Ethan Kurzweil: Managing Partner at Chemistry
Kyriakos is joined by Ethan Kurzweil, a founding partner at Chemistry and former managing partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.He’s led early investments in Twitch, Twilio, Intercom, and PagerDuty — and in this conversation, he shares what separates good founders from iconic ones.In this episode, we discuss:- Why the best founders are like cult leaders- What makes a startup idea truly contrarian- How to build a focused, high-conviction VC fund- The future of AI-native companiesWhether you’re raising, investing, or building— This is a must-listen for anyone serious about startups.Follow Ethan on X: https://twitter.com/@ethankurzFollow Kyriakos on X: https://twitter.com/@kyriakoselChemistry VC: @chemistry_fund | [https://chemistry.vc](https://chemistry.vc/)TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:10 - What Makes a Cult-Like Founder05:20 - Why the Best Startups Start in SF08:30 - The Origins of Ethan & Chemistry VC10:20 - How He Spotted Twilio Early13:45 - What Great Founders Have in Common18:00 - Contrarian vs. Consensus Thinking21:00 - Lessons from Bessemer + Transition to Chemistry26:00 - Why Chemistry Focuses Only on Early Stage30:30 - Building a High-Conviction VC Fund35:00 - What Chemistry Invests In38:00 - How to Build a Durable AI Company43:00 - Why AI Will Reshape Healthcare First47:10 - Ethan’s First Healthtech Investment50:00 - Building Strong Startup Culture52:00 - Advice for Founders Moving to SF54:40 - Ethan’s 50-Year Future Vision58:00 - The Future of Creativity & Learning1:01:00 - Are Elite Universities Still Worth It?1:03:00 - How to Reach Ethan & Final Words
