Kevin O'Connor on backing visionaries, the future of VC, internet history and more | E1861

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC. Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist * Today’s show: ScOp’s Kevin O’Connor joins Jason (1:39), exploring the early days of the internet, its initial promise, rapid growth, and the recent pivotal changes brought on by AI (1:39). They also discuss tactics for building in a declining market, the emergence of “death-icorns” (19:30), what he looks for in founders (39:18), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason welcomes Kevin O’Connor of ScOp Venture Capital. (1:39) Exploring the early days of the internet, its initial promise, rapid growth, and the recent pivotal changes brought by AI. (5:55) Discussing the impact and future prospects of AI as we approach 2024. (8:41) Delving into the potential influence of AI on sectors like Hollywood and the music industry. (10:03) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (11:11) Transitioning from founding companies to establishing a fund and supporting new startups. (15:25) Examining the evolution of founding a company, market dynamics, and fluctuating trends since the 1990s. (18:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (19:30) Tactics for building in a declining market, the emergence of “death-icorns,” and the pitfalls of debt-financed growth in unprofitable businesses. (27:57) The pendulum swings back after “the great reshuffling of America” and the phenomenon of over-employment. (29:53) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (33:13) Identifying unique opportunities in AI investments. (36:50) Recounting a near acquisition of Kevin’s company Graphiq by Apple for Siri integration. (39:18) What Kevin currently seeks in entrepreneurs before making an investment. (47:35) Discussing current valuation trends and the competitive nature of losing deals in venture capital. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out ScOp Venture Capital: https://www.scopvc.com * Follow Kevin: X: https://twitter.com/kjpoconnor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinoconnorsb Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thanks to our partners: (10:03) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (18:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (29:53) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast