Episode 373 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Jeff Bussgang, General Partner at Flybridge. 

Jeff has accomplished so much throughout his career.  I’m sure lots of people probably know him best as a Venture Capitalist and Professor at Harvard Business School.

But... you might not know the details about his startup career prior to Flybridge which I was really excited to dig into because he played a key role at two incredibly successful companies in the Boston tech scene.

The first being OpenMarket, which pretty much invented eCommerce with its shopping cart technology that was licensed by companies like Amazon when they were just getting started.  The company went public at a billion dollar valuation back in 1996 which was a very big deal.

The second company is Upromise, where he was a Co-Founder along with Michael Bronner, who was also the Founder of Digitas and really helped establish the world of direct & loyalty marketing and David Fialkow, who you might also recognize as one of the founders of General Catalyst.  Upromise allowed consumers, including myself, to save for their kids' college education through a loyalty rewards program.  The company was very successful and it was later acquired by Sallie Mae.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, investor, and professor, Jeff is also an author of three books and his latest book is called The Experimentation Machine - Finding Product-Market Fit in the Age of AI.

Plus we talk about his Dad (Julian Bussgang), a scientist and entrepreneur who developed the Bussgang Theorem, Jeff's educational background in AI, Flybridge’s history of investments in AI, Hack.Diversity and so much more!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
00:05 Jeff's New Book - The Experimentation Engine
04:47 Jeff's Background and Early Influences
08:47 The Story of OpenMarket & Shopping Cart Tech
17:21 The Creation of Upromise
25:06 Transition to Venture Capital & Flybridge
26:37 Flybridge's History & Focus on AI
32:50 Flybridge's Investment Process
34:13 Advice on Go-to-Market Strategy
35:36 Getting Pitched by Curt Schilling
38:03 Teaching at Harvard Business School
39:48 Career Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
42:22 Must-Have Versus Nice-to-Have Products
44:00 Hack.Diversity
46:46 The Boston Tech Ecosystem & AI
52:55 Recommendations - Apps & Podcasts

Episode Sponsor:

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Episode 373: Jeff Bussgang - General Partner, Flybridge

Raise Ready is a game-changer in hiring and career growth. Whether you're a business seeking top talent or a job seeker aiming for success, our expert strategies, interview coaching, and recruitment solutions help you stay ahead. Elevate your hiring process or job search with Raise Ready’s proven approach.

Raise Ready: Smarter Hiring and Career Growth Solutions

On today's episode, Andy answers your questions on how to not be cocky when you start winning in business, how to achieve happiness while staying ambitious about your big goals, and how to create proper boundaries in your professional world.

854. Q&AF: How To Not Be Cocky, Chasing Happiness With Ambition & Boundaries In Business

PromoTix University Podcast – Episode 1 🎙️
How to Get 10-14X ROI on Ads for Event Ticket Sales - Geoff Shames

In this first episode of PromoTix University, we’re diving deep into paid digital advertising for event ticket sales with special guest Geoff Shames, founder of Crowd Control Digital—an agency behind massive campaigns for Illenium, KSI, Travis Scott, Judas Priest, and more.

Geoff has driven more than $100,000,000 in ticket sales with his campaigns and today we break down the best-performing ad platforms, how to maximize ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) by 10–14X, and review a viral contest strategy that turns one paid visitor into 8–10 ticket sales or leads. Plus, we review Found.ee, a powerful programmatic ad platform that helps promoters stretch their budget further.

If you're looking to sell more tickets, boost conversions, and improve your event marketing strategy, this episode is packed with insider tips you can apply today. 🚀

🎧 Listen & start scaling your ad driven ticket sales!

How to Get 10-14X ROI on Ads for Event Ticket Sales - Geoff Shames

The context of this episode was taken from a recent watching of Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting. Even after his passing he’s still sharing nuggets of wisdom. While he was painting one of his incredible landscapes he alluded to “work with the materials that you got.” Use the canvas, paints, brushes, tools-everything around you to produce your work. That small snippet of the show was all that I needed to share some insights from that gem.

