Studio Stack

Shilpa Kannan & Mitchel Peterman are co-authors of the new book "Venture Studios Demystified: How venture studios turn the elusive art of entrepreneurship into repeatable success". Together, Mitchel & Shilpa spent a year working with 20 studio leaders across the world on a mission to codify the Venture Studio playbook and break down everything from why studios launch, how the ideation process works, where the capital comes from, and shed light on the legal and financial structures of the Studio model.

In this episode, you'll learn...

• The most surprising things Shilpa & Mitchel learned in their interviews with 20+ Studios
• What processes were consistent among Studios
• Various "Studio sustainability" tactics & opportunities
• How Studios can fundraise successfully

And so much more! 

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Giuseppe Lacerenza is an experienced leader, having both entrepreneurship and consultancy backgrounds. Prior to joining Slimmer AI, Giuseppe founded 2 companies, worked as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, as well as professional and angel investor. Giuseppe holds an MBA from INSEAD, serving as VP of their Entrepreneurship Club. In his role as Venture Building Lead at Slimmer AI, he is responsible for building new ventures and supporting portfolio companies in scaling faster while securing an AI-based competitive moat.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• About the process Slimmer AI goes through in building companies
• How Slimmer AI incubated Biller from idea to exit in just 8 months
• How AI can be a competitive long term moat for venture scale companies
• Why specializing as a studio is a successful strategy

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Today I'm talking to Beto Lopez, co-founder and CEO of Design Run Group- a human-centered design Venture Studio solving complex challenges in healthcare. Beto's background is in design and previously, he co-founded the Design Institute for Health at the University of Texas at Austin and spent over a decade at IDEO where he was both Design Director and their first Global Lead of Systems Design.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• The 3 key challenges in healthcare innovation and how the Venture Studio model solves these
• How organizations should use human-centered design to choose which problems to work on
• Why startups can't move as fast as Studios when innovating in healthcare
• The importance of mission and thesis as a Venture Studio
• How Studios should think about building ventures with partners

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Today I’m talking to Jordan Schlipf, Founder and CEO of Rainmaking- a Venture Studio leveraging the scale strengths of corporates to create new high-growth companies. Jordan is a serial entrepreneur in his own right and helped build one of the world’s most successful accelerators, Startupbootcamp. His unique experience and passion for entrepreneurial education shines through his work and leadership of the growing Rainmaking Studio team.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• Why corporates struggle to innovate and build startups on their own
• How working with a Venture Studio de-risks the process of creating new future-proof businesses
• About Venture Studios as an investment asset class- who invests in them, why, and when
• How traditional VC should think about working with Studios
• What is involved in corporate venture building and how the model works at scale

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Today I’m talking to Wa'il Ashshowwaf, CEO & Co-founder of Unstuck Labs- a DC-based venture building agency specializing in mobile app prototyping and development for non-technical founders. Through mentorship and engagement, Wa'il has helped over 500 founders launch new ventures. In addition to CEO of the studio, Wa’il is also the founder of REYETS- a social justice platform created to help end police violence.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• Why Studios should develop multiple ways for entrepreneurs to engage with them
• How accelerators differ from Venture Studios and how the two can work together
• When to approach a Studio with your idea and what that partnership might look like
• The importance of developing your mentorship network as a Studio

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Today I’m talking to Andrew Amann, founder and CEO of NineTwoThree Digital Ventures- a tech agency turned builder studio that has launched 14 of their own startups and over 50 new ventures for clients since inception in 2012. The NineTwoThree team is a global group of 60 entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers excelling at making good products great.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• How solopreneurs can apply startup studio principles to derisk ideas
• What it takes to transition from a tech agency to a builder studio
• Why intrapreneurship is a path toward entrepreneurial freedom
• How to develop a flywheel for new venture building where industries, experts, clients, and ideas build off each other
• How and when Studios should think about bringing in a founder to lead a project
• About the unique mixed cash and equity model NineTwoThree uses to co-build ventures with entrepreneurs

Show Links- Studio Stack:

Today I’m talking to Virginia Di Paola from Fiera Studio. Fiera is a Venture Builder launched in 2021 based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Fiera team supports new venture creation by surrounding founders with world-class expertise, resources, and infrastructure in domains across design, engineering, marketing, HR, finance, legal, and capital. Virginia leads partnerships and business development for the studio. 

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• The benefits of the studio model and Fiera’s competitive advantage
• Positioning tips for startup studios when talking to investors, corporates, and entrepreneurs
• The keys to running a successful corporate studio program
• Opportunities for innovation in Latin America
• Fiera’s unique studio model and the ways they work with entrepreneurs

Show Links- Studio Stack:

The Studio Stack podcast takes you inside the world of Venture Studios. Join the host, Dianna Lesage, and learn from entrepreneurs and operators actively working in the Studio ecosystem on where to start, how to build, when to scale, and what it takes to be successful in Startup Studio land. 

Each 30 minute episode dives deep into the frameworks and models pioneered by Studios and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and investors in this space. Whether you're just starting out or experienced in the ecosystem, there's something to learn from each unique individual on the show.

Subscribe to the podcast for never-before-heard insights from the world's most innovative leaders.

--