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Yesterday was THAT moment – when years of hustle crystallized into something extraordinary that left me speechless.
In June 2020, while the world was locked down, I took the biggest risk of my life. After quitting my VC job, I set up a makeshift recording studio in my apartment and launched Smart Venture Podcast with one mission: democratize access to tech’s inner circle for those without the “right” connections.
Now, 454 episodes later? We’re in the top 1.5% among 3.4 MILLION podcasts globally. We’ve featured C-suite executives from tech’s most influential companies, partners from the world’s premier VC firms, and founders who’ve built unicorns from scratch.
But yesterday’s Smart AI Leadership Summit showed me what we’ve REALLY built: a community that’s reshaping how innovation happens.
The energy was ELECTRIC as hand-picked leaders from across tech connected in ways that will ripple through the industry for years. Some of you flew from KOREA, Seattle, NYC, LA, Chicago, and Denver just to be here! (Still can’t believe that.)
To my superhuman volunteer crew who worked from 7AM to 7:30PM without complaint – HOW?!
To our day-one believers: AWS, SVB, Sequoia, Nebius, Vessl AI, Rackhouse, and Wayo – you took a chance on us before we had proof.
And to my Bay Area besties who mysteriously all had “important meetings” nearby yesterday (your calendar coincidences aren’t fooling anyone 😏) – your support means everything.
What began as a podcast has evolved into something I never could have imagined: a movement to help 1 BILLION people make better business decisions.
This is just the beginning. And I couldn’t trade this journey for anything in the world.
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