Brad Feld: Startup Boards and Lessons from Four Decades in VC

Brad Feld: Startup Boards and Lessons from Four Decades in VC

Author: Evan Epstein October 1, 2025 Duration: 56:23
Brad Feld is a veteran venture capital investor, co-founder of Foundry and Techstars, and the co-author of Startup Boards, among many other books. We discuss his personal journey, from his early life and entry into VC during the internet boom, to co-founding Techstars and helping build hundreds of startups and their boards. Brad shares insights from Startup Boards and reflects on the importance of board dynamics, effective composition, and the evolving expectations of independent directors.

Ever wonder what really happens behind the closed doors of a corporate board meeting? Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein pulls up a chair to that table. Each episode is built around a substantive, long-form conversation with a leading voice from the world of corporate oversight-founders who have navigated IPOs, seasoned board directors, institutional investors, legal scholars, and top executives. Evan Epstein guides these discussions beyond the headlines and dry policy to uncover the human dynamics and strategic decisions that define modern governance. You’ll hear firsthand about the evolving pressures on boards, from activist investors and regulatory shifts to technology disruptions and crises of leadership. More than just analysis, this podcast delves into the personal journeys and hard-won insights of the individuals shaping these critical conversations. It’s for anyone curious about the architecture of power, responsibility, and strategy at the highest levels of business. Tune in for a rare, nuanced look at the principles and people steering today’s most influential companies.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 58:15
Ilya Strebulaev is the David S. Lobel Professor of Private Equity and Professor of Finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he also serves as the Director of the Venture Capital Initiative. Ilya is an e…
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Duration: 56:17
Greg LaBlanc is a Lecturer and Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Berkeley, Stanford, HEC Paris and other prestigious institutions. Greg teaches a wide range of subjects, including finance, strategy, law, innovation, data…
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Duration: 53:09
Sonita Lontoh is an independent director of Sunrun, the largest consumer solar-and-battery-as-a-service company in the U.S., and of TrueBlue, a workforce solutions company that connected ~2 million people to work in the…
Greg Gretsch: On Founder and Investor Trends from Silicon Valley. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:29
Greg Gretsch is Founding Partner and Managing Director of Jackson Square Ventures, an early-stage VC firm based in San Francisco that invests in software businesses. In this episode, we discuss his entrepreneurial journe…