#303 - Sam Lessin, GP Slow Ventures - The Future of Commerce, Community, & Creators

DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

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Sam Lessin is a seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist who is currently GP at Slow Ventures, a venture fund that boasts five funds and nearly a billion dollars of capital. Previously, he served as the VP of Product Management at Facebook. As a contrarian investor, he's been an early supporter of multiple high-profile startups, from household consumer brands like Allbirds, Casper, Birchbox, Barkbox, to fintech/blockchain bets like Robinhood, Solana, and popular SaaS companies like Airtable, Front, and Slack to name a few.
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On this episode of DTC pod we cover:
1. Sam's Views on Platform Dependence
2. Investment Philosophy and Strategies
3. Entrepreneurial Realism in Pitching Businesses
4. The Potential of the Franchise Model
5. Constellation Software Angle in Business
6. Reach and Engagement
7. Investing in Niche Creator Markets
8. Creator Business Investment Approaches
9. Understanding Unique Communities
10. Good Business Opportunities
11. The Role of Audience and Community in Startup Success
12. The Impact of AI on the Creator Sphere
13. National Security and Business Concerns
14. Sam Lessin's Background and Contributions
15. The Evolution of Distribution Strategies and Creator Monetization
16. Social Media Evolution and Attention Shifting
Timestamps
00:00 Facebook, my college acquaintance, became revolutionary network.
05:30 Decade of product development in online identity.
09:04 Meta monetizes attention, success in brand deals.
12:29 Social media evolved from entertainment to connection.
17:06 Investing in creators with strong financial potential.
18:41 Investing in diverse, niche expertise for impact.
23:20 Starting things requires passion and trustworthiness.
24:15 Consider audience building over operator expertise long-term.
27:49 AI enhances entertainment, not human influence efficiency.
32:33 Email remains crucial, platform choice is subjective.
34:33 Invest in contrary, undervalued market ideas.
38:43 AI companies are trendy, but often misleading.
43:09 Venture capital experience leads to success.
44:28 Studio models stack cash flows, creating constellations.
Shownotes powered by Castmagic
Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.

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• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth

• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content

• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views

• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands

• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook

• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands

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Sam Lessin - Partner at Slow Ventures
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic