Who should I follow to learn about Venture Studios?

If you want to **really understand venture studios - not just follow VC news - I’d follow people who actually build studios and publish their operating playbooks.** ### My shortlist - **Bill Gross - Idealab** - Start here for the historical roots of the model. Idealab pioneered the startup-studio approach and has launched 75+ companies. [What is a Venture Studio? | High Alpha](https://highalphacap.com/venture-studio/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **David Cohen / High Alpha team** - High Alpha is particularly useful for understanding the modern **venture studio + venture fund** model. Their public writing is unusually educational. [What is a Venture Studio? | High Alpha](https://highalphacap.com/venture-studio/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Greg Gottesman - Pioneer Square Labs (PSL)** - One of my top recommendations. PSL combines a startup studio with a VC fund and publishes unusually concrete material about idea generation, validation, and spinning companies out. [Pioneer Square Labs](https://www.psl.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **T.A. McCann - Pioneer Square Labs** - Worth following specifically for the **venture creation / corporate innovation** perspective; he's a managing director/venture partner focused on studio and co-creation work. [Pioneer Square Labs Org Chart, Leadership & Team (2026) | InsideOrg](https://www.insideorg.com/org/pioneer-square-labs?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Jack Abraham - Atomic** - Follow if you're interested in the more aggressive "we generate the idea, build it, then recruit the founder" version of venture studios. Atomic is one of the canonical examples of the model. [The 8 Best Venture Studios in the U.S. for Founders 2026 - elev-x](https://elev-x.com/news-insights/article-best-venture-studios/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Matthew Burris / Venture Studio Forum** - Probably the most directly relevant source if you want to understand **venture studios as an emerging discipline**, including benchmarks, governance, economics, and operating practices. [The Field's Best Operating Knowledge Is Trapped in Private Studios. Here Is How to Free It.](https://newsletter.venturestudioforum.org/p/the-fields-best-operating-knowledge?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Tomasz Tunguz - Theory Ventures** - Not a studio operator, but excellent for learning the **venture economics, SaaS metrics, and data-driven thinking** that should inform a studio's investment decisions. [Top 12 VC Newsletters: Ranked by Signal-to-Noise Ratio](https://valueaddvc.com/blog/top-12-vc-newsletters-worth-reading-in-2026-ranked-by-signal-to-noise-ratio?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Packy McCormick - Not Boring** - Also not studio-specific, but excellent for developing the broader "how do you spot and build a huge company?" mental model. [Best Venture Capital Newsletters (2026): Hark's Ranked List - Hark News](https://hark.news/best-venture-capital-newsletters?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ### If I were starting from zero I'd make the feed: **Greg Gottesman + T.A. McCann + High Alpha + Jack Abraham + Venture Studio Forum** Then add **Tomasz Tunguz** for venture/investment thinking. The key distinction I'd pay attention to is **studio vs. VC vs. accelerator**. A venture studio doesn't merely fund an existing founder - it can originate the idea, validate it, build the initial product, assemble the founding team, and provide operating resources. [Venture Studio: definition, the originate-and-execute model, and how studios differ from accelerators | Startups.com](https://www.startups.com/lexicon/venture-studio?prompt=support&utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you're learning this because you **want to build or work at a venture studio**, rather than simply understand the concept, I can also give you a **"venture studio curriculum" of 15 people, podcasts, essays, and case studies in the order I'd consume them.**

**If you want to learn about venture studios, follow Jake Hurwitz, Dianna Lesage, Max Pog, and Matthew Burris - they are among the most active thought leaders specifically focused on venture studios.**[Job@](https://jobsatventurestudios.com/blog/4-top-venture-studio-thought-leaders) ## 📌 Key Venture Studio Thought Leaders Name| Role| Why Follow Them| Platforms ---|---|---|--- **Jake Hurwitz**| Founder of Thursday Labs, creator of _The Gallery_| Interviews venture studio founders & investors, deep dives into studio models| LinkedIn, The Gallery publication **Dianna Lesage**| Strategic advisor to venture studios| Runs _Startup Studio Newsletter_, maintains Global Venture Studio Database| LinkedIn, Newsletter **Max Pog**| Founder of Venture Studio Family| Hosts engaging online conferences, produces in-depth research| LinkedIn, Venture Studio Family community **Matthew Burris**| Partner at Venture Studio Associates| Shares venture studio decks, investor lists, candid insights on challenges| LinkedIn, personal website ## 🌍 Broader Startup & VC Voices (Complementary) While the above are **venture studio specialists**, you’ll also benefit from following broader startup and VC leaders who frequently discuss studio models and early-stage innovation: * **Reid Hoffman** (LinkedIn co-founder, Greylock partner) – _Masters of Scale_ podcast[25 Startup Leaders in 2026 | The Industry Leaders](https://www.theindustryleaders.org/top-25-entrepreneurship-startup-leaders-2026) * **Paul Graham** (Y Combinator co-founder) – essays on startup philosophy[Discover Top Venture Funds | Venture Capital Archive](https://venturecapitalarchive.com/blogs/top-25-vc-startup-influencers-you-should-be-following) * **Naval Ravikant** (AngelList co-founder) – frameworks on wealth creation & startups[Discover Top Venture Funds | Venture Capital Archive](https://venturecapitalarchive.com/blogs/top-25-vc-startup-influencers-you-should-be-following) * **Marc Andreessen** (Andreessen Horowitz co-founder) – techno-optimist essays[Discover Top Venture Funds | Venture Capital Archive](https://venturecapitalarchive.com/blogs/top-25-vc-startup-influencers-you-should-be-following) These figures aren’t venture-studio specific, but their insights shape the ecosystem that studios operate in. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges to Keep in Mind * **Fragmented information**: Venture studios are newer than traditional VC, so resources are scattered. Following niche leaders like Dianna Lesage or Max Pog helps cut through noise. * **Investor skepticism**: Some VCs remain cautious about the studio model; Matthew Burris openly discusses why investors hesitate. * **Community vs. hype**: Online groups and conferences can be valuable, but not all are equally rigorous - prioritize those with strong research backing (e.g., Venture Studio Family). ## ✅ Next Steps * Start with **Dianna Lesage’s Startup Studio Newsletter** for structured insights. * Join **Max Pog’s Venture Studio Family** events to connect with practitioners. * Read **Jake Hurwitz’s interviews** on _The Gallery_ for case studies. * Use **Matthew Burris’s resources** if you want to understand investor perspectives and studio launch strategies. Would you like me to create a **curated “starter pack” of articles, podcasts, and newsletters** from these leaders so you can dive in right away?

