Equity

Equity

TechCrunch

Startup and VC news from TechCrunch reporters.

502 episodesMon/Wed/Fri

14

clips found

3

episodes analyzed

4.7

clips / episode

Clip categories

market insight (9)tactical advice (2)contrarian take (2)prediction (1)

Most discussed topics

data centers(3)stablecoins(2)energy sector(1)tesla spinoffs(1)dilution(1)seed funding(1)due diligence(1)tesla strategy(1)mission drift(1)energy transition(1)tesla spinouts(1)battery technology(1)

Best clip

12:10· 33smarket insight

Former Tesla executives are spinning out energy companies Tesla should have built

12:10 / 12:43

that lie adjacent to data centers. And I predict that there's gonna be even more of that to come in the in in 2026 for sure. Red Redwood is another example of a former Tesla.

This is JB Straubel's company. Right? So so it looks like there's a couple of offshoots of Tesla going into energy, which really feels like something that

Tesla would have been good at or should have focused their attention on. Yeah. I'm so glad you made that point. Remember when Tesla was, you know, a a company that was

Full clip page →

“That's probably the biggest red flag.”

Build Mode, at 20:31

Best guests

1

Build Mode

4 clips

Top clips

EquityEquity

market insight

Why century-old transformers are the bottleneck crushing modern data centers

Kirsten explains the basics of transformers and why data centers still rely on century-old iron core technology. She introduces Heron Power and other companies developing solid state transformers to modernize this critical infrastructure component.

8:26 - 9:0741s
data-centershardware-infrastructuresolid-state-transformers

EquityEquity · Build Mode

tactical advice

The seed round dilution red flag that makes most VCs pass immediately

Yuri Sagalov from General Catalyst reveals his hard rule for evaluating startups: no more than 20-25% dilution by seed round. He explains why excessive early dilution is a major red flag and discusses the harsh reality that it's extremely difficult to remedy once it happens.

20:31 - 21:1342s
dilutionseed-fundingdue-diligence

EquityEquity

market insight

Why Tether's $100B empire could trigger the next crypto apocalypse

A deep dive into Tether's growing risk profile as the world's largest stablecoin shifts from safe US treasuries to riskier assets like Bitcoin and gold. The discussion explores how Tether's central role in crypto trading means any depegging event could cascade into market-wide collapse and disrupt traditional funding markets.

18:32 - 19:1241s
tether-riskstablecoin-stabilitycrypto-contagion

EquityEquity

market insight

What happens when DoorDash launches its own stablecoin and users want their money back?

The hosts explore how companies like DoorDash could use customer wallet balances to launch their own stablecoins for treasury management. They raise the critical question of what happens during a bank run scenario when users demand their funds back simultaneously.

15:19 - 15:5334s
stablecoinstreasury-managementbank-runs

EquityEquity

market insight

Why generalized blockchains are dying and Stripe is building its own payment chain

The speakers discuss the shift from general-purpose blockchains to specialized chains built for specific use cases, using Stripe's Tempo payments chain as an example. They argue this represents a broader trend toward vertical integration in crypto, where companies want to own more of their technology stack rather than relying on multipurpose platforms.

8:55 - 9:3339s
specialized-blockchainsvertical-integrationstripe-tempo

EquityEquity · Build Mode

tactical advice

Why 25% founder dilution is the red flag that kills deals

VC Yuri Sagalov explains why founder dilution above 25% becomes a major red flag for investors and why it's extremely difficult to fix once it happens. He discusses how some investors will pass entirely on over-diluted companies because unwinding bad cap table structures requires uncomfortable conversations about people owning less equity.

20:54 - 21:3340s
cap-tablesfounder-dilutionfundraising

EquityEquity

market insight

Tesla abandoned its climate mission to become a robotics company

The hosts discuss how Tesla has fundamentally shifted its identity from a sustainable energy company focused on fighting climate change to positioning itself as a robotics and AI company. They explore how this mission drift has created opportunities for other companies to fill the energy space Tesla originally occupied.

12:26 - 13:0539s
tesla-strategymission-driftenergy-transition

EquityEquity

prediction

Former Tesla exec's energy storage pivot becoming fastest growing division

A discussion about how companies adjacent to data centers, particularly energy storage businesses, are experiencing rapid growth driven by AI infrastructure needs. The speaker predicts this trend will accelerate in 2026, citing a former Tesla executive's energy division as an example of this opportunity.

11:45 - 12:2338s
energy-storageai-infrastructuredata-centers

EquityEquity

market insight

Ex-Tesla employees are spinning out to build the next battery economy

Former Tesla employees like JB Straubel are launching startups focused on creating a circular economy around batteries and electrification. The discussion covers how these Tesla alumni are building on the original mission with companies like Heron, which plans to construct a factory capable of producing 40 gigawatts of battery capacity.

13:06 - 13:4538s
tesla-spinoutsbattery-technologycircular-economy

EquityEquity · Build Mode

contrarian take

The harsh reality about startup employees risking everything for equity dreams

Yuri Sagalov from General Catalyst discusses the brutal reality of startup culture - acknowledging that extreme dedication is required to win, while questioning the ethics of asking employees to work below-market rates and long hours for uncertain equity upside. He highlights the tension between founder ambition and employee risk.

29:18 - 30:0244s
startup-cultureemployee-compensationequity-risk

EquityEquity

market insight

Tether is making massive profits but becoming dangerously risky for crypto

The hosts discuss how Tether, despite being hugely profitable and important to the crypto ecosystem, is becoming increasingly risky as it shifts from safe US treasury bills to riskier investments like Bitcoin. They explore the paradox of stablecoins being unsexy but crucial, while highlighting concerns about Tether's shrinking equity cushion.

17:59 - 18:4243s
tetherstablecoinscrypto-risk

EquityEquity

market insight

Why crypto adoption fails: The wallet problem nobody talks about

The hosts discuss how complicated wallet setup is the biggest barrier to crypto adoption. They share an example from a Denver event where signing up for a crypto wallet required just an email, demonstrating how user experience improvements could dramatically lower barriers to entry.

10:24 - 11:1854s
crypto-walletsuser-experienceadoption-barriers

EquityEquity · Build Mode

contrarian take

VC says advisors-for-equity is rarely a good idea - here's why

Yuri Sagalov from General Catalyst shares his contrarian view that giving equity to advisors is usually a mistake. He argues that most advisors don't have time to meaningfully contribute to the business, but the equity you give them is gone forever.

18:19 - 18:5637s
advisor-equityequity-dilutionstartup-compensation

Most clip-worthy episode

Why creators are ditching ad revenue for chocolate bars and fintech acquisitions

Feb 20, 20265 clips

This episode explores how the creator economy is rapidly evolving beyond traditional ad revenue models. Creators like MrBeast are building diversified business empires through product lines, startup acquisitions, and physical businesses that often outperform their media operations. The hosts discuss this shift as a fundamental playbook change for content creators seeking sustainable revenue streams.

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