VDR Official X
February 10, 2026
Techstars • In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_
Content Summary
This report is generated from research on the following videos, based on the requirements set in Video Deep Research.
Analyze selected videos,
My goal is 📑 Discover Content Intelligence
My role is 🎙️ Consultant/Advisor
I need: 🤵 Client demands assessment, 💼 Client challenge analysis and solution framework
https:...E19Y
Summary
1. Decoding Client Demand: From Napkin Ideas to Ecosystem Resilience
Knowledge Snap
Strategy 1: The Give First Intelligence Model
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Video Title
01:20 - 02:22
David Cohen explains that giving first means helping others without expecting something in return.
08:41 - 09:42
Landon describes a person who provides help and connections without expecting any return.
Strategy 2: Frameworks for Pre-Seed Assessment
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Video Title
04:36 - 05:37
Brad asks how companies are evaluated and what structures are used for early investments.
05:08 - 06:08
Landon discusses investing small checks into ideas that may not have customers yet.
Strategy 3: Infrastructure-Driven Ecosystem Intelligence
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Video Title
12:02 - 13:04
Brad notes that Google provided the fiber as part of the startup culture development.
13:53 - 14:54
Brad explains how high-speed connectivity was transformative for the local startup community.
Strategy 4: Philanthropic Content Integration
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Video Title
15:46 - 16:47
Landon recounts sharing the concept of pledging one percent with other company founders.
17:05 - 18:06
Landon describes how startup donations began to snowball within the local community village.
Evolution of Ecosystem Intelligence and Community Building
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🎙️
Introduction to Ecosystem Builders
00:05 - 01:05
Consultants begin by identifying the roles of key players in the startup investment and advisor landscape.
🤝
Foundations of Giving First
01:20 - 02:22
The philosophy of helping without expectation serves as a primary conceptual foundation for content intelligence.
🔍
Assessing Client Capital Demands
04:36 - 05:37
Advisors analyze the specific needs of early-stage companies to determine the appropriate financial and intelligence frameworks.
🌐
Infrastructure Impact on Discovery
19:01 - 20:01
Discovery of actionable intelligence often depends on foundational infrastructure like high-speed internet in local communities.
📊
Philanthropic Integration Frameworks
14:19 - 15:20
Social impact models are integrated into business strategies to create broader community intelligence and engagement.
🛠️
Workflow Automation Solutions
17:56 - 18:58
Challenge resolution involves using automation to handle complex asset transactions that traditional systems cannot manage.
🧠
Complexity Theory in Startup Systems
18:48 - 19:49
Applying complexity theory allows advisors to interpret how client communities naturally evolve as adaptive systems.
📈
Defining Resilience through Shocks
21:32 - 22:32
Actionable intelligence culminates in understanding how systems adapt and grow stronger following significant challenges.
Learning Pathway for Strategic Content Advisory
| Stage | Videos |
|---|---|
1. Identifying Ecosystem Builder Roles | he Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_ |
2. Evaluating Early Stage Capital Demands | he Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_ |
3. Mentorship as a Core Pillars | he Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_ |
4. Assessing Critical Infrastructure Needs | he Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_ |
5. Implementing User-Driven Innovation Models | he Give First podcast, Brad Feld reconnects with Landon Young, pre-seed investor at Elevate Ventures and a longtime builder of startup ecosystems. Landon shares stories from both sides of the table, as a founder and investor, including what it means to write the first check when a company is still just a sketch on a napkin. They revisit the early days of the Kansas City Startup Village, the ripple effects of Google Fiber and Techstars, and how a single idea sparked a movement in startup philanthropy. From coffee shop meetings to complex donations, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the smallest bets, on people, on timing, on place, can shape entire communities. Check out 👉 donateequity.com Elevate Ventures 👉https://elevateventures.com/ Follow Landon Young on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonyoung/ -------------------------- 🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/ 🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/ 🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_ |
Detailed Findings and Insights
1. Investment Template Transparency
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Video Title
05:37 - 06:39
Landon mentions that elevate ventures puts all of their convertible note templates on their website.
Transcription
all of our convertible note templates on
2. User-Led Innovation Research
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Video Title
22:42 - 23:43
Brad explains that a specific idea focuses on users telling companies what to do with products.
Transcription
users to be telling you what to do, not
3. Crisis-Driven Pivot Strategies
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Video Title
06:10 - 07:11
The speaker discusses how a company named Socio successfully pivoted to virtual conferencing during the pandemic.
Transcription
Socio, which which pivoted over the
4. Community System Modeling
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Video Title
00:55 - 01:55
Landon describes how they studied community interactions with built and engineered systems during a doctoral program.
Transcription
Landon's doctoral research and how it
