Dual Threat CEOs

Dual Threat CEOs

Author: Paige Soya August 6, 2025 Duration: 38:15

At K Street, we’ve had the privilege of backing some incredible founders and over time, one theme has become increasingly clear: The most impactful leaders aren’t just building great companies, they’re also investing in others. These are dual threat CEOs: founders who play both offense and defense. They're scaling their own ventures while also writing early checks, mentoring rising entrepreneurs, and giving back to the ecosystem that helped them succeed. In the latest episode of High Stakes, K Street investor Sara Fagen joined Paige Soya to unpack what that role really looks like and why it matters. She shared a powerful perspective on how investing can be a vehicle for impact especially for new founders who have big ideas but lack access or experience. These early-stage bets often start with a conversation, a relationship, and a belief that someone just needs their first chance. That’s the ethos we carry at K Street. We back operators who pay it forward and we’re proud to count so many dual threat CEOs in our portfolio and community.


Behind every major innovation, there's usually a risky bet and a tense conversation that made it happen. High Stakes pulls back the curtain on those pivotal moments by focusing squarely on the world of early-stage venture capital. Instead of abstract theory, each conversation pairs a founder who has lived the grind with an investor who has backed the vision, creating a dynamic and often revealing dialogue. They tackle the specific trends and tough questions shaping the venture space right now, from evaluating a team's potential to navigating a market downturn. You'll hear the nuanced strategies, the candid mistakes, and the real-world compromises that define building and funding a company from the ground up. This podcast is built for anyone curious about the mechanics and human drama of startup investing, offering a genuine sense of how capital flows to ideas and what it truly takes to succeed. Tune in for unscripted perspectives that clarify how high-risk decisions are made and what both sides learn when the stakes are at their absolute highest.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 67

High Stakes
Podcast Episodes
The Art and Science of Diligence in Early-Stage VC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:06
How do investors evaluate founders when there’s little or no traction? What really drives decisions in early-stage venture capital?In this episode of High Stakes, host Paige Soya sits down with early-stage investor Matt…
How VC success is truly measured [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:27
How do you know if you're actually a successful venture capitalist? It's harder to tell than you might think. In this episode, K Street Capital Managing Partner Paige Soya sits down with Henri Pierre-Jacques, Managing Pa…
What LPs Want from VC Fund Managers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
Most founders know the pressure of fundraising, but what many don’t realize is that venture capitalists have to fundraise too. Behind every investment is a group of limited partners (LPs) whose expectations shape how fun…
Power Law & the VC Playbook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:01
What makes a venture investment a true home run—and why is it so hard to find those opportunities?In this episode of High Stakes, Paige sits down with Sean Glass (entrepreneur, investor, and founding partner at Ayuda Par…
Habits of Highly Successful Founders | Alex Wirth, CEO of Quorum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:33
What separates successful founders from the rest?In this episode of High Stakes, Paige Soya (Managing Partner, K Street Capital) sits down with Alex Wirth, CEO & Co-founder of Quorum, to unpack the habits, mindsets, and…
Landing a job in VC | Myrto Lalacos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:25
In this episode of High Stakes, host Paige Soya sits down with Myrto Lalacos, Principal at VC Lab, for an in-depth conversation on landing a job in VC. Myrto shares her unique career journey—from leading accelerator prog…
The Cold, Hard Truth About Startup Shutdowns | Dori Yona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:18
What really happens when a startup shuts down? In this revealing episode of High Stakes, host Paige Soya sits down with Dori Yona, founder of SimpleClosure and seasoned entrepreneur, to unpack the complex—and often hidde…