The Backwards VC Podcast Strategy

"I am in the business of selling money. I'm a salesman, money is my product, and I'm trying to convince you to buy it from me by telling you how my money is better than everyone else's."

This is the most honest thing a VC has ever said to me.

It cuts through the myth that founders are the ones pitching. VCs desperately need to convince great founders to take their cash when so many alternatives exist.

And podcasts represent one of the most efficient ways to make this sale.

But is it possible that funds’ podcast strategy get this completely backward?

Instead of launching their own shows should they be focusing on guest appearances instead?

The Math Doesn't Lie

Khosla Ventures learned this lesson (seemingly). In 2022, they hired public radio veteran Kara Miller to produce "Instigators of Change" – investing significant resources into creating dozens of episodes.

Today, that RSS feed sits dormant.

Starting a podcast today is an uphill battle (especially if you put little effort in), because you're competing with All-In, Reid Hoffman etc etc. 

Why compete with them if you could figure out a way to get on them.

Owned Podcast = X Hours to Produce + Ongoing Commitment.

Guest Appearances = X hours of prep + Appearance time.

The ROI isn't even comparable, especially if funds launch podcasts that fizzle after 7-10 episodes.

90% of podcasts don't get past episode 3. That's 1.8 million who quit. Of the 200,000 left, 90% will quit after 20 episodes.

Guest Strategy Success

Jared Kushner strategically appeared on high-profile podcasts like All-In and Lex Fridman's show.

According to The New York Times, these appearances resulted in numerous companies and investors contacting Affinity Partners, his $3 billion firm, significantly boosting their deal flow.

He leveraged existing ones perfectly aligned with his target founders.

Practical Implementation: Your Guest Appearance System

Here's the exact process I've implemented with three funds to systematise podcast guest appearances:

1. Target Show Identification

Use these specific Google and YouTube search strings to find relevant podcasts accepting guests:

"{your sector}" inurl:podcast "guest application" -inurl:template -intitle:template

"{your sector}" site:youtube.com ("inurl:watch" OR "inurl:about") "podcast" "guest" "business inquiries" -inurl:template -intitle:template

For YouTube channels:

• Go to the About section → Click "View Email Address" under "For business inquiries" (captcha protected) → Send a concise pitch (as below)

2. Podcast Outreach 101:

Reference a specific episode or topic from the show. Then pitch 2–3 relevant or contrarian ideas you could speak on that would add value to their audience. Keep it under 150 words. Make it about them, not you. Attach links if you’ve been on other shows.

3. Preparation System

For each confirmed appearance, create a one-page brief containing:

• 3-5 key messages you want to deliver

• 2-3 portfolio examples that illustrate these points

• Common questions and your concise responses

4. Content Amplification Strategy

How to multiply the Appearance: 

• Extract 3-5 key moments (timestamped).

• Create audiogram/vid clips for social sharing.

• Write LinkedIn/Twitter posts highlighting key insights.

• Add to your website's media section.

• Share with portfolio companies and LPs.

One appearance = weeks of content.

The most effective strategy targets podcasts in your investment vertical rather than general VC shows. If you invest in healthcare startups, appearing on healthcare innovation podcasts puts you directly in front of founders in your target market.

Because of the value of these highly verticalised audiences, I think it will be increasingly common for funds with more resources to skip the gaining traction step altogether and acquire existing media properties rather than building from scratch.

Insight Partners - acquired The New Stack, giving them built-in distribution and credibility in the developer community.

a16z - acquired Turpentine, a tech podcast network, primarily to scale its media and network efforts. This acquisition also allowed a16z to add Erik Torenberg, the founder of Turpentine, as a GP.

If you’re a niche VC - say, focused on 3D tech or a specific region - it’s might be cheaper and faster to buy a small, relevant newsletter/podcast (10k–50k subs) than to build an audience from scratch. At this size, the deal is typically small - but the audience is highly engaged and tightly aligned with your vertical, giving you instant access to the right founders.

But… For most funds, the guest appearance strategy offers the highest ROI with minimal investment, and will also act as a gauge on how valuable sponsoring or acquiring a niche media asset could be.

This Week

1. Identify 5-10 target podcasts using the search strings above

2. Send personalised pitches to each

3. Create your preparation brief template

4. Set up a content amplification workflow for confirmed appearances

The best part is its scalability. Once systematised, you can maintain a steady drumbeat of appearances with minimal ongoing effort.

Laurie, Refinery Media