Learning about venture studios requires following practitioners who actively build, fund, and study the model. Key industry leaders, organizations, and resources offer the best insights: * **Attila Szigeti & The Venture Studio Index / Forum:** Essential for understanding the macro-data, economics, and operational standards of global studios. * **High Alpha Team (e.g., Scott Dorsey, Eric Tobias):** As pioneers of the modern venture studio model coupled with a venture fund (focusing heavily on B2B SaaS), their leadership regularly shares practical content on scaling the framework. [What is a Venture Studio? | High Alpha](https://www.highalpha.com/resources/venture-studio#:~:text=Idealab%20pioneered%20the%20startup%20studio%20business%20model,a%20small%20slice%20of%20a%20certain%20industry.) * **Startup Studios (startupstudios.com):** A leading community platform dedicated to sharing thought pieces, operational playbooks, and insights on how startup studios build and scale innovative companies. [Venture Capital vs. Startup Studios: Which Path Should I Take?](https://www.reddit.com/r/indiehackers/comments/1iee9n1/venture_capital_vs_startup_studios_which_path/#:~:text=Hello!%20If%20you're%20still%20deciding%20which%20route,we%20can!%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.startupstudios.com%2F%20ajiabs.%20%E2%80%A2%208mo%20ago.) * **Founders Factory:** A prominent global venture studio network that regularly publishes research, reports, and perspectives on corporate venture collaboration and multi-sector company building. [What is a Venture Studio? The Complete Guide - Shape](https://www.shape-labs.com/articles/what-is-a-venture-studio-the-complete-guide#:~:text=Founders%20Factory%3A%20A%20London%2Dbased%20venture%20studio%20that,providing%20capital%2C%20talent%2C%20and%20expertise%20to%20founders.) * **Attard & Studio Thought Leaders on LinkedIn/Substack:** Look up seasoned operators from major legacy and modern studios like _Idealab_ (Bill Gross) and _Atomic_ , who frequently write deep-dives on the mechanics of ideation, validation, and equity structures. What specific aspect of venture studios are you most interested in exploring - launching one yourself, joining one as a founder, or understanding their investment mechanics?

To truly understand the mechanics of **Venture Studios** (also called startup studios or venture builders), you want to follow practitioners and researchers who dissect the actual math, operations, and co-founding models - rather than just traditional VCs. [25 Venture Studios Co-Founding Startups with Top VCs](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vahid-fakhr_dear-founders-most-vcs-invest-in-your-startup-activity-7445485226803310592-GiI-) The top experts, operators, and thought leaders to follow include: * ** _Dianna Lesage_** - A strategic advisor and former operator who runs the widely read [Studio Stack (Startup Studio Newsletter)](https://studiostack.substack.com/). She is exceptional at breaking down studio operational trends, hybrid VC-studio models, and community strategies. (Follow her updates and insights on Dianna Lesage's LinkedIn). [Studio Stack | Dianna Lesage | Substack](https://studiostack.substack.com/)[4 Top Venture Studio Thought Leaders](https://jobsatventurestudios.com/blog/4-top-venture-studio-thought-leaders)[Design & Launch Your Startup Studio - Maven](https://maven.com/studio-school/studiolaunch)[This week's Startup Studio newsletter just went out - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/diannalesage_startup-studio-newsletter-ed65-activity-7404565449285353473-PCwJ) * ** _Max Pog_** - The founder of **Venture Studio Family** , Max publishes deep-dive annual research on the global studio ecosystem and hosts virtual conferences connecting builders with LPs and investors. His data-driven mappings of the landscape are go-to resources. (Check out community metrics via [Venture Studio Family](https://inniches.com/family) or Max Pog's LinkedIn). [Venture Studio Family](https://inniches.com/family)[Venture studios that are fundraising should understand the](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/maxpog_venture-studios-that-are-fundraising-should-activity-7288268653643403267-psFK) * ** _Matthew Burris_** - A Partner at Venture Studio Associates who consults on launching and structuring new studios. He frequently shares pragmatic blueprints on how studios handle equity allocation, shared services, and corporate venturing. [LinkedIn +1] * **Attractor Studios & Builders (like High Alpha and Atomic)** - Follow prominent studio founders and managing directors directly. For instance, **High Alpha** out of Indianapolis (pioneers in B2B SaaS studios) and **Atomic** in San Francisco (builders of Hims & Hers) regularly publish essays and tactical playbooks on how they systematically spin up companies from scratch. [LinkedIn·Vahid Fakhr] Would you like recommendations for **specific podcasts** focused on venture building, or are you looking for **data on studio equity structures and success rates**?