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Oliver Buchannon
Walter Thompson

Tech journalist and operator helping founders learn how to build, fund, and scale real companies.

VC

+3

Why Black Startup Founders Have to Play a Different Game

Jan 13, 2026

•

6 min read

Why Black Startup Founders Have to Play a Different Game

What changes when you don’t start at the same starting line

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

PMF

+3

Building an Enterprise AI Startup from Day Zero

Jan 7, 2026

•

6 min read

Building an Enterprise AI Startup from Day Zero

Lanai CEO Lexi Reese on customer discovery, focus, and fundraising

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+3

Building in Layers: The Compound Startup Playbook

Dec 23, 2025

•

7 min read

Building in Layers: The Compound Startup Playbook

A practical guide to building startups in regulated systems

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+3

How to Build in a Market That Won’t Let You In

Dec 3, 2025

•

10 min read

How to Build in a Market That Won’t Let You In

"I would argue that there was probably more risk in this startup than most."

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

venture capital

+3

How to Prove You’re Building a Venture-Scale Company

Nov 24, 2025

•

10 min read

How to Prove You’re Building a Venture-Scale Company

“The one question I would want to know is: how big do you want to build this?”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

fundbuildscale

+3

Why I moved Fund/Build/Scale from Substack to Beehiiv

Nov 15, 2025

•

4 min read

Why I moved Fund/Build/Scale from Substack to Beehiiv

If you don’t like who’s in the kitchen, it’s time to leave the party.

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

Cyan Banister

+6

When Founder-Investor Fit Feels Like Fate (Recorded live in San Francisco)

Nov 14, 2025

•

5 min read

When Founder-Investor Fit Feels Like Fate (Recorded live in San Francisco)

If you don’t believe in synchronicity, you will by the end of this episode.

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

500 global

+20

What Your CEO Won't Tell You About Your Stock Options

Mar 7, 2025

•

6 min read

What Your CEO Won't Tell You About Your Stock Options

“The company that you held shares in: if it went to zero, would you regret that you didn't sell?"

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

VC

+21

Why PR Comes Before PMF

Feb 26, 2025

•

3 min read

Why PR Comes Before PMF

“PR should be done at the very beginning, right from the very start.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+18

Investor Insights for African Startups with Capria Ventures’ Mobola da-Silva

Feb 24, 2025

•

3 min read

Investor Insights for African Startups with Capria Ventures’ Mobola da-Silva

“We're getting a bit more creative in Africa around funding for startups.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

product led growth

+17

KarmaCheck CEO Eric Ly on Customer Discovery + Early Product Development

Feb 12, 2025

•

3 min read

KarmaCheck CEO Eric Ly on Customer Discovery + Early Product Development

“We identified a pain point in corporate America that people often experience frustration with.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+19

2025 Cybersecurity Trends, Insights and Storytelling Advice from YL Ventures' Andy Ellis

Jan 27, 2025

•

3 min read

2025 Cybersecurity Trends, Insights and Storytelling Advice from YL Ventures' Andy Ellis

"Reading the room is knowing when somebody already agrees with you.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

PMF

+13

From Seed to Series A: Lessons from Operant AI's Startup Journey

Jan 17, 2025

•

3 min read

From Seed to Series A: Lessons from Operant AI's Startup Journey

“We're not wasting time on wheel spinning.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

survey

+22

Mercury Raise 2024 Survey: Founder Challenges, Fundraising Trends, and the AI Hype Cycle

Dec 23, 2024

•

3 min read

Mercury Raise 2024 Survey: Founder Challenges, Fundraising Trends, and the AI Hype Cycle

“The peer connection that founders have? It’s almost trauma bonding.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

rusty ralston

+21

Rusty Ralston and Jay Patil of Swell VC: A Hands-on Approach to Building Startups

Dec 22, 2024

•

3 min read

Rusty Ralston and Jay Patil of Swell VC: A Hands-on Approach to Building Startups

“People determine the outcome of a company.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

emerging investor

+18

Seed-stage Valuation Insights from Lightspeed's Nnamdi Iregbulem

Dec 17, 2024

•

3 min read

Seed-stage Valuation Insights from Lightspeed's Nnamdi Iregbulem

“A lot of the pitches I get are basically two people, a PowerPoint deck, and their dog."

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+17

 How Fractional CFOs Become a CEO's 'Strategic Teammate'

Dec 16, 2024

•

3 min read

How Fractional CFOs Become a CEO's 'Strategic Teammate'

"Part of it is getting a handle on cash flow and spend.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

PMF

+18

MaC Venture Capital's Marlon Nichols Shares Seed-stage Insights for Future CEOs

Dec 12, 2024

•

3 min read

MaC Venture Capital's Marlon Nichols Shares Seed-stage Insights for Future CEOs

”You are the expert. We're a sounding board. “

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+17

From PhD to CEO: Sahil Agarwal of Enkrypt AI Shares Essential Lessons for Aspiring Founders

Dec 10, 2024

•

3 min read

From PhD to CEO: Sahil Agarwal of Enkrypt AI Shares Essential Lessons for Aspiring Founders

"Don't pitch a technology. Pitch a story."

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

GenAI

+14

Transforming Practical Wisdom into Iconic Brands with David Placek

Nov 25, 2024

•

3 min read

Transforming Practical Wisdom into Iconic Brands with David Placek

“We create a vessel that will carry the story into the marketplace.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

transportation

+12

From concept to Series A: How Inversion got its space-based cargo platform off the ground

Nov 20, 2024

•

3 min read

From concept to Series A: How Inversion got its space-based cargo platform off the ground

CEO/co-founder Justin Fiaschetti: “Fundamentally, we're making a new market.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

startup

+22

How to run a board meeting in 60 minutes

Nov 1, 2024

•

3 min read

How to run a board meeting in 60 minutes

“Our motto is: ‘go towards where it hurts.’ Go fix it.”

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

VC

+17

Starting up in stealth

Oct 31, 2024

•

3 min read

Starting up in stealth

"It’s much harder to be mediocre at a small startup," says TigerEye CEO/co-founder Tracy Young.

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

cultural fit

+16

'Cultural fit' is a polite way to say 'personal bias'

Oct 23, 2024

•

3 min read

'Cultural fit' is a polite way to say 'personal bias'

Hot takes are lazy, but indulge me — I wrote this on my birthday.

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson

VC

+19

“El talento no tiene código postal.”

Oct 22, 2024

•

3 min read

“El talento no tiene código postal.”

La capitalista de riesgo Laura González-Estéfani habla sobre la creación de startups fuera de Silicon Valley

Walter Thompson
Walter Thompson
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