Value Hacking and How To Avoid The Fake Growth Epidemic with Mike Maples

Erik is joined on this episode by Mike Maples (@m2jr) of Floodgate. The talk about:- The difference between fake growth and real growth, and how to know which one your company is experiencing.- Why fake growth has taken hold in so many companies in the Valley, and its broader systemic causes.- The difference between value hacking and growth hacking.- Why once you’ve entered the growth stage, it’s next to impossible to go back to the value hacking stage.- His thoughts on the Thiel vs. Rabois schools of markets.- His tips for growing SaaS companies.- How to think about incumbents.- Why a pivot is not the same thing as a mulligan.- The reasons for the fact that, in his opinion, there is too much money in VC.- Why companies are staying private longer.Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform. Check us out on the web at villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.Venture Stories is brought to you by Village Global and is hosted by co-founder and partner, Erik Torenberg. Grace Chen is our audio engineer and the show is produced by Brett Bolkowy.