From Public Markets to VC, AI, and Winning with Joe Magyer
- Nov 12, 2025
- 2 min read
Joe Magyer is the host of Investing in Startups, but his real job is running his early-stage boutique, Seaplane Ventures. In this episode, Joe is interviewed by his friend Owen Raszkiewicz, Founder and CIO of Rask Group. Joe talked about why he made the move from public to private markets, how small firms can compete with big firms, the current venture landscape, putting AI to work as an investor, and why studying up on unit economics is a core part of early-stage investing.
The episode is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube Music.
Chapters from Public Markets to VC, AI, and Winning with Joe Magyer
00:00 Introduction & Setup
01:19 Why Move from Public Markets to VC
06:19 Standing Up Seaplane (Infra + AI Tools)
08:16 Where Seaplane Invests & the Austin Edge
11:21 What Joe Looks For: Networks, Subs, & Unit Economics
16:03 Capital Efficiency, Sales Cycles, and Burn
18:07 Market Reset & AI: Hype vs. Durable Value
22:03 Incumbents vs. Challengers: When Distribution Wins
26:18 Competing with Mega-Firms as a Solo GP (Speed & Fit)
35:28 Diligence Playbook: Checklists, PMF/ROI, Custom GPTs
41:41 Liquidity: Public vs. Private Tradeoffs
47:43 Outlook & Wrap (Why It’s a Good Time to Deploy)
Takeaways from Public Markets to VC, AI, and Winning with Joe Magyer
Why leave public markets for VC. More hands-on impact, far bigger upside, and value accrues earlier as companies stay private longer (Figma seed → $19B IPO as an extreme case).
Where Seaplane plays. Solo GP, Austin-based, writing early checks into live-product startups with early traction.
Favorite business models. Subscription and network effect businesses dominate long-run compounders; early unit economics are “wiggly,” so judge where they can land, not just where they are.
Unit economics > vibes. Distinguish virality from true network effects; map cash burn to capital efficiency to avoid dilution traps.
Diligence that wins allocations. Founder-first loops, deep checklists, and institutional-grade write-ups; custom AI/GPT tools speed market research and sharpen product/ROI analysis.
Process in action. Preparation and thoughtful questions helped win a spot in an oversubscribed round.
“Friendly-Neighborhood” check size. ~$250k gets a seat at the table without stepping on the lead; stay concentrated to raise the bar and spend more time with founders.
Why concentration and solo GP resonate with founders. Clear alignment, real skin in the game, and actual access to the decision-maker.
Access is a skill. In startups, you move fast with limited info, and you don’t always get into the deals you want—so you must add tangible value to win allocations.
Market view. Warmer than 12–24 months ago but far cooler than 2021; post-reset, it’s a great time for prepared emerging managers to deploy.
Where he invests. Austin is a top-five US venture city with real momentum—but Seaplane backs teams across the country wherever the signal is strongest.
Remote-first sourcing. Meets >40 companies per check—so most investing starts on Zoom; in-person time follows for partner companies.
The content here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal or tax advice. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect the views of Seaplane Ventures. Our host, guests and clients may hold investments discussed in this podcast. Please invest responsibly.