I would love if you ranked this podcast, share a comment or share this episode out!

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238. WORK WITH WHAT YOU GOT

On today's episode, Andy &amp; DJ are joined in the studio by Dan Hollaway. They discuss President Trump getting hit in the face with a microphone, Trump's admin deporting 238 Venezuelan gang members to El Salvadoran prison, and the women pleading guilty in a cross-burning hoax.

855. Andy, Dan Hollaway & DJ CTI: Trump Gets Hit With Microphone, Trump Admin Deports 238 Venezuelan Gang Members & Woman Pleads Guilty In Cross-Burning Hoax

Today we're going to talk about AI phishing scams, especially for YouTube creators. But this really affects any kind of phishing thing with all these deep fakes going around and craziness. Screw The Commute Podcast Show Notes Episode 974 How To Automate Your Business -   Internet Marketing Training Center -  Higher Education Webinar –  See Tom's Stuff –  00:23 Tom's introduction to AI Phishing 00:58 Deepfakes and doing bad things 02:09 Happens in all kinds of fields Entrepreneurial Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Higher Education Webinar -  Screw The Commute -   Screw The Commute Podcast App -  College Ripoff Quiz -  Know a young person for our Youth Episode Series? Send an email to Tom! -  Have a Roku box? Find Tom's Public Speaking Channel there! -  How To Automate Your Business -  Internet Marketing Retreat and Joint Venture Program -  KickStartCart -   Copywriting901 -   Become a Great Podcast Guest -  Training -  Disabilities Page -  Tom's Patreon Page -  Tom on TikTok -  Email Tom:  Internet Marketing Training Center -  Related Episodes Easy Bonuses -&nbsp; More Entrepreneurial Resources for Home Based Business, Lifestyle Business, Passive Income, Professional Speaking and Online Business I discovered a great new headline / subject line / subheading generator that will actually analyze which headlines and subject lines are best for your market. I negotiated a deal with the developer of this revolutionary and inexpensive software. Oh, and it's good on Mac and PC. Go here:  The Wordpress Ecourse. Learn how to Make World Class Websites for $20 or less.     Join our Private Facebook Group! One week trial for only a buck and then $37 a month, or save a ton with one payment of $297 for a year. Click the image to see all the details and sign up or go to  After you sign up,&nbsp;check your email for instructions on getting in the group.

974 - Don't fall for fakes and scams: Tom talks AI Phishing

Are you struggling to scale your business beyond the startup phase? Scott Ritzheimer, entrepreneur and author of The Founder’s Evolution, shares a proven 7-stage framework for predictable business growth. In this episode, we dive deep into common scaling challenges, the role of management in business success, and why so many founders get stuck before reaching true freedom.

📖 Get your FREE digital copy of The Founder’s Evolution and take the quiz to discover your business growth stage!

💡 Key Takeaways:
✔️ The 7 stages of entrepreneurial growth and how to navigate them
✔️ Why most founders struggle with scaling and leadership transitions
✔️ The critical mindset shifts needed to become a successful CEO
✔️ How to build a self-sustaining business that thrives without you

Welcome to GrowNLearn, where innovation meets expertise in business growth, business transformation, and leadership development. We empower entrepreneurs and business leaders with data-driven insights and tailored strategies that drive success. Whether you’re looking to scale your business, develop a success mindset, or learn how to grow a startup, GrowNLearn is your trusted partner in navigating today’s competitive market. 

Connect with Us: 
Website: https://grownlearn.org/
Podcast Page: https://grownlearn.onpodium.com/
Apple Podcast/i-tunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/grownlearn/id1515759956
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/grownlearn
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1bUIDGbSQl4BlHeNeeJfva

Follow Us on Social Media: 
Linkedin Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grownlearn
X.com: https://x.com/grownlearn1729
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healnlearn_grownlearn
IG: https://www.instagram.com/healnlearn_grownlearn/
HealnLearn Channel - Success Mindset: /@healnlearnLinkedIn: /grownlearn X (Twitter): https://x.com/grownlearn1729 TikTok: /healnlearn_grownlearn Instagram: /healnlearn_grownlearn 
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Chapters:

