Rephonic
Artwork for The {Closed} Session
Venture Capital
Startup Growth
AI Startups
Entrepreneurship
Investment Banking
Artificial Intelligence
Sales and Marketing
AI Infrastructure
Diversity In Startups
Unite and Renew
Energy Consumption
Geopolitics
Goldman Sachs
Vertical AI
Hubspot
Stage 2 Capital
Harvard Business School
Software Development
Outsystems
Payments

Building a company from scratch is soul-sucking and mind-numbingly hard - but it’s the best thing ever. We know this because we’ve built a couple ourselves - and we’re building a lot more right now. We’ve made a lot of money for our employees, our shareholders, ourselves - we’re proud of that - and that’s why we want to talk about how it’s done. Join us - Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya - in The Close... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes62Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The {Closed} Session

Latest Episodes

Most founders think storytelling is fluff that distracts from product metrics. Terry Szuplat, Obama's longest-serving speechwriter who crafted eight years of presidential addresses, reveals why narrative craft is your last defensible moat in the AI a... more

Most VCs chase momentum while missing systematic market dislocations worth billions. Sean Mendy, co-founding partner at Westbound Equity Partners, built a $125M fund targeting the 97% funding gap for underrepresented founders. He didn't do this out o... more

Most AI 'innovation' is just workflow automation disguised as intelligence. Benjamin Shapiro, founder of I Hear Everything and creator of AI-powered podcast production systems, talks with Tom Chavez about the brutal realities of building defensible A... more

Most enterprises burn millions on idle GPUs while developers wait weeks for access. Haseeb Budhani, CEO of Rafay Systems, built a global GPU orchestration platform after exits at Soha Systems (acquired by Akamai) and brings deep infrastructure expert... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Kibbe on Liberty
Kibbe on LibertyBlaze Podcast Network
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own WordsVictor Davis Hanson | The Daily Signal

Recent Guests

Sean Mendy
Co-founding partner of Westbound Equity Partners, focusing on investing in diverse founders.
Westbound Equity Partners
Episode: Building startups and wealth with purpose
Haseeb Budhani
Co-founder and CEO of Rafay Systems
Rafay Systems
Episode: How to build a global AI infrastructure company
Leyla Seka
Chair at Operator Collective and former EVP of Salesforce who helped build the AppExchange ecosystem.
Operator Collective
Episode: How operator scars build defensible AI startups
Woodson Martin
CEO of OutSystems, the AI powered low code development platform
OutSystems
Episode: How AI accelerates enterprise software development
Mark Roberge
Co-founder at Stage 2 Capital, former founding chief revenue officer at HubSpot, and lecturer at Harvard Business School.
Stage 2 Capital
Episode: How AI is rewriting startup growth playbooks
Rachel ten Brink
General Partner and Founder at Red Bike Capital
Red Bike Capital
Episode: Growth lessons from consumer tech operator‑investor
George Lee
Co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute and former head of Technology M&A and CIO of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
Episode: Is AI in Investment Banking a Replacement or Revolution?
Harrison Miller
Senior Advisor and Former Managing Director of Summit Partners, has invested in over 550 technology companies.
Summit Partners
Episode: Common threads through 25 years of VC investing

Host

Tom Chavez
Host and entrepreneur with substantial experience in building companies from the ground up. He brings insights from his own entrepreneurial journey and aims to share authentic stories about business challenges and successes.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 19 ratings
  • No holds-barred advice for entrepreneurs!

    Tom and Vivek always offer unfiltered advice for entrepreneurs and techies - whether you’ve already started a company, are thinking about it one day, or are an employee of a startup, they lift the veil on what to know when it comes to people, product, and customers (“in that order”!) - keep it up Tom and Vivek!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NK2011-2
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The candid discussions about real-world challenges and successes in entrepreneurship are particularly valued, offering a relatable perspective on the entrepreneurial journey.
Listeners appreciate the unfiltered insights and advice that the hosts provide, which resonate well with both startup founders and those working within the tech industry.

Top Business Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Building a Billion-Dollar AI Startup
Q: What's different in 2025 compared to earlier technology shifts?
While the core aspect of getting results through people remains the same, the speed of execution and pace of market changes have accelerated dramatically in the AI era.
Building a Billion-Dollar AI Startup
Q: How do you find the equilibrium between working on the big picture and focusing on the details?
It's about code-switching between the two roles and being aware of where the focus needs to be at any given time, whether it's at the high level or down in the trenches.
Building a Billion-Dollar AI Startup
Q: When you strip away the mythology, what actually builds a billion-dollar company?
Building a billion-dollar company requires not just a big idea but also attention to detail and execution. The founders must enjoy both aspects and find a balance between the high-level vision and the day-to-day operations.
How operator scars build defensible AI startups
Q: What advice do you have for B2B teams on aligning and changing their operating playbook to demonstrate ROI?
Every company should have a real answer for their story about what they're doing with AI and why it's going to make a difference.
How operator scars build defensible AI startups
Q: Leyla, could you share a vignette or a story about an operator scar you carry from Salesforce that changes how you invest or advise?
I never invest in a company thinking it's going to go public. This is because I ran the AppExchange at Salesforce and saw how many companies get bought versus going public.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The {Closed} Session

What is The {Closed} Session about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focusing on entrepreneurship and the intricate journey of building companies from scratch, this podcast is a candid exploration of both the joys and challenges of startup life. Through conversations with industry leaders and experienced entrepreneurs, insights are provided on topics such as startup growth, investment strategies, and the integration of AI in business processes. Unique guest profiles include venture capitalists and founders who share their invaluable experiences, making it a must-listen for aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs alike who are looking for unfiltered advice and real-world strategies.

Where can I find podcast stats for The {Closed} Session?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The {Closed} Session. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The {Closed} Session and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The {Closed} Session get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The {Closed} Session, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The {Closed} Session?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The {Closed} Session, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The {Closed} Session have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The {Closed} Session has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The {Closed} Session?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The {Closed} Session:

1. Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston
2. Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard
3. Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast
4. Kibbe on Liberty
5. Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words

How many episodes of The {Closed} Session are there?

The {Closed} Session launched 4 years ago and published 62 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The {Closed} Session?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The {Closed} Session?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The {Closed} Session from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The {Closed} Session?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The {Closed} Session. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The {Closed} Session?

Recent guests on The {Closed} Session include:

1. Sean Mendy
2. Haseeb Budhani
3. Leyla Seka
4. Woodson Martin
5. Mark Roberge
6. Rachel ten Brink
7. George Lee
8. Harrison Miller

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days