E413: How AI Will Reinvent Venture Capital

Highlights:

• What an AI-native venture capital firm actually looks like.
• Why Footwork replaced manual CRM work with AI agents.
• The AI systems helping investors make better decisions.
• Why learning speed is becoming the most valuable founder trait.
• How venture firms should approach AI adoption internally.
• Why relationships and judgment will remain the last human advantages.
• How writing a newsletter compounds into better investing.
• Why exceptional startups deserve exceptional investment decisions.
• The fundraising strategy that attracted elite university endowments.
• How AI could fundamentally reshape venture capital over the next decade.

Guest Bio:

Nikhil Trivedi is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Footwork, an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco. He has invested early in companies including Canva, ClassDojo, Frame.io, Athelas, GPTZero, Watershed, Lattice, The Farmer's Dog, and Brigit, among many others. Nikhil was named to the Forbes Midas Seed List in both 2025 and 2026 and is widely recognized for pioneering the concept of an AI-native venture capital firm. He also writes the popular newsletter Next Big Thing, where he shares insights on venture capital, startups, and emerging technologies.

Are you interested in sponsoring the How I Invest Podcast? Please email David Weisburd at [email protected].

We’d like to thank AlphaSense for sponsoring this episode!

Sponsor:

AlphaSense is the AI-powered market intelligence platform trusted by 85% of the S&P 100, helping investment professionals make faster, more confident, data-driven decisions. Built for hedge funds, asset allocators, private venture capital firms, and investment bankers, AlphaSense uses advanced AI and powerful search across premium proprietary content to surface the insights that matter most—before the market moves. Elevate your research and stay ahead of the competition. Visit https://www.alpha-sense.com/howiinvest/ to learn more.

Stay Connected with David Weisburd:

X/Twitter: @dweisburd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Weisburd Pierce: https://www.weisburdcapital.com/

Stay Connected with Nikhil Basu Trivedi:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilbt/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at [email protected].

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to participate in any investment strategy. All opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the views of Weisburd Pierce. Participants may hold positions or have financial interests in the companies, funds, or investments discussed. Any references to specific investments are for illustrative purposes only. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Any third-party data or opinions have not been independently verified. Listeners should conduct their own research and consult their own advisors before making any investment decisions.