StrictlyVC Download

In this episode, we talk with Halter founder and CEO Craig Pigott about building a $2 billion agtech company that’s transforming how farmers manage livestock. Using solar-powered collars and virtual fencing, Halter helps ranchers increase productivity, monitor animal health, and rethink how land is used. Craig shares his journey from Rocket Lab to agriculture, why farming is still underserved by technology, and how AI and hardware are reshaping one of the world’s oldest industries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WHOOP founder and CEO Will Ahmed joins Connie Loizos and Alex Gove on StrictlyVC Download to discuss the company’s evolution from a niche wearable for elite athletes into a fast-growing health platform. The three talk about WHOOP’s unconventional decision to skip a screen, its subscription-driven business model, and how it won over top athletes early on. They also dig into the company’s push into medical-grade monitoring, blood testing, and AI-driven insights, and what it all means for the future of continuous health tracking Chapters: 00:00 — The Rise of Whoop 02:45 — From Athlete to Founder 04:50 — Rejection and Early Challenges 06:10 — Why Whoop Skipped the Screen 08:25 — How Whoop Broke Through 13:30 — The Subscription Model 20:45 — Expanding Into Health and AI 27:50 — The Future of Wearables Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Connie Loizos and Alex Gove on StrictlyVC Download to discuss the company’s new AI-powered Search Party feature, which aims to help neighbors find lost dogs but has sparked debate about surveillance and privacy. The three discuss how the feature actually works, the company’s decision to abandon a partnership with Flock Safety, what Ring ultimately hopes to build in neighborhoods around the world, and how much control over that vision Ring really has. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of StrictlyVC Download, Connie Loizos and Alex Gove sit down with MIT AI researcher Max Tegmark to discuss the growing clash between AI companies and the U.S. government and the bigger question of who should control increasingly powerful AI systems. From the Trump administration’s move to phase out Anthropic’s technology to the broader race toward superintelligence, Tegmark argues that the real risk isn’t just geopolitical competition, but losing control of the systems we’re building. He makes the case for treating AI like any other high-stakes industry by implementing binding safety standards and independent oversight before the technology outpaces our ability to manage it. A broad coalition, including Tegmark's Future of Life Institute have released The "Pro-Human AI Declaration" outlining a path forward in which AI would best serve humanity. View the statement here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on StrictlyVC Download, Connie Loizos talks with Bill Gurley, longtime venture capitalist, former Benchmark partner, and author of the new book Running Down a Dream. After stepping back from day-to-day investing, Gurley has turned his focus to a different question: how people build meaningful, enduring careers—and what they might do differently if given the chance to start over.In this conversation, Gurley reflects on why nearly 60% of professionals say they would rethink their career paths, how to know when it’s time to pivot, and why “regret minimization” can be a powerful decision-making framework. He shares his views on mentorship, peer networks, and the risks of following conventional career tracks in the age of AI. Gurley also weighs in on Silicon Valley’s shifting work culture, the resurgence of 996-style intensity, and why he believes the best way to future-proof your career isn’t to avoid technology—but to run straight at it. It’s a candid discussion about ambition, reinvention, and designing a career you won’t second-guess. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices