Tech Scenes Unplugged with Marshall Hawks Author of Venture Debt Deals

“Execution is everything in startups.” - Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals and a longtime leader in venture banking and lending.

Before becoming an author, Marshall spent more than two decades in venture banking, including sixteen years at Silicon Valley Bank, where he held nine different roles across three countries. Most recently, he led SVB’s Relationship Management organization in Northern California and oversaw the bank’s in-house private credit team, the Strategic Capital Group. Over his career, Marshall has worked closely with hundreds of startups — including Airbnb, Twitch, Fitbit, Planet Labs, Tubemogul, and Egnyte — giving him a rare, front-row view into how founders use (and sometimes misuse) venture debt.

The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of venture debt, how banks actually think about underwriting risk, and why venture debt can be a powerful — but often misunderstood — tool for extending runway and minimizing dilution. Marshall also shares candid insights on team dynamics, execution, and how the venture lending landscape has evolved in the wake of SVB’s collapse.

They explore what great lenders look for, how founders should evaluate financing options, and why building strong relationships with capital partners is just as important as raising the money itself.

Chapters:

00:00 The Role of Banks in Venture Debt

01:34 Introduction to Venture Debt Deals

04:03 The Journey to Authorship

09:07 History and Evolution of Venture Lending

12:22 Understanding Venture Debt

17:49 The Underwriting Process in Venture Debt

21:44 When to Use Venture Debt

25:19 Evaluating Team Dynamics

29:33 The Importance of Team Functionality

36:31 Case Study: Airbnb’s Success

46:03 The Impact of SVB’s Failure

51:26 Conclusion and Book Release

Watch now to understand how venture debt really works, what founders often get wrong about it, and how the best teams use capital as a strategic advantage — not a crutch.

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