TubeMogul Founder and Entrepreneur Brett Wilson Joins Me on Panic with Friends to Discuss His Full Circle Journey from Entrepreneur to Investor

I am feeling old today because I invited my friend and great entrepreneur Brett Wilson on the podcast. I invested in Brett’s Company back in 2007, sight unseen after the first quick meeting. What followed was an incredible journey through a bunch of rounds, the financial crisis, a key acquisition, growth, an IPO and a sale to Adobe. Brett has invested in our Social Leverage Funds and today invests himself and sits on a few boards. Few people know more about the internet video industry than Brett, the glamor and the guts.

In 2007 I explained why I invested in Tubemogul.

After attending the IPO live in 2014 I was infuriated with the IPO process and that is finally timely in 2020 as we see so many SPAC’s and Direct Listings get attention.

Here is the full podcast with Brett on Spotify or Apple. I hope you enjoy.

More details on the interview are below…

Guest: Brett Wilson

Profile: Entrepreneur, Founder & Former CEO of TubeMogul

Where to Find Him: LinkedIn, Twitter

Fun Fact: Brett’s time at his alma mater has gone full circle. Since starting TubeMogul at the University of California, Berkeley, campus, Brett now serves on the Board of Advisors at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

What’s the Panic About:

Spoiler Alert: There’s no panic this episode. Why? Because I had Brett Wilson on, someone who doesn’t panic, but rather finds solutions. I first met Brett back in 2007 and quickly became a seed investor in his company, TubeMogul. He’s a special guest, and not just because he’s made me money. Brett is an amazing investor, entrepreneur, board member and thought leader. No one has been at the center of video (specifically digital) quite like Brett. Since selling TubeMogul to Adobe and leading advertising efforts there for a bit, Brett is now an angel investor, partner at Swift Ventures, and board member at companies such as Tubi, WeTravel and, more recently, Arize AI. In this episode, Brett and I had a great discussion about being at the center of video, TikTok, Netflix, Tubi, life as a CEO and entrepreneur, company pivots, TubeMogul’s journey, resurfacing trends, AI and what excites him as an investor as of late. We talked about a lot of great companies, trends, industries and the types of people who make them great. Hope you all enjoy it!

The Takeaway:

Entrepreneurship is hard work, and it takes a special kind of person (like Brett) to do it and do it well. You have to be focused, mission-driven, oftentimes a control freak, and willing to put in all the work and more. But if it’s hard, it’s always a great time to be an entrepreneur.

Favorite Quotes:

“I think entrepreneurship has gotten overglamourized.”

“The companies that win in the future start off looking a little different.”

“I asked myself – am I investing in companies that could be impactful, meaningful companies?”

“I’m bullish on AI-first companies.”

Food for Thought:

If you enjoyed Brett’s thoughts on entrepreneurship and want to get a more holistic look inside his brain, check out the Q&A he did with the New York Times back in 2014.

PS – I am now doing two ‘Panic With Friends’ podcasts per week. Thanks for listening and make sure you subscribe over on Spotify or Apple.