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Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Welcome to another episode of Venture Unlocked. In this episode, I had the pleasure of welcoming Villi Iltchev, founder and managing partner of Category Ventures. Villi has had a long history in tech, both in operating roles at companies like Box and Lifelock, as well as investing roles at August Capital and Two Sigma, where he departed in 2024 to launch Category Ventures.
We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, including his inspiration for starting a new firm and the experiences that informed his true north. We also spoke about the fragmentation of the market and what it means to win in early-stage investing in a heavily crowded market of dedicated seed funds & larger funds who are active in see and Series A. I really enjoyed the authenticity of the conversation and hope you do as well.
About Villi Iltchev
Villi Iltchev is the Founder and Managing Partner of Category Ventures, an early-stage venture firm focused on backing category-defining enterprise software companies. With over two decades of experience as both an operator and investor, Villi has held leadership roles at Box, LifeLock, and Salesforce, where he led investments and acquisitions in companies like HubSpot, MuleSoft, Gusto, and Zapier. As a General Partner at August Capital and later at Two Sigma Ventures, he backed standout startups like GitLab—turning a $20M investment into over $900M in returns. Originally from Bulgaria, Villi brings a global perspective and a founder-first mindset to every partnership.
Category Ventures is an early-stage venture firm founded in 2024 by veteran investor Villi Iltchev, focused on backing category-defining enterprise software startups. With a $160M debut fund, the firm invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies across infrastructure, dev tools, AI, and applications. Drawing on Iltchev’s track record—including early investments in GitLab, Zapier, and Gusto—Category Ventures brings deep technical and go-to-market expertise to help founders build enduring businesses. Their approach centers on hands-on support and founder-first partnership to shape the future of enterprise software.
In this episode, we discuss:
* Villi’s Background and Journey (1:50)
* Lessons from Venture Capital Firms (5:35)
* Market Fragmentation in Venture Capital (8:47)
* Flexible Investment Strategy (12:24)
* Challenges with Traditional VC Models (13:26)
* Product Market Fit and Founder Support (17:35)
* Counterpoints on Large VC Firms (21:40)
* Winning in Venture Capital (24:07)
* Kindness and Community (26:24)
* Components of Success (30:00)
* Decision-Making Process (33:21)
* Intellectual Honesty in Investments (36:16)
* The Role of Fresh Perspectives (40:08)
* Acting on Great Ideas and Final Thoughts (42:27)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Villi. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Today, I sat down with Victor Lazarte, a Benchmark partner who transitioned from founding a billion-dollar mobile gaming company in Brazil to becoming a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley with Benchmark in 2023. Victor shared Benchmark's unique investment philosophy, which focuses on deep, meaningful partnerships with entrepreneurs, with each partner doing only 1-2 deals per year.
We also spoke about the equal partnership Benchmark has, and what that means in practice day to day from a decision making and culture standpoint. This was a fun one so hope you enjoy!
Throughout our conversation, Victor provided a nuanced perspective on company building, technological innovation, and the evolving role of venture capital in bringing transformative ideas to market.
About Victor Lazarte
Victor Lazarte is a General Partner at Benchmark, a renowned venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology investments. With a background in entrepreneurship and investing, Victor brings deep operational expertise and a founder-first mindset to supporting high-growth startups.
Before joining Benchmark, Victor co-founded Wildlife Studios, one of the world’s largest mobile gaming companies, where he helped scale the business to global success. His experience in building and leading companies gives him a unique perspective on product development, scaling operations, and long-term strategy.
Victor is passionate about partnering with visionary founders to build category-defining companies. He holds a degree in engineering and is committed to fostering innovation across industries.
Benchmark is a leading venture capital firm specializing in early-stage technology investments. Known for its hands-on, founder-first approach, Benchmark partners with entrepreneurs to build transformative companies across industries like software, marketplaces, and infrastructure. The firm operates with a unique equal partnership structure, ensuring deep collaboration and long-term commitment to its portfolio companies. With a track record of backing iconic startups such as Uber, Twitter, eBay, and Snap, Benchmark continues to be a trusted partner for ambitious founders looking to scale breakthrough ideas into world-class businesses.
Timestamps:
In this episode, we discuss:
* Victor's Background and Journey (1:29)
* Wildlife Studios and Its Growth (3:59)
* Bootstrapping Success (6:53)
* Understanding Venture Capital (9:48)
* Benchmark's Unique Model (12:17)
* Decision-Making in Venture Capital (17:05)
* Open-Minded Yet Disagreeable (20:29)
* Benchmark's Equal Partnership Model (22:20)
* Dynamic of Disagreement (25:24)
* Betting on the Jockey (30:38)
* Adapting to Changing Environments (34:59)
* Providing Value to Entrepreneurs (37:14)
* The Current AI Technology Shift (39:26)
* Identifying Fast-Improving AI Areas (42:04)
* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (44:33)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Victor. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #venture unlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Had a great conversation recently with Tomasz Tunguz Founder and General Partner at Theory Ventures. We dug into how AI is reshaping venture capital and everyday life, from the rapid advancements in the space to what it all means for startups and the broader market. We covered everything from the declining cost of training AI models to the open vs. closed-source debate and how enterprises are starting to adopt AI in real ways. A really insightful discussion—hope you enjoy it.
About Tomasz Tunguz
Tomasz Tunguz is the Founder of Theory Ventures, where he invests in early-stage technology companies with a focus on SaaS, data infrastructure, and machine learning. Renowned for his deep analytical insights and data-driven approach to venture capital, Tomasz helps founders navigate growth, product-market fit, and scaling challenges.
