TechSurge: Deep Tech VC Podcast

• Betting Early on Zoom, Canva, and Crypto: Inside the Playbook of Visionary Solo VC Bill Tai

  Legendary technologist and investor Bill Tai joins our latest episode for a wide-ranging conversation spanning decades of Silicon Valley innovation. Bill shares his remarkable journey from being employee #1 at TSMC to becoming one of the first seed investors in Zoom and Canva, and his early embrace of Bitcoin when it was priced at just 7 cents.The conversation explores Bill's unique investment philosophy shaped by mentorship from Don Valentine of Sequoia Capital, his innovative approach to building entrepreneurial communities through kiteboarding, and his insights into the intersection of AI, energy infrastructure, and cryptocurrency. Bill discusses the massive energy crisis facing AI data centers, drawing parallels to the telecom infrastructure buildout of the 1980s.From his early days as a kid reverse-engineering electronics to his current role as Chairman of Hut Eight Mining and his partnership with the Trump organization on American Bitcoin Corp, Bill provides invaluable insights into recognizing structural market changes and backing the right entrepreneurs and emerging technologies at the right time.LinksLearn more about Bill’s blockchain companies Hut Eight Mining and BITFURY - Hut 8 Corp, BITFURYBill’s original tweet from 2010 about the potential of bitcoin: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb7QQ8GHN12/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D Read Bill’s founding stories on Zoom and Canva: https://medium.com/@billtai/30b-stress-test-on-necker-island-814553c7f520Bill’s early memo detailing his conviction about Zoom’s technology: https://www.instagram.com/p/BwcaZjFpNrs/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Article: Design start-up Canva raises $3 million after kitesurfing in Hawaii: https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/design-start-up-canva-raises-3-million-after-kitesurfing-in-hawaii Canva now tops the list of most popular AI tools: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/most-popular-ai-tools Learn about TSMC's history - Taiwan SemiconductorRead the article that changed Bill’s life - Secrets of the Little Blue BoxMore fun items mentioned during the discussion2600 Hacker Quarterly: https://www.2600.com/The Cap’N Crunch whistle used by early hackers: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/capn-crunch-whistleThe Radio Shack 100-in-one electronics kit: https://www.rcgrabbag.com/radio-shack-100-in-1-electronic-project-kit/

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• Blueprint for an AI Future: OpenAI Chief Economist on How AI Will Shape the Global Economy

  Will AI displace more jobs than it creates? How can the U.S. win the AI race? How can AI benefits be evenly distributed across businesses and society?We explore these questions and more as Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Ronnie Chatterji, Chief Economist at OpenAI, for an in-depth exploration of AI's economic impact and policy implications. Ronnie brings a unique perspective, having served as an economic advisor in both the Obama and Biden administrations as a senior economist, supply chain advisor, and architect of the CHIPS Act.The conversation dives into the economic opportunities and challenges of AI adoption, from productivity gains and job market transformation to the critical need for workforce retraining and AI upskilling in schools. Ronnie also delves into America's competitive position in the global AI race, the critical need for infrastructure investment in order to continue scaling this emerging technology, and the lessons learned from implementing major industrial policy like the CHIPS Act.Links:Learn more about OpenAI's economic research and policy work - OpenAIRead OpenAI's Economic Blueprint for the US - OpenAI’s Economic BlueprintExplore the CHIPS and Science Act - CHIPS.govRonnie Chatterji's academic work at Duke University - Duke Fuqua School of Business

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• Inside Nokia’s Strategy: CSTO Nishant Batra on Telecom’s Future, Brand Reinvention, and Betting on Bell Labs

  In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of telecom and wireless technology. Nishant shares insights into the seismic shifts transforming network infrastructure—from core networks to edge computing—and discusses how Nokia leverages artificial intelligence to optimize performance and drive innovation. The conversation also highlights Nokia's unique innovation framework, spanning its corporate venture investments, internal incubator, and expansion of the legendary Bell Labs. Today Nokia leverages Bell Labs’ groundbreaking research into emerging technology for internal innovation and new venture spinouts in collaboration with venture capital firms, including recently announced inaugural spinout startup, Astranu.Links:Discover the groundbreaking Nokia-Celesta spinout advancing healthcare imaging technology - Astranu Learn about the legendary innovation powerhouse - Nokia Bell Labs

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• Leading Through Chaos: John Chambers on Tariffs, Cyber Threats, & the AI Supercycle

  Competition, growth, tariffs, hacks, AI – what does it take to be an effective leader today? John Chambers, former CEO and Executive Chairman of Cisco and founder of JC2 Ventures, joins TechSurge host Sriram Viswanathan to share valuable wisdom on leading and growing businesses through times of significant change. As a leader who has transitioned from the c-suite to venture capital and now mentoring founders in emerging technology sectors, John has seen it all. He shares lessons from his time leading one of the world’s most influential networking companies at Cisco (the most valuable company in the world at the time), revealing what he learned while growing it from a challenger networking company into a $50 billion tech powerhouse, sharing how Cisco achieved and maintained its market leadership, particularly his bold M&A strategies. John offers hard‑won insights on navigating major technology shifts in AI, cloud, security, and more. Today’s founders and executives will find practical frameworks, real‑world war stories, and counterintuitive advice to help survive and thrive in an era of continual disruption. If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits.Links:Explore John Chambers' family office and venture firm at JC2 VenturesRead John Chambers' book “Connecting the Dots” on AmazonDiscover the organization John chaired for eight years US-India Strategic Partnership ForumLearn about the company John and Sriram have invested in together at ParkourSCFind out about the deep fake detection company Pin DropLearn about the cybersecurity company Rubrik

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• China, Funding Cuts, & Campus Controversy: Is U.S. Tech Leadership Falling Behind?

  MIT President Emeritus Dr. Rafael Reif joins host Michael Marks for a discussion about the state of U.S. competitiveness in technology, university research funding, current immigration policy, and more. Reif explains why universities remain the innovation engines of economies, educating top talent and generating the foundational research that powers emerging tech and creates new industries. He candidly assesses U.S.-China competition, warns that Chinese research output is rapidly outpacing our own, and urges renewed federal investment. The discussion explores how restrictive immigration policies threaten the flow of global talent into the U.S and his own impression of current policies as an immigrant from Venezuela himself. As a TSMC board member, Reif also touches on the strategic need for domestic semiconductor fabs, Intel’s path forward, and TSMC’s edge in advancing cutting-edge nodes. Lastly, he addresses gaps in the venture capital funding space and why he created MIT’s The Engine incubator model to fund “tough tech” startups, which helped launch breakthroughs like Commonwealth Fusion Systems.If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits.Connect with Rafael Reif on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/l-rafael-rief-b8977b231Dive deeper into Reif’s career, publications, and awards. Read his full biography https://reif.mit.edu/biography Read Rafael's recent op-ed about government R&D funding: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/17/opinion/science-technology-research-development/Read Rafael's speech about the role of universities in building a strong U.S. economy: https://reif.mit.edu/speeches-writing/strong-universities-make-strong-united-statesExplore how MIT’s Engine incubator is fueling “tough tech” startups like fusion power. Learn about The Engine https://engine.xyz/Watch Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ plan to deliver commercial fusion energy. Discover CFS https://cfs.energy/Understand the roadmap to a 400 MW fusion pilot plant. Read the MIT News report https://news.mit.edu/2024/commonwealth-fusion-systems-unveils-worlds-first-fusion-power-plant-1217

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