Finding Purpose, Product-Market Fit, and Partners for Growth

Hosted by Kate Barrett and Rick Yang|Apr 05, 2023

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In this episode, Pamela Valdes, CEO and Co-Founder of Beek, the largest audio platform for Spanish speakers, speaks to host Kate Barrett about starting a company to solve a pressing problem, how she grabbed the attention of Silicon Valley, and why a founder has to keep growing alongside their business. Throughout this conversation we hear from David Rogier, Founder and CEO of MasterClass, and NEA General Partner Rick Yang. As they look back on the company's rapid rise from big idea to beloved brand, David and Rick talk about unlocking product-market fit, embracing the tumultuous highs and lows of company building, and finding the right investors for the journey. Tune in to find out what inspired Pamela and David to take big leaps of faith, obstacles they faced as first-time founders, and how they convinced some of the world's biggest names and most sought-after advisors to get on board.

"I think we need constraints sometimes to feel inspired. I got advice from somebody and she said, choose an idea that even if it fails, you are going to be proud of it. That was amazing advice because all of a sudden, that was a constraint."

— David Rogier - Founder & CEO, Masterclass

Topics covered on todays episode

Transforming a personal passion into a brand people love
Leaning into your strengths as a first-time founder
Unlocking product-market fit
How to bring on (and vet) top talent and advisors

Guests on today's episode

Kate Barrett speaks with:

Pamela Valdes

Beek|

Co-Founder and CEO

Pamela Valdes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beek, the audio subscription platform where latinos listen to the best audio content in Spanish from their favorite creators. In this episode, Pamela chats with host Kate Barrett about her path to founding a company, how she got the attention of Silicon Valley, and the impact she believes Beek can have on an underserved market.

Rick Yang speaks with:

David Rogier

MasterClass|

Founder and CEO

David Rogier is Founder and CEO of MasterClass, the streaming platform where the world's best come together so anyone, anywhere, can access and be inspired by their knowledge and stories. In this episode, David chats with MasterClass board member, Rick Yang, about his lifelong attraction to entrepreneurship, stepping outside of his comfort zone to pursue a passion, and his experience taking MasterClass from a big idea to a big business.

The information provided in this podcast is for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be an offer of securities, investments, investment advice or recommendations. New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, nothing in this communication should be interpreted to suggest that the SEC has endorsed or approved the contents of the podcast. Any offering of securities by NEA is restricted to qualified investors and is made pursuant to offering documents that contain important disclosures concerning risk, fees, conflicts, and other important information. The company founders or other executives featured in the podcast are not compensated, directly or indirectly, by NEA but may be founders or executives of portfolio companies NEA has invested in through funds managed by NEA and its affiliates. The host of the podcast is an employee of NEA and is compensated in her role as a NEA employee. NEA has paid to optimize the placement of this podcast on certain online search platforms. NEA makes no assurance that investment results obtained historically can be obtained in the future, or that any investments managed by NEA will be profitable. The statements made by the founders, investors and the presenters in the podcast are their own, and are not intended to be an endorsement of the investment advisory services offered by NEA. NEA has no obligation to update, modify, or amend the contents of the podcast nor to notify the listeners in the event that any information, opinion, projection, forecast or estimate included changes or subsequently becomes inaccurate or outdated. To the extent the founders and investors featured in the podcast discuss hypotheticals, projections, or forecasts to illustrate their views, such views are their own and are not verified or adopted by NEA, nor has NEA tested the validity of the assumptions that underlie these opinions. The companies featured in the podcast are not a representative sample of all current or former NEA portfolio companies. Listeners of the information contained in the podcast should consult their own legal, tax, and financial advisers because the contents are not intended by NEA to be used as part of the investment decision making process related to any investment managed by NEA.

About the Hosts

Kate Barrett

Rick Yang

Rick joined NEA in 2007 and now heads the firm’s technology investing practice, focusing on fintech, consumer and AI application investments. In addition to holding board positions at several NEA portfolio companies, he also serves on the boards of the Stanford Department of Athletics’ investment fund and the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund. He is an All Raise VC Champion and a mentor for BLCK VC. Prior to joining NEA, Rick worked at Credit Suisse. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, where he was also a member of the swim team.

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