"Deep Shorts" with Web Smith of 2PM and Rebecca Kaden of Union Square Ventures
Two new episodes, two new YouTube channels, cohort #2 of Catalyst and more...
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Greetings from The Deep End, and welcome to those of you that have joined the newsletter since our first issue last week!
This week, we decided to try something new—releasing two miniature episodes about specific topics we’re excited about instead of the one full-length episode we’ve done since launch. We’re calling them “Deep Shorts” and are excited to hear what you think.
A couple of miscellaneous updates that might interest you:
Applications have opened for On Deck Catalyst’s second cohort (a program for young leaders). Based on the quote tweets of the announcement, this might be one of our most popular programs.
We launched two YouTube channels: On Deck Sessions and On Deck Clips featuring Alfred Lin of Sequoia, Lolita Taub of Community Fund, Immad Akhund of Mercury and many more.
We were excited to see the enthusiasm for our upcoming live podcast recording with Packy McCormick (ODF2) of Not Boring happening next week. RSVP to attend.
Enough with the announcements—let’s dive into the Deep Shorts!
- Julian Weisser, Editor in Chief
🎧 Deep Short: Ecommerce and the “Vanishing Middle” with Web Smith
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts |YouTube (Audio)
Web Smith is an expert on consumer brands and ecommerce and the founder of 2PM, an online resource that analyzes the intersection of media and commerce.
We start this Deep Short with a discussion about the parallels and differences between the roaring twenties and the 2020s and use that to pivot into the broader idea of the “vanishing middle”, which refers to the fact that brands are increasingly forced to appeal either to the working class or to the rich if they want to survive. Web and Marshall then discuss the broader ramifications of the vanishing middle and how it shapes our country beyond clothing brands, from how purchases are made, to how towns are designed, and much more.
Also available on Spotify, Pocket Casts, and YouTube (Audio)
🎧 Deep Short: Thesis-Driven Investing with Rebecca Kaden
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts |YouTube (Audio)
Rebecca Kaden is a Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures.
Union Square Ventures is a highly-regarded venture capital firm known for its thesis-driven approach to investing in startups like Tumblr, Etsy, Twitter, Duolingo, and Coinbase. Rebecca Kaden, who wrote “Thesis 3.0” for the firm, shares how to develop a thesis and how it can inform your investing strategy.
This interview was recorded live with Rebecca and Marshall during the On Deck NYC drop. We’re hosting our next live podcast recording this coming week (free RSVP).
Also available on Spotify, Pocket Casts, and YouTube (Audio)
That’s all for now! If you haven’t yet, subscribe to get future issues in your inbox every week.
You might also want to subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and YouTube (Audio)
See you next week!
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