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Nikhil KamathNikhil Kamath

Inside Silicon Valley’s VC Playbook | WTF is Venture Capital? - 2025 Edition | Ep. 24

In this unfiltered conversation, we discuss bad bets, overhyped markets, and where VCs should actually put their money.

Nikhil KamathhostDeedy DasguestNikunj KothariguestNiko Bonatsosguest
Aug 29, 20252h 52mWatch on YouTube

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Episode Details

EPISODE INFO

Released
August 29, 2025
Duration
2h 52m
Channel
Nikhil Kamath
Watch on YouTube
▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this unfiltered conversation, we discuss bad bets, overhyped markets, and where VCs should actually put their money. I sat down with Deedy Das (Principal, Menlo Ventures), Nikunj Kothari (Partner, FPV Ventures), and Niko Bonatsos (Early-Stage Venture Capitalist) to get their hot takes on industries. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Deedy’s journey & the Anthropic story 05:10 - Nikunj’s background 11:32 - Niko’s story 13:31 - Sectors to avoid as an investor 23:17 - Today’s hottest sectors 27:31 - Emerging AI trends 38:37 - Declining birth rates + AI’s role 48:19 - Abundance & capitalism 53:19 - Raising kids in an Instagram world 55:39 - No tech: the next big business? 1:00:55 - The future of dating apps 1:06:52 - Key predictions for the next frontier 1:10:14 - Will urbanisation continue? 1:13:51 - Longevity & wellness industry 1:16:01 - Which sector will boom by 2035? 1:25:59 - Rethinking senior living 1:32:52 - Content vs. product: what builds a brand? 1:43:50 - Individual vs. legacy brands 1:47:30 - EVs & mobility: the road ahead 1:58:03 - Opportunities in beauty & luxury 2:02:17 - Where live events are headed 2:06:14 - Climate tech & its impact 2:11:49 - Data centers: the best bet? 2:15:13 - Vices as an industry 2:24:18 - Wrapping it all together 2:29:02 - Legal AI: opportunities & challenges 2:32:29 - India in the global AI race #NikhilKamath - Investor & Entrepreneur Twitter: [https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm9WZVh3cHVTX3JEeGptVjlOZ1R3cW5rVkZJUXxBQ3Jtc0tuekFjWnRXME9XUUVLcDNCTk9YcHd5OU1MV1NMamE0cWE1T25meGJ4VWRMa21OY3VYLWM2T05iOUJtYTNWbWRSLW5YUXNzTTRHUUpjOGdZSGJzNEYxMkt2Y2hmWVNUeU51Nk5MRFVieVNtSTJwMkFXZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fnikhilkamathcio&v=wHQiewz8k9g) LinkedIN: [](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGNsNjlxS2NyU3VxOUNIQU1VUmczaWNobmtJd3xBQ3Jtc0tsVmczaDdwdkpMZWlNaVdISk1mQUFfbmhZNVB2al9OU1hwbF9rYTFoMFJGN2FKRnFreXFEaXZhRGttd2xLRHBpQVhIS19XaW5wQTZ3UjB6bm5vazVmdUkwSEdsU0MxS1lXYmJvVnhlekVRczc0RmdTRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fnikhilkamathcio&v=wHQiewz8k9g)https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcio/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilkamathcio/ #DeedyDas - Principal, Menlo Ventures Twitter: https://x.com/deedydas LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debarghyadas/ #NikunjKothari - Partner, FPV Ventures Twitter: https://x.com/nikunj LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikunjk/ #NikoBonatsos - Early-Stage Venture Capitalist Twitter: https://x.com/bonatsos LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonatsos/

SPEAKERS

  • Nikhil Kamath

    host
  • Deedy Das

    guest
  • Nikunj Kothari

    guest
  • Niko Bonatsos

    guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Nikhil Kamath, featuring Nikhil Kamath and Deedy Das, Inside Silicon Valley’s VC Playbook | WTF is Venture Capital? - 2025 Edition | Ep. 24 explores Venture capital playbook: future sectors, AI shifts, and second-order effects The conversation starts with the guests’ operator-to-investor backgrounds and how early-stage investors think about timing, competition, and “hot” vs. overlooked categories.

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