Inside Silicon Valley’s VC Playbook | WTF is Venture Capital? - 2025 Edition | Ep. 24

In this unfiltered conversation, we discuss bad bets, overhyped markets, and where VCs should actually put their money. I sat down with Deedy Das (Principal, Menlo Ventures), Nikunj Kothari (Partner, FPV Ventures), and Niko Bonatsos (Early-Stage Venture Capitalist) to get their hot takes on industries.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:58 - Deedy’s journey & the Anthropic story

05:10 - Nikunj’s background

11:32 - Niko’s story

13:31 - Sectors to avoid as an investor

23:17 - Today’s hottest sectors

27:31 - Emerging AI trends

38:37 - Declining birth rates + AI’s role

48:19 - Abundance & capitalism

53:19 - Raising kids in an Instagram world

55:39 - No tech: the next big business?

1:00:55 - The future of dating apps

1:06:52 - Key predictions for the next frontier

1:10:14 - Will urbanisation continue?

1:13:51 - Longevity & wellness industry

1:16:01 - Which sector will boom by 2035?

1:25:59 - Rethinking senior living

1:32:52 - Content vs. product: what builds a brand?

1:43:50 - Individual vs. legacy brands

1:47:30 - EVs & mobility: the road ahead

1:58:03 - Opportunities in beauty & luxury

2:02:17 - Where live events are headed

2:06:14 - Climate tech & its impact

2:11:49 - Data centers: the best bet?

2:15:13 - Vices as an industry

2:24:18 - Wrapping it all together

2:29:02 - Legal AI: opportunities & challenges

2:32:29 - India in the global AI race

#NikhilKamath - Investor & Entrepreneur

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#DeedyDas - Principal, Menlo Ventures

Twitter: https://x.com/deedydas

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debarghyadas/

#NikunjKothari - Partner, FPV Ventures

Twitter: https://x.com/nikunj

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikunjk/

#NikoBonatsos - Early-Stage Venture Capitalist

Twitter: https://x.com/bonatsos

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonatsos/