Sep 11, 2026 · 38 min
Tiny startups face big policy blind spots
What It Takes to Build a Startup | Andrew Chen & Matt Perault
The episode connects the survival of two- and three-person startups to the regulatory, economic, and local conditions that shape where they build.
- 1Speedrun backs founders before they have fully formed companies, prioritizing unusual experience and potential over polished business ideas.
- 2Tiny teams often lack the time, staff, and representation to influence policies that can affect businesses within weeks or months.
- 3Startup-friendly ecosystems require deliberate support for founders, angel investors, employees, and the places where companies take root.
Don't miss
Andrew Chen explains why the smallest founders are often missing from policy debates precisely when regulations can affect their companies fastest.
The brief
Andrew Chen and Matt Perault examine “Little Tech”: two- or three-person teams building from kitchen tables while largely absent from policy debates.
Chen explains how Speedrun invests at the idea stage, looking for unusual experiences and potential before founders have polished products or conventional venture credentials.
The episode’s central tension is practical: founders racing to build and find customers often lack the time, staff, or lobbyists needed to shape policy.
Where startups form depends on more than regulation, including living costs, specialized facilities, local ecosystems, and the ability to attract investors and employees.
Tech Week becomes the bridge between startup-curious people, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and government officials, making local ecosystems more visible and deliberate.
The takeaway is a policy challenge: cities and states must actively create conditions that help small companies, investors, workers, and ambitious founders compete.
Featuring
Matt PerraultMentioned
a16z
Bay Area
LA
San FranciscoListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.