🎧 Episode: “The Exit Bottleneck and the Path Forward”

In this episode of The Venture Variety Show, I talk with Louis Lehot, a Silicon Valley-based attorney at Foley & Lardner who works closely with startups, investors, and acquirers across the venture ecosystem.

We dig into what’s really holding back venture capital right now—and what might finally break things loose in 2025.

In this episode, Louis shares insights on:

Why DPI is stalling the VC flywheel

How founders can raise capital creatively—without waiting for the market to “settle”

What’s needed for the IPO window to truly reopen

The role of risk, interest rates, and macro pressure in the return of exits

Why debt capital and customer revenue are smart plays right now

Sound bites from Louis:

“2025 ought to be the year of the IPO.”“The best capital is the money that comes from customers.”“The levers of the venture capital system have been gummed up.”

This was recorded before the recent tariff flare-up, but Louis’ perspective still holds up—and his advice for founders is especially sharp.

🎙️ Be on the lookout for more from Louis soon—I’ll be featuring him again in an upcoming post about AI's impact on the legal profession.

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