Prior to founding Theory Ventures, Tomasz was a Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures, where he led investments in several high-growth software companies. He is widely recognized for his blog on SaaS metrics, startups, and venture capital, which serves as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs and investors alike.
Tomasz holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from Dartmouth College. His passion for technology, strategy, and helping companies succeed has made him a respected voice in the venture capital community.
Theory Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in transformative technology companies across sectors like SaaS, data infrastructure, AI, and machine learning. Founded by Tomasz Tunguz, Theory Ventures combines deep analytical expertise with a founder-first approach, providing hands-on support to help startups achieve product-market fit, scale operations, and drive long-term growth. The firm is committed to backing visionary entrepreneurs who are building the next generation of technology solutions, offering both capital and strategic guidance to turn bold ideas into successful businesses.
Timestamps:
In this episode, we discuss:
* AI's Impact (1:18)
* Cost Reduction in AI Training (2:18)
* Impact of DeepSeek on Market Dynamics (5:01)
* Open Source vs. Closed Source AI (10:57)
* Enterprise Decision-Making in AI (13:19)
* Defensibility of AI Applications (17:27)
* Efficiency in Growing Companies (21:01)
* The Path to AGI (25:46)
* Impact of AI on Labor Market (28:58)
* Excitement and Concerns About AI (30:55)
* Non-Consensus Views on AI and Final Thoughts (33:29)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Tomasz Tunguz.
Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @SamirKaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We recently had the pleasure of hosting Zal Bilimoria, Co-Founder of Refactor Capital. Zal has had a fascinating career from building products at Microsoft, Google, Netflix, and LinkedIn to making the leap into being a VC. His story is one of relentless curiosity and a deep passion for technology, something that started early in his life while working in his family’s computer business.
In our discussion, Zal walked us through his transition from product management to venture, his time at Andreessen Horowitz, and what ultimately led him to launch Refactor Capital. As a solo GP, he’s taken a unique approach to investing, navigating the challenges of fundraising while staying laser-focused on backing founders tackling complex, high-impact problems. We covered everything from the evolution of his investing philosophy to the importance of founder relationships and how he thinks about the future of life sciences and technology.
About Zal Bilimoria
Zal Bilimoria is the Founding Partner of Refactor Capital, a venture firm investing at the intersection of life sciences, technology, and sustainability. With a background in both software and healthcare, Zal brings a unique domain expertise and lens to investing. Before launching Refactor, originally with his partner David Lee, he was a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he focused on emerging technologies.
This was a fun conversation—if you're interested in what it takes to build a venture firm from scratch, how product thinking translates into investing, or where the future of innovation is headed, this episode is a must-listen.
Timestamps:
Topics in this conversation include:
* Zal's Early Life and Background (2:00)
* Career in Product Management (3:06)
* Starting Refactor Capital (6:03)
* Challenges of Starting a New Firm (9:36)
* Portfolio Construction Strategies (13:12)
* Solo GP Model (18:06)
* Advice on Hiring Associates (20:12)
* Fund Size Philosophy (24:32)
* Investment Entry Points (28:34)
* Return Model Considerations (32:04)
* Understanding Ownership Thresholds (36:31)
* Market Influence on Investments (38:44)
* Navigating Investor Relationships (41:08)
* Quick Decision-Making with LPs (43:25)
* Parting Thoughts and Future Outlook (46:32)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Zal Bilimoria.
Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #venture unlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Ascher, a veteran venture capitalist at Venrock, a firm with a storied history dating back to 1969 as part of the Rockefeller family office. Brian, with nearly 30 years in the industry, shared his journey from product management at Intuit to becoming a key partner at Venrock. We dove into the firm's evolution, investment strategies, and decision-making processes, highlighting how Venrock maintains its edge as it evolves.
About Brian Ascher:
Brian Ascher is a Partner at Venrock where he focuses on early-stage investments in enterprise software, SaaS, and consumer internet companies. With a deep passion for partnering with visionary founders, Brian is known for helping businesses scale through strategic growth, operational insights, and innovation.
Since joining Venrock in 1998, Brian has played a pivotal role in numerous successful investments, including Vocera, 6sense, Personal Capital, and Inrix. His expertise spans go-to-market strategies, product positioning, and building high-performing teams.
Topics in this conversation include:
* Brian’s Career Journey (1:34)
* The Evolution of Venture Capital (6:25)
* Venrock’s Decision-Making Model (10:09)
* Balancing Investment Decisions and Team Dynamics (14:42)
* Empowered Accountability in Deal Decisions (20:44)
* Cultural Norms in Venture Capital (22:38)
* Investment Strategy and Risk Management (25:12)
* Portfolio Construction and Returns (30:22)
* Opportunity Funds vs. Core Funds (33:01)
* Adapting to AI's Impact on Investment (36:15)
* Advice for Aspiring VCs (41:28)
* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (43:48)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Brian Ascher.
Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
In this episode, I have the pleasure of conversing with Gaurav Mathur, Partner at Pinegrove Capital Partners. Together, we dive into the evolving venture capital landscape, focusing on liquidity solutions and the rise of secondary markets. Gaurav shares insights from his extensive experience, discussing the growth in assets under management, the trend of companies staying private longer, and the changing dynamics for limited partners. We explore mechanisms for generating liquidity, such as continuation funds, strip sales, and secondary tenders, emphasizing the importance of alignment between general partners and limited partners.
About Gaurav Mathur and Pinegrove:
Gaurav Mathur is a Partner at Pinegrove Capital Partners. Gaurav Mathur is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience in investment banking and venture capital. In 2023, he co-founded Pinegrove with Brian Laibow through the backing of a $500 million commitment from Sequoia Heritage and Brookfield.
THE ORG
Prior to founding Pinegrove, Gaurav spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division, leading the US Equity Private Markets. He began his career at PwC in the Dispute Analysis & Investigations Group. Gaurav holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Commerce from the University of Virginia.Pinegrove Capital Partners is a venture investment platform that offers tailored solutions for fund managers, founders, and limited partners within the venture capital ecosystem. Their expertise includes fund of funds, venture debt funds, venture secondaries, and co-investments.
With combined assets under management exceeding $10 billion, Pinegrove is supported by sponsors such as Sequoia Heritage and Brookfield Asset Management. In May 2024, an affiliate of Pinegrove, backed by these sponsors, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SVB Capital, the investment platform business of SVB Financial Group. This transaction was completed in September 2024.
Topics in this conversation include:
* Growth of AUM in Venture Capital (3:53)
* Data-Driven Insights on Liquidity (6:11)
* Private Markets Growth Forecast (11:03)
* Mechanisms for Generating Liquidity (17:00)
* Alignment in Continuation Structures (21:28)
* Sizing Continuation Funds (29:44)
* Exploring Strip Sales (31:36)
* NAV Lending as a Liquidity Tool (34:00)
* Growth of Liquidity Solutions (37:35)
* Technology's Role in Liquidity (41:14)
* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (45:55)
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Gaurav Mathur. Follow me @samirkaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked.
If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Today I’m excited to speak with the founding team of Chemistry, a new venture firm led by Kristina Shen, Ethan Kurzweil, and Mark Goldberg, who recently spun-out of blue chip firms Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer, and Index Ventures, respectively. The firm just announced a significantly oversubscribed $350MM debut fund.
As a new entrant to the market (in the toughest time to start a new firm in over a decade), I wanted to ask them about their blueprint for building a firm, including how they chose to partner up and the work they did beforehand, LP strategies and selection, and what they felt was their unique reason to exist in a highly competitive market.
About Kristina Shen
Kristina Shen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Chemistry Ventures, overseeing a $350M fund focused on early-stage software investments.
Formerly a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (2019-2024), she led significant investments in Mux, Pave, Wrapbook, and Rutter. Kristina specialized in high-growth startups.
She began her venture career as a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners (2013-2019), working with companies such as Gainsight, Instructure, and ServiceTitan. Previously, she worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, focusing on technology sectors.
About Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Chemistry Ventures since, investing in seed and Series A software startups. Previously, a Partner at Index Ventures (2015-2023), he worked with companies such as Plaid, Pilot, Intercom, and Motive, establishing a strong fintech and software portfolio.
Prior to Index, Mark worked at Dropbox in Business Strategy & Operations and Strategic Finance (2013-2015), where he contributed to growth strategies during Dropbox’s scaling phase.
He started his career as an Analyst at Morgan Stanley (2007-2010) before joining Hudson Clean Energy as a Senior Associate. Mark holds an AB in International Relations from Brown University.
About Ethan Kurzweil
Ethan Kurzweil is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Chemistry Ventures, leading investments at the seed stage for tech-driven startups. He also serves as a board member for companies like Intercom and LaunchDarkly.
Previously, Ethan was a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners (2008-2024), where he worked with companies such as HashiCorp, Twilio, and Twitch. His focus on software and digital platforms spanned roles as board member and investor, contributing to significant IPOs and acquisitions.
Early in his career, Ethan worked in business development at Linden Lab (creators of Second Life) and served as a Senior Manager in the CEO’s Office at Dow Jones. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Economics from Stanford University.
In this episode, we discuss:
* (01:43): Importance of Team Chemistry and Partnership Formation
* (03:27): Challenges of Building a Firm in the Current Environment
* (08:00): Unique Value Proposition for Early-Stage Founders
* (10:18): Early-Stage Focus and Differentiation from Large VC Firms
* (16:12): Fundraising Insights and LP Relationship Building
* (19:00): Choosing Aligned LPs and Targeting Long-Term Partnerships
* (27:23): Single-Trigger Investment Decision-Making Model
* (30:12): Balancing Conviction with Collaborative Feedback
* (35:23): Independent Decision-Making for Follow-On Investments
* (39:19): Personal Contrarian Beliefs about the Venture Industry
* (42:18): Closing Remarks on Building a New Venture Franchise
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Kristina, Mark, and Ethan. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
In this episode, Sam Heshmati and Vince Timoney from Citizens Private Bank stop by to talk about all things venture banking and how the industry is recovering from the 2023 regional banking crisis.
Sam and Vince, both of whom have extensive experience in the banking sector, share their insights on the challenges faced during this period, including the impact on startups and venture funds. They also discuss the significant changes in the banking industry since the crisis, such as the increased cost of capital, the fragmentation of fund banking services, and the shift in how banks serve emerging managers and venture capital firms.
The conversation provides a detailed look at the current landscape of banking for the venture ecosystem and how Citizens Private Bank is positioning itself to help clients navigate these challenges.
About Sam Heshmati:Sam Heshmati is an Executive Managing Director at Citizens Private Bank, heading the emerging VC and innovation practice. Previously, he co-founded and led programs serving the VC and tech community, cultivating and managing relationships with some of the nation’s top emerging managers, accelerators and entrepreneurs at the former First Republic Bank. He has over 21 years of experience in the technology ecosystem, serving clients not only as a banker, but as trusted partner with the expertise needed to help navigate important decisions within this space. Over his career, he has worked with more than 1000 early-stage VC firms and several thousand venture-backed startups. Prior to joining First Republic Bank in 2012, he spent 10 years as a tech banker at Silicon Valley Bank and Square 1 Bank. He earned a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University.
