Hello, and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a duo, think about their work and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha Mascarenhas interviewed Sam Chaudhary, CEO and co-founder of ClassDojo, and Chris Farmer, CEO of SignalFire, a venture firm that recently announced a $900 million fund to back tech startups. This interview is structured a bit differently as it was actually recorded as a TechCrunch Live session, our weekly show that focuses on helping people start better venture backed businesses.

Here’s what we got into:

•  What an outsider advantage looks like in startups, per a top investor
•  Why ClassDojo doesn’t see itself as an edtech company
•  How Sam landed early traction with a difficult-to-capture consumer
•  How both Sam and Chris are thinking through the AI question brewing in every office

If you want to check out the full video of today’s conversation, including a round of Pitch Practice hosted by Matt Burns, head to our YouTube channel and stay tuned for more TechCrunch Live!

As always, the full Equity crew will be back on Friday, but you can keep up with us in the meantime @EquityPod.

For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website. 

Equity drops at 7:00 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together and more!