Skin in the Game VC Podcast

Samyr joins us to talk about his journey from growing up as an immigrant in Tampa to becoming a founder and building Knack, a peer-to-peer learning platform that grew into a B2B education company.He shares what pushed him to leave a corporate career at just 21 to bet on himself, the early days of building Knack, and the pivots that helped the company grow from less than $100K in revenue to more than $1 million in just six months during COVID. Samyr also gets candid about the challenges that came with rapid growth, raising capital, overhiring, navigating the impact of generative AI, and ultimately turning the business around.After more than a decade building Knack, Samyr found himself at a different point in life, getting married, becoming a new dad, and realizing he was ready for a new challenge. He talks about what it was like to step away from the day-to-day, why knowing when to move on can be just as important as knowing when to keep pushing, and what he wants to build next.The conversation also dives into the future of education, the role of AI in the classroom, why Samyr believes college should be an option rather than the only path, and the opportunities for alternative education and workforce pathways.He also shares his perspective on Florida's growing tech ecosystem, why the state doesn't need to become the next Silicon Valley, and why he believes Florida has an opportunity to build its own identity in tech and entrepreneurship.A conversation about taking risks, betting on yourself, navigating the highs and lows of building a company, and knowing when it's time for the next chapter. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Samyr's journey.

What does the future of education look like?In this episode, Saxon Baum sits down with Erika Donalds to talk about her unconventional path from finance and education reform to building Optima Academy Online, the world’s first virtual reality school. They discuss the challenges facing traditional education, how AI can enhance, not replace learning, and why Florida has an opportunity to become a major hub for technology, innovation and commercial space.Erika also shares her thoughts on what Florida needs to do to attract more entrepreneurs, capital and new ideas and why the Space Coast could be one of the state’s biggest opportunities. Tune in to hear the full story.

In this episode of Skin in the Game, Saxon Baum sits down with Bam Azizi, founder and CEO of Mesh and the first unicorn founder in the FLF portfolio.Bam's story is one of grit, resilience, and relentless execution. They talk about his journey from growing up in Iran to immigrating to the U.S., earning a PhD, launching and selling his first company, NoPassword, and eventually building Mesh into one of the most exciting infrastructure companies in fintech.Along the way, Bam shares what it was like building a company as an immigrant founder, the lessons he learned from hearing thousands of investor "no's," and why resilience matters more than almost any other trait in entrepreneurship.They also dive into the evolution of Mesh, from its early consumer-focused days to becoming the infrastructure layer connecting digital assets, stablecoins, and traditional financial institutions. Bam walks through the pivotal decisions that shaped the company and why he believes we're still in the early innings of a massive shift in how money moves around the world.The conversation covers fundraising, enterprise sales, founder lessons, stablecoins, tokenization, and the future of financial infrastructure. Whether you're building a startup, investing in technology, or simply curious about where finance is headed, there's a lot to take away from this one.Most importantly, it's a conversation about what it really takes to build something meaningful when there is no Plan B.

In this episode of Skin in the Game, Saxon Baum sits down with Marshall Sandman, Managing Partner of Animal Capital, for a conversation that covers everything from venture capital and founder relationships to content creation and the future of innovation. Marshall shares his journey from investment banking and WarnerMedia to launching Animal Capital, a venture firm that has backed companies like Whatnot, Underdog Fantasy Sports, and Colossal Biosciences.The discussion dives into why Marshall believes showing up in person still matters, how he thinks about building trust with founders and investors, and why Animal Capital has intentionally stayed away from many of the industry's biggest hype cycles. He also shares his perspective on what makes a great founder, the importance of storytelling when raising capital, and why some of the best opportunities can be found outside traditional startup hubs.Marshall also talks about his growing presence on social media, his commitment to publishing daily content for founders and investors, and how sharing practical lessons online has helped entrepreneurs connect with him directly. Whether you're a founder, investor, or simply interested in how venture capital really works behind the scenes, this episode offers an honest look at building relationships, making investment decisions, and creating long-term value. Tune in to this episode and let us know your thoughts.