In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Rebecca Kaden about her journey into venture capital, the startup culture in New York, and the significance of network effects in startups. They discuss memorable investment meetings, tips for pitching, and how to approach VCs. They also explore the future of venture capital, efficient company building, and potential growth areas. Today Rebecca Kaden, a General Partner at the famed venture firm Union Square Ventures, joins the podcast. USV is based in NYC and is known for thesis-driven investing in companies like Twitter, Polygon, Coinbase, Stash, Duolingo, Cloudflare, Twilio, Etsy, and more. The firm manages over $1 billion across funds with notable investors, including Fred Wilson, Andy Weissman, Albert Wenger, Brad Burnham, and John Buttrick. Learn more about USV & Rebecca here: https://www.usv.com/ Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest (Rebecca Kaden): @rebeccakaden (0:00) Introduction and Rebecca Kaden's background (0:44) Rebecca's journey into venture capital (3:30) New York's startup culture and trends in venture capital (5:24) The significance of network effects and founding teams in startups (8:20) Memorable investment meetings and tips for pitching (11:55) How to approach VCs and compete in crowded industries (14:04) Future of the venture capital space (14:35) Efficient company building and areas of potential growth (15:18) Closing remarks and post-interview notes (15:37) End of episode