About Vincent Timoney:Vincent Timoney is a Senior Managing Director at Citizens Private Bank, serving the fund finance and innovation economy nationwide. He has more than 12 years of experience working with VCs in business development, sales, lending and relationship management roles within the venture capital and technology ecosystem.
In this episode, we discuss:
(01:34) The evolving importance of banking, especially after the events of 2023.
(02:16) Banking Crisis of 2023 triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank.
(04:00) The impact of Silicon Valley Bank on the venture ecosystem and the rapid sequence of events leading to its downfall.
(07:00) How the banking industry has changed post-crisis, focusing on client expectations and digital banking.
(08:30) The increase in players in fund banking and the rise in cost of capital.
(12:00) Sam and Vince explain their journey of joining Citizens Private Bank, focusing on safety, stability, and continuing their work in the sector.
(18:00) Challenges faced by emerging managers, including capital call lines and banking needs.
(22:12) The importance of a seamless digital experience.
(28:16) Explanation of management company lines and their use by emerging managers.
(31:00) Advice for emerging managers on managing financial challenges and understanding the economics of running a fund.
(34:00) How technology and APIs are used to enhance banking services and integrate with third-party providers.
(38:00) Importance of offering personalized banking experiences tailored to individual client needs.
(40:00) Value-added services and why banks offer advisory support and strategic guidance.
(45:10) The long-term commitment required to build a successful banking franchise in the venture ecosystem.
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Sam and Vince. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
This week we welcome the three co-founders of Saga Ventures: Ben Braverman, Thomson Nguyen, and Max Altman. Saga Ventures is a seed-stage investment firm that recently closed its first fund of $125M.
The conversation dives into their experiences in raising their first fund, building a team, and navigating a competitive seed-stage market. The co-founders bring unique skill sets from their previous roles in operating and investing, and this episode sheds light on how they strategically combine those skills to differentiate themselves from other firms.
About Ben Braverman
Ben Braverman is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Saga Ventures, a $125M venture capital fund he co-launched in March 2024 alongside Max Altman and Thomson Nguyen. At Saga, Ben focuses on early-stage investments, working with pre-seed and seed-stage companies across various sectors. His background in scaling companies' go-to-market strategies provides valuable insight into helping startups grow efficiently and sustainably.
Before founding Saga Ventures, Ben spent nearly nine years at Flexport, a major player in the logistics space. Starting as Chief Revenue Officer in 2014, he was instrumental in building and scaling Flexport’s global sales and go-to-market teams. Later, as Chief Customer Officer, Ben oversaw customer relationships and corporate development, ensuring the company's growth aligned with customer needs. His final role at Flexport saw him leading Flexport Ventures and Corporate Development, where he focused on the company's strategic investments.
Earlier in his career, Ben held growth and sales leadership positions at startups like URX, which was acquired by Pinterest, and Heyzap, acquired by RNTS Media. He holds a degree from Vassar College and has spent his career helping innovative companies grow through a hands-on approach to business development and customer engagement.
About Thomson Nguyen
Thomson Nguyen is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Saga Ventures, where he has been since March 2024. At Saga, he focuses on early-stage investments in technology-driven companies, drawing on his extensive experience in data science, machine learning, and entrepreneurship. Thomson’s deep technical expertise helps him identify promising startups, especially those at the intersection of technology and business.
Prior to Saga, Thomson founded Nearside, a financial services platform for small businesses, which he led from 2019 until its acquisition by Plastiq in 2022. Before that, he was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Kleiner Perkins and the Head of Capital Data Science at Square, where he managed the data science team responsible for critical business areas like default risk, marketing optimization, and product innovation. His career in fintech is rooted in his work at Framed Data, a startup he founded and later sold to Square.
Thomson started his career as a data scientist at tech companies like Lookout and Causes, where he applied his expertise to user segmentation and predictive analytics. He also has a longstanding academic affiliation with New York University’s Courant Institute, where he continues to contribute to research in machine learning and cybersecurity. Thomson holds degrees in Applied Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley.
About Max Altman
Max Altman is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Saga Ventures, a venture capital fund he helped establish in March 2024. Max focuses on investing in pre-seed and seed-stage companies, working closely with his co-founders to identify and support high-potential startups. His experience as both an investor and operator allows him to bridge the gap between capital and company-building.
Before co-founding Saga Ventures, Max was a Partner at Alt Capital from 2021 to 2024, where he invested in early-stage companies. Prior to that, he held a similar role at Apollo Projects, another investment firm focused on startups. His career as an investor began at Hydrazine Capital, where he worked from 2016 to 2019. During his time there, Max honed his skills in evaluating high-growth tech companies and building meaningful relationships with founders.
Earlier in his career, Max gained operating experience at Zenefits, where he worked in product management, and at Allston Trading as a trader. He also spent time at Microsoft as a program manager. Max holds a degree in Computer Science from Duke University and has built his career by combining his technical background with a passion for early-stage investments.
In this episode, we discuss:
* (01:42) The origin story of Saga Ventures, and how the co-founders decided to join forces. Max Altman shares how the idea of starting a fund came about and why he didn't want to follow a solo GP model
* (03:31) The unique, complementary skill sets the team brings to the table—Ben’s expertise in go-to-market strategy, Thomson’s technical knowledge, and Max’s investor relationships—and how this combination is designed to support early-stage founders
* (04:58) Their hands-on, founder-first approach, focusing on critical areas like product development and initial hires, differentiates Saga from other early-stage firms.
