How I Invest with David Weisburd

What if you could identify the next billion-dollar startup before its founders even approach investors? In this episode, I sit down with Jerry Ye, Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures, to explore how data science is transforming venture capital from an intuition-driven business into something increasingly measurable. Drawing on his background in machine learning, large-scale data mining, and quantitative investing, Jerry explains how investors can identify promising startups through employee movements, credit card transactions, customer retention, and alternative data.

What if the biggest opportunity in AI isn't building better models, but unlocking the 80% of data those models can't access? In this episode, I sit down with Joseph Coyne, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Studio VC, to explore why he believes enterprise AI is still in its first inning. Drawing on nearly two decades in venture capital, including experience at Bain Capital Ventures and Samsung, Joseph explains why enterprise AI implementations struggle, how proprietary data creates lasting competitive advantages, and where the next generation of AI businesses will emerge.

What if the best venture capital opportunities are hiding in the 47 states Silicon Valley largely ignores? In this episode, I sit down with Jack Selby, Managing Director at Thiel Capital and an early member of the PayPal Mafia, to explore why he believes venture capital has become dangerously concentrated in Silicon Valley and overpriced AI startups. After working alongside Peter Thiel for 27 years, Jack is pursuing a contrarian strategy through Copper Sky, investing in promising technology companies outside California, New York, and Massachusetts. Jack explains why he can invest at roughly one-tenth of Silicon Valley valuations, how the next Carvana could emerge from cities like Phoenix or Milwaukee, and why venture capital's obsession with trillion-dollar outcomes may be hurting LP returns. We also discuss the hiring culture behind PayPal's extraordinary alumni network, why struggling venture firms have become zombies, and Jack's conviction that today's AI investment boom is a bubble.

What if just 7% of venture-backed companies generate all the gains, and the real skill is identifying the managers who can find them first? In this episode, I sit down with Brijesh Jeevarathnam, Partner and Global Head of Fund Investments at Adams Street Partners, to explore how institutional investors identify exceptional venture capital managers in an increasingly crowded market. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience evaluating venture and private equity funds, Brijesh explains why the best VCs think independently, how they earn access to extraordinary founders, and why past performance is often the least predictive part of manager selection. We discuss how Adams Street evaluates emerging managers, the role of information asymmetry in fund investing, and why venture capital is increasingly capturing value creation once available to public market investors. Brijesh also shares how AI is changing institutional due diligence and why the next generation of transformative AI companies may still be ahead of us.

What if the most overlooked asset in your portfolio is the one that gives you the freedom to invest in everything else? In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Donahue, President, Chair and CEO of Federated Hermes, to explore how the firm manages approximately $700 billion in money market assets and why cash is far more than an idle allocation. Chris explains how liquidity creates financial flexibility, why trust and scale have concentrated the money market industry among a handful of firms, and what stablecoins can learn from decades of cash management. We also discuss how corporations manage their cash reserves, why AI could improve investment management without replacing employees, and how Federated Hermes plans to expand its private markets business. After more than 50 years at the firm, Chris shares the principles behind its longevity and why culture, trust, and disciplined risk-taking remain essential to building an enduring financial institution.