Consumer VC

Most venture capital podcasts obsess over B2B SaaS and enterprise software, so Consumer VC fills an important gap by focusing entirely on consumer-facing companies and the investors who back them. Host Mike Gelb interviews VCs and founders across CPG, direct-to-consumer brands, marketplaces, consumer apps, and subscription businesses, digging into what makes consumer investing fundamentally different from enterprise bets. With over 400 episodes and a 4.9 rating from 134 reviews, the show has built a dedicated following. The interview structure follows a consistent pattern that works well: Gelb asks each founder about the specific insight that led to their company, walks through their fundraising strategy, and then gets into the actual pitch they used with investors. This format means you're getting tactical, replicable information rather than vague inspiration. A recent episode with a DTC founder traced his path from professional poker to building a consumer brand, which is exactly the kind of unconventional founder story that makes the show interesting. Gelb also isn't afraid to tackle uncomfortable topics in consumer investing. One recent episode was titled "Consumer Isn't Dead, VC Just Got It Wrong," which directly challenged the prevailing narrative that consumer deals are a bad bet. He brings on investors who are actively deploying into consumer categories that most VCs have written off, and the conversations reveal genuine contrarian thinking rather than performative hot takes. The episodes drop twice a week and run 30 to 50 minutes each. If you're building or investing in anything consumer-facing -- food, wellness, e-commerce, media, entertainment -- Consumer VC provides a level of category-specific depth that generalist VC podcasts simply can't match. The show's longevity and consistent quality have made it a go-to resource in its niche.