What lessons have David Cohen and Brad Feld learned making more than 40 episodes of the Give First podcast? They reflect on great guests, mistakes made, and more.

Toward the beginning of this conversation between David Cohen and Brad Feld — cofounders of Techstars and celebrated early-stage investors — Brad says, “I believe it takes a hundred episodes before you can really call yourself a podcast.” 

If that’s the standard, the Give First podcast isn’t a real podcast yet, since we’re only at about 45. But we’re quite proud that Give First has stuck around so long and found such a welcoming audience. Turns out that people want to hear about the warm, relationship-based, virtuous cycle side of entrepreneurship and tech that Give First elevates and celebrates. 

What have David and Brad learned in the process of making all these episodes? For one thing, consistency is less important than continuation. They don’t make an episode every week, or even every two weeks, necessarily — but they keep making them, and that works. They also shout out to Techstars podcast producer Kacey Wherley, who makes it all happen behind the scenes. 

If you’ve missed some of the recent episodes, you should really check them out: 

• Digital Ocean’s Carly Brantz on leading marketing at three Techstars unicorns

• Fast Forward’s Kevin Barenblat on running an accelerator for tech nonprofits

• Chainalysis’s Jonathan Levin on building a blockchain business, values and the future

• Bruno Morency on the evolution of the Montréal startup ecosystem

• Rob La Gesse on being the opposite of risk averse

• Katie Rae on tough tech, breakthrough tech that can change the world

• Crossover: Give First + Talking Through It! Neal Sáles-Griffin on giving first to grow Chicago's startup ecosystem

• Maëlle Gavet on helping entrepreneurs around the world create a better world

• Sean Paul Shanor on the joy of running Startup Weekends

• Baden U'Ren on growing entrepreneurship education in Australia

• James Oliver on empowering Black parentpreneurs

• Andy Sack on Give First and creating a startup ecosystem from scratch