* (06:11) The "reality meter" and the importance of being able to take hard hits as an entrepreneur or venture firm, emphasizing how all three co-founders share this mentality
* (07:50) The team reflects on the challenges of raising their first fund, including dealing with partnership risk, self-awareness, and the difficulties of convincing LPs early on without firm commitments
* (10:02) The careful consideration that went into deciding the fund size of $125M, balancing capital deployment with staying competitive in seed-stage deals.
* (12:00) Their fundraising process, the strategic decisions involved, and the importance of securing anchor investors before taking meetings with LPs.
* (15:19) What LPs are looking for in early-stage venture firms and the role of partnership risk in their decision-making process
* (17:33) Why their shared vision and complementary skill sets have aligned them for long-term success as a team, along with their commitment to focusing on specific sectors like fintech and infrastructure
* (19:22) The importance of having a clear value-add for founders beyond capital, and the importance of storytelling and salesmanship in early-stage companies
* (23:25) The internal decision-making process at Saga, how the partners determine which deals to pursue, and the dynamics of reaching consensus when choosing investments
* (26:45) Patience and long-term thinking are critical when evaluating deals, and how they ensure they don’t rush into investments just for fear of missing out
* (28:19) The importance of founder resilience and self-awareness, noting that the best founders are those who can attract talent and navigate through difficult times
* (30:00) Why salesmanship and charisma are critical qualities in founders, as startup leadership often requires convincing others to join and invest in challenging ventures
* (32:00) The team discusses their approach to sourcing and winning deals in a highly competitive market, focusing on the importance of building trust and delivering consistent value to founders.
* (34:05) Max talks about the significance of being the first firm to back companies and how they collaborate with other VCs to co-lead investments.
* (36:45) Being transparent and responsive to founders creates lasting relationships, even when they pass on deals
* (38:04) How they measure success internally at Saga Ventures, focusing on inputs such as responsiveness and the strength of founder relationships, while understanding that long-term results will take years to evaluate
* (41:00) Key lessons from the fundraising process, stressing the importance of clarity when positioning their fund to LPs and being patient in closing commitments
* (43:25) How the venture landscape has evolved over the past 18 years, highlighting the increasing competition and the need for VCs to be highly self-aware and strategic when entering deals
* (45:40) Building a venture firm requires a long-term mindset, much like running a successful company
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Glenn. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Today we're thrilled to be joined by Glenn Solomon, managing partner at Notable Capital. Along with Granite Asia, Notable Capital was one of two groups to emerge from GGV Capital, which recently split into two groups with Notable based in Silicon Valley, New York, and covering companies in the U. S., Israel, Europe, and Latin America.
Glenn brings nearly 30 years of venture experience to the table, and it was great to draw from his insights in investing, building firms, and working with high performing teams.
About Glenn Solomon:Glenn Solomon is the Managing Partner at Notable Capital. He focuses on investing in early to growth-stage companies across different sectors, including cloud infrastructure and business applications. He also serves on the boards of several companies, such as HashiCorp, Opendoor.com, and Orca Security.
Before joining Notable, Glenn was a General Partner at Partech International from 1997 to 2006, where he worked on technology investments. Earlier in his career, he was an associate at SPO Partners from 1993 to 1995 and started as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs from 1991 to 1993.
Glenn Solomon earned his MBA and BA from Stanford University.
In this episode, we discuss:
(01:42) Glenn’s journey from playing tennis at Stanford to discovering a passion for technology and investing
(02:44) A pivotal moment when encountering the internet for the first time, which sparked a deeper interest in technology
(04:06) The transition from Partech International to joining Granite Global Ventures in the mid-2000s
(05:03) The appeal of GGV's global perspective and innovative approach in venture capital
(07:48) The early strategy at GGV, focusing on differentiation in the venture space
(09:01) The necessity of adapting to the evolving nature of the industry
(10:29) The rebranding to Notable Capital and the strategic decisions following the split from GGV’s Asia team
(12:39) The guiding principles at Notable Capital, emphasizing the importance of speed and maintaining a sector-focused strategy
(15:19) An example of a recent deal showcasing how the firm’s flat structure empowers all team members to contribute significantly
(17:33) Staying focused on specific sectors and building a strong support platform for portfolio companies
(23:25) Engaging with CSOs and CDOs to maintain an edge in cybersecurity and data sectors.
(27:00) Discusses the importance of resourcefulness in venture capital and how they assess this quality during interviews.
(36:31) Advice on being a successful VC, stressing the critical role of building strong, lasting relationships
(39:30) Success in venture capital fundamentally relies on working with exceptional people
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Glenn. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Ben Sun, co-founder of Primary, a seed-stage fund based in New York. Ben shares his journey from investment banking to startup founder, and eventually to co-founding Primary, which has backed companies like Coupang and Jet.
Ben provides deep insights into venture math and the intricacies of completing a GP-led secondary. He discusses his background and the inspiration behind starting Primary in 2015. Ben talks about the challenges he faced as a founder and the importance of truly understanding the business as a VC. He explains Primary's hands-on approach, emphasizing the need for a high seed-to-A graduation rate and how their impact team supports portfolio companies.
The conversation covers the metrics used to measure success and the importance of waiting for the right investment opportunities. Ben explores the changing landscape of venture capital, strategies for finding alpha and generating returns, and the importance of sector specialization and deep sector expertise. He also touches on deal flow challenges at the seed stage and the role of incubations in lowering the cost basis.
So many great nuggets in this episode, enjoy!
About Ben Sun:Ben is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Primary. Forbes' Midas List ranks him as one of the top 100 tech investors in the world. His founder-first approach originates from having been one: His experiences cofounding Community Connect, one of the first social networking companies, and LaunchTime, an incubator, inform how he supports founders in the portfolio.