00:00:00 - 00:06:15 Scott’s Journey to Business Success

00:06:16 - 00:14:29 The Founder’s Journey & Startup Challenges

00:14:30 - 00:28:43 Mastering Management for Founder Growth

00:28:44 - 00:31:59 How Top Gun: Maverick Reshaped Scott’s Perspective

00:32:00 - 00:37:39 Transitioning from Founder to CEO

00:37:40 - 00:44:46 The Power of Mentorship & Personal Growth

00:44:47 - 00:50:46 Understanding Business Growth Stages

How to Overcome Business Growth Challenges & Scale with Strategy – The Founder’s Evolution

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Ethical Leadership in Business: Leading with Integrity and Purpose

This is going to be a little bit offbeat from the my norm. It's still going to be money making related, but it's called AI Spicy Models. This isn't like technical modeling of something. This is spicy models, bikini, nude, things like that. So hang with me there because I'm not going to get real crazy on you here, but I'm going to tell you a method that's got people making money, some ethically, some not ethically. And I'll go over that too. Screw The Commute Podcast Show Notes Episode 975 How To Automate Your Business -   Internet Marketing Training Center -  Higher Education Webinar –  See Tom's Stuff –  00:23 Tom's introduction to AI Spicy Models 01:37 Selling all sorts of stuff from people that don't exist 03:00 Websites that can create people out of thin air 06:32 Can be a legitimate way to make money Entrepreneurial Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Higher Education Webinar -  Screw The Commute -   Screw The Commute Podcast App -  College Ripoff Quiz -  Know a young person for our Youth Episode Series? Send an email to Tom! -  Have a Roku box? Find Tom's Public Speaking Channel there! -  How To Automate Your Business -  Internet Marketing Retreat and Joint Venture Program -  KickStartCart -   Copywriting901 -   Become a Great Podcast Guest -  Training -  Disabilities Page -  Tom's Patreon Page -  Tom on TikTok -  Email Tom:  Internet Marketing Training Center -  Related Episodes AI Phishing -&nbsp; More Entrepreneurial Resources for Home Based Business, Lifestyle Business, Passive Income, Professional Speaking and Online Business I discovered a great new headline / subject line / subheading generator that will actually analyze which headlines and subject lines are best for your market. I negotiated a deal with the developer of this revolutionary and inexpensive software. Oh, and it's good on Mac and PC. Go here:  The Wordpress Ecourse. Learn how to Make World Class Websites for $20 or less.     Join our Private Facebook Group! One week trial for only a buck and then $37 a month, or save a ton with one payment of $297 for a year. Click the image to see all the details and sign up or go to  After you sign up,&nbsp;check your email for instructions on getting in the group.

975 - Make money with virtual people: Tom talks AI Spicy Models

Entrepreneur Andy Frisella and his guests discuss, debate, and laugh their way through trending topics and hot-button issues.

(This is also the home of Andy's other show, the top ranked MFCEO Project Podcast.)

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Host of PromoTix University | CEO of PromoTix

Providing inspiration, insights, and tips on your creative and entrepreneurial journey over a cup of coffee, tea or beer.

The VentureFizz Podcast is the flagship podcast of VentureFizz.com, the leading authority for jobs & careers in tech. In this podcast, VentureFizz Founder Keith Cline interviews the top founders and investors in the tech industry.

Grownlearn is a dynamic and insightful podcast that delves deep into the world of business model transformation. Hosted by seasoned professionals with a passion for innovation, the podcast features engaging interviews with the foremost experts in the field. Each episode invites listeners to explore the strategies, challenges, and successes of businesses that have undergone significant transformations. From disruptive startups to established enterprises, Grownlearn provides a platform for the best minds in the industry to share their experiences, insights, and lessons learned. Whether you're an entrepreneur, business leader, or simply intrigued by the ever-evolving landscape of business, Grownlearn delivers thought-provoking conversations that inspire and inform. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve and discover the keys to unlocking growth and success through transformative business models.

New tracks tagged #entrepreneurship