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David Shields and Matt Shields Podcast: Jumping From founder to investor

Entrepreneurs build companies for many reasons, be it innovation, financial freedom, problem solving, among others. Following successful exits, many entrepreneurs naturally become investors. But it’s tricky to know when to make the jump from owner to investor. This transition is beneficial for other entrepreneurs. Investors advise on easily avoided mistakes through their experience, awareness, and…

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Entrepreneurs build companies for many reasons, be it innovation, financial freedom, problem solving, among others. Following successful exits, many entrepreneurs naturally become investors. But it’s tricky to know when to make the jump from owner to investor. This transition is beneficial for other entrepreneurs. Investors advise on easily avoided mistakes through their experience, awareness, and market preparation.

CEO of Venlo Investments’ North American operation, Chris Macauley, spoke about his first entrepreneurship endeavor, his few mistakes, and his successful decision making . Through those lessons learned, he was able to understand how to drive operational efficiencies, became aware of how frustrated he was with working alongside media agencies and was able to start building a technical team for his business.

One of the big driving factors that Chris learned in his transition from founder to an investor is that you can’t get anywhere without solid relationships. “The one thing I learned is that leadership is 100% about people.”

While learning about people that he needed to work with to drive forward the mission, Chris discovered that there would also need to be a balance between having people there to help with the company’s mission while also being passionate about what they’re doing. “How do we unlock what people are passionate about?”

Knowing when to make that jump from founder to investor is all about timing, people, and doing the necessary research on whether your product has a viable problem in the market that needs solving.

For the latest news and changes in the business world, be sure to check out our latest podcast episodes where we break it all down.

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IBC2026 Previews Show Vendors Pitching Orchestration Platforms

IBC2026 Previews Show Vendors Pitching Orchestration Platforms

Pre-show coverage of IBC2026, held September 11-14 in Amsterdam, shows several vendors including Telestream, PlayBox Neo and Zixi framing announcements around workflow orchestration and hybrid transport reliability rather than single products. Separately, NewscastStudio reported EverPass expanded its Netflix-linked deal to distribute the full NFL slate to bars and restaurants.

  • 01Telestream, PlayBox Neo, and Zixi are leading with orchestration and resilience messaging ahead of IBC2026 in Amsterdam, September 11-14.
  • 02Verify orchestration and resilience claims through vendor documentation, reference calls, and hands-on evaluation before committing to platforms.
  • 03Request documented API boundaries, interoperability testing evidence, and failure detection demonstrations rather than relying on marketing descriptions.

Sep 10, 2026

Software updates are now a buying event at IBC2026

Software updates are now a buying event at IBC2026

At IBC2026 in Amsterdam, Clear-Com and TSL are sending a similar operational message from different angles: the next hard problems are control, monitoring, and safe change in IP workflows. Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX EHX v15 adds ARC (Access Resource Configuration), which the company says enables access to intercom ports and resources without adding hardware, and expands capacity and resource management, according to Sports Video Group. AVNation reports TSL is emphasizing “reduced complexity” for control and monitoring across IP workflows. For ops leaders, the takeaway is to treat qualification, rollback planning, change windows, and licensing and support terms as first-class spec items.

  • 01Clear-Com is attaching new intercom access and resource controls to Eclipse HX via EHX v15 and ARC, so refresh planning shifts from “replace frames” to qualify releases, plan rollbacks and schedule change windows, according to Sports Video Group.
  • 02For distributed productions, FreeSpeak Cell leans on LTE and 5G rather than venue cabling, shifting runbooks toward coverage assumptions, service management and fallbacks when cellular performance drops, according to Sports Video Group.
  • 03AVNation reports TSL is pushing “reduced complexity” for control and monitoring across IP workflows, a sign that configuration, visibility and alarm routing are becoming day-to-day requirements, not optional add-ons.

Sep 8, 2026

AV integrators are buying scale because meeting rooms now run like software

AV integrators are buying scale because meeting rooms now run like software

Forté’s acquisition of Vega Global, adding more than 750 employees across 17 APAC countries, is a prominent 2026 sign of consolidation in enterprise AV, according to AV Magazine. At InfoComm 2026, Cisco, Crestron and HP showed room platforms centered on ongoing management, with Cisco and NVIDIA introducing RoomOS 26 AI agents that run on in-room hardware and HP tying Poly Lens to its Workforce Experience Platform, as reported by AVIXA and HP. Separately, Cisco’s Webex AI roadmap adds “agentic” automation and governance that reaches beyond room systems into the contact center and workforce management, according to No Jitter. As a result, standards, telemetry, security and service-level performance are taking a larger role in how contracts are evaluated, influencing both vendor choice and integrator consolidation.

  • 01When services are 38% of channel revenue and hardware is 36%, the integrator RFP stops being about the bill of materials and starts being about uptime, monitoring and lifecycle outcomes, per AV Magazine citing AVIXA channel research.
  • 02“Edge AI in the room” shifts how outages and performance issues play out: RoomOS 26 adds on-device agents and features such as Audio Zones that can lessen reliance on cloud connectivity, but it also increases requirements for endpoint compute, device governance and disciplined update processes, according to AVIXA and rAVe [PUBS].
  • 03Consolidation is becoming a procurement feature: Forté’s move from a federation model to owned operations signals multinationals want one throat to choke for standards, security and service outcomes across regions, per AV Magazine.

Sep 1, 2026

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