Ben focuses his investing activities on primarily consumer-facing companies. Ben has been active in the NYC tech community for over 20 years. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur and investor, Ben worked at Merrill Lynch in the Technology Investment Banking Group, but he really began his career at the age of eight when he worked in his parents’ Chinese restaurant.
In this episode, we discuss:
(01:21) Journey from investment banking to founding Primary Ventures.
(03:45) Starting Primary Ventures and focusing on seed-stage investments in New York.
(04:12) Emphasis on being hands-on and aligning with founders.
(06:34) Roles and functions of the impact team at Primary Ventures.
(10:00) Measuring success through surveys and key performance indicators
(13:23) The importance of choosing the right investment opportunities and achieving high graduation rates from seed to series A
(22:00) How partners wait for the right pitch using an internal rubric
(26:57) Benefits of sector specialization, with a focus on fintech expertise
(35:00) Strategies for maintaining a low-cost basis and navigating market fluctuations, including secondary sales
(41:00) GP-led secondaries and benefits of providing liquidity to limited partners
(49:00) Advice for new venture capitalists: support founders and develop a long-term strategy
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Lindel. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
This week I'm excited to sit down with Lindel Eakman from Foundry. Lindel has been an investor in funds and companies since the early 2000s when he started at UTIMCO.
In our conversation, Lindel talks about being one of the first investors in Union Square Ventures, his preference for smaller partnerships, and the art of conducting quality reference calls on GPs. Having known each other for a while, our chat felt like a fun and casual water cooler conversation about the venture capital world.
About Lindel Eakman:Lindel Eakman is a partner at Foundry, where he focuses on early-stage investing. Since joining in 2015, Lindel has been active across the portfolio, working closely with partner funds and leading new direct investments. He is known for his humble and supportive approach, valuing the hard work of founders.
Before Foundry, Lindel managed the private investment program at the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) from 2002 to 2015. At UTIMCO, he built the venture capital program and invested in firms like IA Ventures, True Ventures, Union Square Ventures, and Foundry.
Lindel began his career in finance at KPMG in the M&A Tax Practice from 1997 to 2001 and then worked as a Corporate Finance Associate at Stephens, Inc. in 2002. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and a BBA in Accounting and Finance from Texas Christian University. He is a CPA and a CFA charter holder.
In this episode, we discuss:
(01:14) Early Career and Union Square Ventures and moving to Foundry
(03:00) Investment Philosophy and Strategy
(04:28) The value of partnering with emerging managers
(05:55) Selecting GPs and Making Investment Decisions
(10:30) The Current Venture Market Landscape in 2024.
(13:00) Challenges and Opportunities for New Managers
(17:00) Future of Venture Capital
(21:00) Importance of People in Venture
(25:00) Secondaries and Liquidity Opportunities
(29:00) The importance of evaluating partnership dynamics in emerging managers
(33:00) Best practices for conducting reference checks.
(37:00) How virtual interactions affect partnership assessments and fundraising
(42:00) Advice for new managers on constructing a venture portfolio, focusing on sectors and small funds
(47:00) Role of Large Funds in a Venture Portfolio
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Lindel. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Tom Loverro, General Partner at IVP is our guest as part of our Venture Unlocked Shorts series intended to go deep on a single topic.
We revisit Tom’s Twitter post from early 2023, which spoke to the market shift that was in motion and the difficulties start-ups would face in a capital-constrained market. Specifically, he spoke about 2024 as being a time of reckoning for many companies that were built with growth at all costs mentality.
We went through that original post, and what’s transpired since then, including why it’s time for well-positioned startups to go on offense again.
Tom brought a lot of interesting insights for founders and VCs alike, so we hope you enjoy the episode.
About Tom Loverro:Tom Loverro is a General Partner at IVP in Menlo Park, California, where he focuses on investing in enterprise software and fintech companies. Since joining IVP in 2015, he has served as a Board Director or Observer for several companies, including Attentive, NerdWallet, Paper, Podium, Skydio, and TaxBit. He has also co-led investments in Amplitude, Datadog, GitHub, IEX, OnDeck, and Tanium.
Prior to IVP, Tom was a Principal at RRE Ventures, focusing on early and mid-stage startups, and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Lightbank. He also served as Senior Director of Product Marketing at Drobo, Inc., and began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs within the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Group.
Tom holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, with concentrations in Finance, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. He earned a BA in Political Science and History from Stanford University.
In this episode, we discuss:
(01:37) - Discussion on Tom's Twitter post from January 2023 and its context
(02:09) - Tom's insights on the shift from a zero interest rate environment
(02:59) - The concept of a mass extinction event for startups in 2023-2024
(03:31) - Comparison with the Great Financial Crisis and its impact on startups
(04:01) - The role of venture excess in 2021 and its aftermath
(05:00) - Discussion on venture fund deployment and its impact on startups
(06:49) - Dry powder theory and its implications on startup funding
(07:49) - Insights on current market conditions and startup valuations
(09:14) - Strategies startups adopted in response to market conditions
(10:27) - The three archetypes of startups in the post-2021 era
(13:18) - Observations on fundraising challenges and potential outcomes for startups
(14:48) - Impact of LP capital dynamics on venture funding
(16:34) - The evolving role of private equity in acquiring tech startups
(18:09) - Comparison of venture fund impacts on early and late-stage investors
(21:30) - Discussion on the IPO market and its high bar for startups
(24:19) - The broader ecosystem of liquidity options for startups today
(25:41) - Tom's recent post on shifting from defensive to offensive strategies
(28:47) - Characteristics of startups that should consider going on offense
(30:00) - Importance of survival, product-market fit, and unit economics for startups
(31:50) - Potential exogenous events and their impact on market predictions
(34:00) - Tom's advice to founders on acting with conviction
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Tom. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We're re-joined by Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate, this time to discuss his just released new book "Pattern Breakers."
