications network.