Tech Scenes with Jeff James Martin · 2026-01-14 · 56 min
“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.
Tech Scenes Unplugged with Brian Wang61 / 100
Tech Scenes Santa Barbara with Ryan Millner CEO and Cofounder of Unwrap
Tech Scenes Malibu Canyon with Casey Allen of Enterprise Rising
Tech Scenes Beverly Hills with Peter Brack
Tech Scenes Unplugged with Cody Bardo, CEO and Co-founder of Trust & Will