Mike was first on the pod in 2021 and it was great to catch up again, this time to discuss the importance of identifying founders who are true pattern breakers. We spoke about how his observations on the last 14 years at Floodgate inspired him to write the book.
We went through concepts such as founder-future fit, the winning formula of inflections and insights, and his experience that 80% of their returns have been from companies with some major insight or pivot.
You can find Mike's book "Pattern Breakers" and additional insights on his substack at patternbreakers.substack.com.
About Mike Maples, Jr.:Mike Maples, Jr. is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship.
Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (IPO TIVS, acquired by IBM) and Motive (IPO MOTV, acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.)
Some of Mike’s investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, ngmoco, Chegg, Bazaarvoice, and Demandforce.
Mike is known for coining the term “Thunder Lizards,” which is a metaphor derived from Godzilla that describes the tiny number of truly exceptional companies that are wildly disruptive capitalist mutations. Mike likes to think of himself as a hunter of the “atomic eggs” that beget these companies.
Mike is the host of the Pattern Breakers podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers.
In this episode, we discuss:
(02:00) The story behind writing "Pattern Breakers" and the investment in Twitch and the importance of pivots
(04:07) Insights from returns on pivots and major insider pivots
(05:02) The concept of founder-future fit and initial skepticism
(07:04) The inflection point of Twitch pivoting from Justin.tv
(10:28) Authenticity and insights in startup founders
(14:32) The role of pattern recognition in startup success
(16:24) Creating movements and attracting early believers
(21:12) Importance of inflection points in startup success
(25:00) Non-obvious inflection points and backcasting
(29:52) The formula of inflection plus insight
(32:00) Non-consensus and right: key to venture success
(34:52) Venture capital and risk-taking
(38:00) Inflections and protecting unconventional ideas
(41:00) Patience as a form of arbitrage in venture investing
(45:00) Insights from Annie Duke on decision-making in venture capital
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Mike. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We're joined by TX Zhuo, Co-Founder and General Partner of Fika Ventures. His tech career began in college when he started an online textbook marketplace.
After working at McKinsey and as a CFO at an operating company, TX joined Innovation Endeavors. He then co-founded Karlin Ventures, which was backed by a single family office. In 2016, he co-founded Fika Ventures, which now has a 10-person team and has raised three funds.
During the pod, we discussed the culture needed to run a successful VC firm, how they've thought about innovation, LP fundraising as a first-time fund, and how they think about valuation methodology.
About TX Zhuo:TX Zhuo is a General Partner at Fika Ventures, a boutique seed fund in Los Angeles investing in data, AI, and automation technologies. He co-founded Fika Ventures in August 2016 and has been dedicated to solving systemic problems through innovative platforms ever since.
Prior to this, he was the Managing Partner at Karlin Ventures from 2012 to 2016, focusing on early-stage investments in various sectors including education technology, digital media, and healthcare. Before Karlin Ventures, TX worked at Innovation Endeavors from October 2010 to May 2012, managing deal screening and outreach initiatives. He also served as the CFO of Lit Motors, an electric vehicle startup, after his tenure at McKinsey & Company from August 2008 to August 2010, where he contributed to financial services and consumer goods projects. TX's entrepreneurial journey began in college when he founded and successfully sold an online textbook marketplace, EMT Alliance, which had significant sales and a cost-efficient distribution center in India.
He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Economics from Wesleyan University.
In this episode we discuss:
(01:32) TX Zhuo’s Path to Venture Capital(03:04) Inspired by his own experiences and wanted to create a more institutional platform with Fika Ventures, focusing on supporting seed-stage entrepreneurs with a peer-like approach(05:12) The importance of being founder-first and not imposing advice, adopting a humble approach when communicating with founders(07:14) The difficulties raising the first fund, pitching to 700 investors to get 105 commitments, and learned the importance of storytelling and perseverance(12:49) Radical transparency and conservative financial prudence with LPs, focusing on over-communicating and being proactive about potential issues(16:14) The need to focus on high-impact areas like customer introductions, talent, and follow-on investors, emphasizing trust and being an extension of the management team(19:22) Why TX conducts an expectation-setting exercise early in the relationship with founders, focusing on under-promising and over-delivering to maintain trust and satisfaction(22:39) Navigating 2021's Rapid Fundraising Environment(25:09) How to handle tough conversations with Founders(27:56) Fika’s unique advisor model the uses 73 advisors to support functional and domain-specific needs, and created the Fika Fellows program to up-level senior hires within portfolio companies(34:15) How Fika uses a pod system for focused research and decision-making, requiring a high bar of consensus and a structured voting system for investment decisions(31:39) Why TX screens for a service mentality and resourcefulness in new hires, ensuring they align with Fika's values and ethos through practical evaluations and interactions with current founders(37:43) TX’s Advice for Aspiring VCs: the importance of consistency in approach and team cohesion, advocating for treating every entrepreneur consistently and building a strong, unified brand(39:13) The importance of a consistent experience for entrepreneurs interacting with Fika, valuing a strong apprenticeship model and internal trust among team members.
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with TX. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We are back with another LP-focused episode with Michael Kim, Founder of Cendana Capital. Michael shares how he started Cendana around his thesis (at the time very early) of backing small, emerging managers. This led to early investments in firms such as IA ventures, Forerunner, and Lerer Hippeau.
