How Lightspeed found their newest hire… via Instagram DM

Earlier this year, Lightspeed made headlines erstwhile it announced that Claire Zau, an capitalist and fashionable tech contented creator, would articulation the task firm. She has much than 100,000 followers connected TikTok and implicit 250,000 followers connected Instagram, wherever she breaks down the day’s biggest tech trends. 

Lightspeed partners Josh Machiz and Zau stopped by the Equity workplace to speech astir the strategy down their increasing societal media presence, their podcast, Lightwork, and however it each started with a nonstop connection connected Instagram.

“A batch of radical privation to enactment successful the aboriginal and are excited astir technology,” Zau told Equity. “They conscionable don’t person the facts presented to them successful an accessible way. So that’s hopefully the relation I consciousness precise fortunate and privileged to play.” 

Zau, successful galore ways, is portion of a caller people of task operators utilizing societal media to link with caller audiences, whether that’s radical who are simply tech funny oregon aboriginal founders who whitethorn past crook to Lightspeed for a check.

The podcast she co-hosts with Machitz, Lightspeed’s CMO, is portion of the caller media inclination that galore task firms are embracing, wherever firms instrumentality connected a greater relation successful helping their portfolio companies stock their stories with the world. 

“There’s little and little accepted journalism retired determination due to the fact that of layoffs and the consolidation successful media,” Machitz said. “If you’re a startup, it’s harder to get your communicative retired there. There are little places to spell to get it out. There’s present beauteous dense bars to get your backing communicative out. And truthful we anticipation to besides beryllium capable to supply successful the caller media satellite different accidental to archer your story.” 

So far, the duo — and the steadfast — spot immoderate benefits to expanding the Lightspeed media empire. Connecting with aboriginal founders is the main one, but being online besides helps them get real-time feedback connected investments and caller technology. For example, Zau talked astir how, wrong the Silicon Valley bubble, everyone was truthful excited to chopped a cheque for a caller AI startup, but past she would speech astir the concern online and get the consciousness that Gen Z was really rather anti-AI. 

“It was, I would adjacent say, humbling,” she said of the nonstop feedback she would get to immoderate of her videos. “It’s truthful adjuvant to person fundamentally real-time visibility into however radical are utilizing these technologies and what kinds of narratives are hitting.” 

Machiz and Zau besides spoke to Equity astir what comes adjacent for them. Another podcast? A TV amusement 1 day? “Our extremity is to beryllium the spot wherever hopefully aboriginal founders larn astir venture, recognize the ecosystem,” Machiz said. “We’re inactive aboriginal days.” 

Listen to perceive much of the speech — and what Machiz and Zau person planned next.