VC Ray Lane talks about why he chose to invest in Bloom's company stressing his belief in Bloom's vision for the podcasting industry. For Bloom, it was about finding a VC who knew what was going on in the industry and could be counted on to make the right decisions not only as an investor but also as a mentor.
Ray Lane, VC for Bloom's company, PodShow, talks about how his commitment as an investor goes beyond investing. He has helped PodShow grow in the market by building connections with the right people. He also believes that conflicts of interest between a VC and founder are mitigated as long as the VC's don't invest in competitors of the company.
Bloom describes how he has been able to magnetize his company, Podshow, to advertisers by allowing only global brands, to the audience by allowing user-generated content, to producers by allowing the top level producers to make most money, and finally to the engineers by providing them with the right leadership. He also talks about the importance of user generated content, especially for advertisements.
Bloom talks about the importance of leadership in shaping the perception of a company. It is the leader who defines the vision of the company. At PodShow, Bloom and Adam Curry make calculated decisions about the steps they take that are visible to the world. This ensures creation of an image aligned with their vision for the company.
Bloom talks about his relationship with the board of Podshow as an ongoing dynamic one. They spend a lot of time with each other discussing issues as a healthy debate. A good board is one who is able to give advice at the right time and help in making connections. He also believes that the camaraderie of the board with each other is important.