In this episode of The Khanversation with Imran Khan, Imranspeaks with Adam Singolda, founder and CEO of Taboola. From coding in Israel’s elite cyber unit to raising funds at a bat mitzvah, Adam recounts his unique path to building one of the largest adtech companies on the open web. He sharesthe highs and lows of Taboola’s early days, the pivotal moments that defined the company, and how he introduced a guaranteed revenue model that transformed publisher relationships. The conversation also explores Taboola’s publicjourney, recent product expansion into performance advertising, and Adam’s take on the future of the adtech industry.

In this episode of The Khanversation with Imran Khan, Imransits down with Michael Strain, professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, for a deep conversation on U.S. trade policy. Together, they explore the implications of tariffs, how global manufacturing and employment trends have evolved, and why common narratives around outsourcing and trade deficits may miss the mark. Michael challenges widely held beliefs on American manufacturing decline, discusses the politicalversus economic weight of trade debates, and offers perspective on strategic reshoring of critical industries. The two also probe market reactions, including bond yields and currency movements, and the potential fallout of ongoing trade tensions.

In this episode of The Khanversation with Imran Khan, Imran sits down with Somesh Dash,General Partner at IVP, to reflect on two decades of venture capital experience. Somesh shares his early days in the industry, IVP's growth, and the traits of enduring founders. They explore venture trends, including IPO timing, the rise of SPVs, and the impact of AI. Imran and Somesh dive into lessons from Snap, Discord, and Rubrik, while examining the balance between investor influence, founder evolution, and long-term company building. An honest, thoughtful take on tech investing from two long-time friends and insiders.

____________________________________________________________

[00:00:00] Introduction and early friendship between Imran and Somesh.

[00:01:25] Somesh’s experience investing in Snap and working with Evan Spiegel.

[00:06:04] What makes a great founder: evolution, grit, and leadership.

[00:10:04] The importance of optimism and instinct in building companies like Discord.

[00:14:12] Somesh’s origin story: growing up in Silicon Valley and discovering venture capital.

[00:18:56] Why Somesh stayed at IVP for over 20 years and how the firm has evolved.

[00:23:04] How globalization and distributed workforces have changed venture.

[00:28:04] Why more companies are delaying IPOs and Somesh’s take on going public.

[00:36:15] Reflecting on Snap’s IPO journey and its long-term impact.

[00:39:14] The downside of too much capital and the rise of SPVs in venture.

[00:43:21] Scout programs in venture: benefits, risks, and IVP’s approach.

[00:49:28] The AI wave: Somesh’s view on where it's going and how IVP is participating.

Links:

Imran Khan on X: https://x.com/dottkhan

Imran Khan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dotkhan

Somesh Dash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/someshdash

IVP: https://www.ivp.com/