For those of you who subscribe to the Slow Hunch pod via RSS or streaming platforms, you'll know I've released a few episodes over the last few weeks, but I have neglected to mention them here. My sincere apologies! Please enjoy the last 3 episodes, which were so fun to record.

Episode 5: Zoe Weinberg from ex/ante

Zoe is the founder of ex/ante, a new seed fund where we already have several co-investments at USV. Zoe's slow hunch, shaped by her experiences in conflict zones and policy work at the National Security Commission on AI, is that there will be growing demand for technology that enhances human agency and control over personal data, computing, and digital experiences. Her thesis centers on investing in technologies that directly or indirectly promote individual autonomy while supporting democratic values, positioning these as a counterbalance to both digital authoritarianism and surveillance capitalism. There could not be a more important time than now, as advances in AI and cryptography are so rapidly changing the landscape of how software is getting built and data is getting managed/transformed. Full episode here:

Episode 6: Amir Haleem from Nova Labs / Helium

Amir is the creator of the Helium Network, and relatedly, the co-founder and CEO of Nova Labs. Helium is a crowd-sourced, crypto-powered wireless network -- anyone around the world can install a Helium hotspot, plug it in to their internet connection, and earn tokens for providing connectivity to the network. It's an amazing example of what's possible if you look at an old problem in a new way, using new tools & approaches. When USV invested in Helium in 2019, Amir and team were just drawing up plans for this new network. Since then, millions of people around the globe have contributed to the network, and Nova Labs has expanded from providing tools to network builders to launching a consumer wireless brand. Amir pulls no punches talking about the experience of building a startup on double hard mode (building in a complex legacy industry like telecom and with a powerful yet tricky new tool of crypto communities). Full episode below:

Episode 7: Jake Heller from Casetext

Last but not least: Jake is the co-founder and CEO of Casetext. USV invested in Casetext back in 2014, along the thesis that software could radically redefine how legal back-end infrastructure would be built. and ultimately how legal services are provided. Jake has been a computer hacker / programmer his whole life, and a lawyer by training for most of his professional life. He's been pursuing this slow hunch of how software can really change how we manage and process information and apply it to societally fundamental sectors like law. Jake's story is fascinating, as is the story of Castext, which after a decade of hard work and mixed results because an early OpenAI partner before the launch of ChatGPT -- Jake embraced the moment and leaned the company hard into AI, becoming one of the first companies in the legal tech space to do so, and ultimately resulting in transformative business growth and a successful acquisition of the company. Full episode here:

As always, episodes of the Slow Hunch Podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and on RSS.