During our discussion, we chatted about what qualities he’s seen in great emerging managers as well as his thoughts on portfolio construction.
We also get into the challenges of raising funds today and why the secondary market will a critical component of venture moving forward.
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About Michael Kim:Michael Kim is the Founder of Cendana Capital, a San Francisco-based firm that specializes in investing in very early-stage VC funds globally. Founded in 2010, Cendana Capital has over $2B in AUM.
Prior to Cendana, Michael served as a General Partner at Rustic Canyon Partners where he contributed to the firm's growth and investment strategies. He also was a Board Member of the San Francisco Employees' Retirement System (SFERS), and an Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley focusing on Technology M&A.
Michael holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, an MSFS in International Economics from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, and an AB in International Relations from Cornell University. Michael is a founding board member of the Wikimedia endowment, which supports Wikipedia.
In this episode, we discuss:
(02:49) Michael’s time at Morgan Stanley's tech M&A group in the 90s
(04:11) Cendana’s launch and how it took two years to raise the first fund
(06:16) Seed stage investing has become like early stage venture.
(07:07) The importance of fund managers getting large ownership early
(09:50) Why grit, determination, and hustle are crucial and domain expertise and contrarian thinking are vital
(12:00) Pre-seed is the new seed and rounds have gotten bigger
(14:00) High integrity fund managers need 12-15% ownership
(16:12) Pre-seed managers work with potential entrepreneurs before they start a company
(18:00) Founders now raise more initially for a longer runway
(20:00) How fund size affects ownership and return potential
(23:00) Why smaller funds often outperform larger ones
(25:17) What changes when making the leap from small to large checks
(27:00) The importance of network strength for fund managers' success
(33:00) Fund managers need to explain their investment decisions well
(37:15) Fund managers need to be flexible but transparent
(39:00) The importance of trust and transparency for long-term relationships.
(42:00) Seed funds are best positioned for secondaries
(45:21) The potential rise in secondary market deals
(48:00) Tourist fund managers have mostly exited the market
(50:00) The next few years should be great for venture investments
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Michael. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We are back with Amy Saper, partner at Uncork Capital. Amy shares her journey from Silicon Valley operator at Twitter and Stripe to venture capitalist. She talks about Uncork’s strategy, including its recent $200 million seed fund and $200 million opportunity fund, and how the firm balances growth with specialization.
Investors will find her perspective on non-consensus investing particularly compelling, as she outlines how she evaluates technical teams and market potential. Successful founders attract and develop talent. Finally, she reflects on her move to Uncork and shares her key learnings as an institutional investor.
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About Amy Saper:Amy Saper is a Partner at Uncork Capital, where she invests in seed-stage B2B SaaS, API-first, and fintech companies. Previously, she spent four years as an early-stage partner at Accel where she led seed and Series A investments in companies such as Gamma, Beam, Complete, and Sprinter Health.
Prior to her venture career, she worked at Stripe, Uber, and Twitter launching products, business lines and new markets, in product marketing, product management, business development and international expansion roles.
She received her BS and MBA from Stanford University.
In this episode, we discuss:
(02:27) Amy discusses her background, including her experience at Twitter, Stripe, and her transition to venture capital
(08:00) Joining Uncork Capital, the firm's history, and the recent funds they have raised
(09:14) Comparing the culture of a firm with that of a startup and discusses the importance of sticking to the core focus
(15:17) How Uncork Capital decided on its fund strategy and the balance they struck between fund size and being lead investors
(18:28) Product market fit in Venture firm and how she delivers value to founders
(24:27) How constraints can foster creativity and the importance of staying focused in a capital-constrained market
(28:49) The challenges startups face in raising Series A funding and the importance of balancing focus and growth.
(34:37) Non-Consensus investing and what she looks for in founders
(37:17) The importance of a founder's ability to attract and develop talent and shares her thoughts on whether this can be learned
(42:13) What attracted her to Uncork Capital and how the team dynamics influenced her decision
(45:40) The one thing she knows now that she wishes she knew when she started investing
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Amy. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
Today we have another version of Venture Unlocked shorts, and this time it will be focused on topics within the GP/LP world.
Joining me again is Meghan Reynolds, who leads capital formation at Altimeter Capital.
This time we discuss the significant liquidity challenges in the venture capital market, focusing on the concerns of LPs about funding future capital calls and the longer wait times for returns. With a decline in public offerings and exits, LPs and GPs are now turning to alternative strategies such as strip sales and GP-led secondaries. We highlight the need for GPs to establish clear liquidity management as the dynamics of the industry continue to change.
If you’re a VC investor, then I’m sure you already know about Sydecar, the go-to platform for emerging VCs to manage their SPVs and funds. Sydecar is on a mission to make private markets more accessible, transparent, and liquid by standardizing how investment vehicles are created and executed. Their powerful software allows VCs to launch SPVs and funds instantaneously, track funding in real time, and offer hassle-free opportunities for early liquidity.
Whether you’re syndicating your first or fiftieth deal, Sydecar acts as your silent operating partner, handling all back-office functions in a single place. Sydecar always has your back, so that you never have to worry about chasing subscription docs, lost wires, or late K-1s.
With all the recent ups and downs in the private markets, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your back office is operating smoothly. Sydecar's responsive and proactive customer support team is there to assist, helping you build trust with your investors and tackle the challenges of building your firm.
Visit sydecar.io/ventureunlocked to learn more.
About Meghan Reynolds:Meghan Reynolds is Partner and Head of VC Capital Formation and Fundraising for Altimeter, a lifecycle technology investment firm. Prior to joining Altimeter, Meghan was Managing Partner and Co-head of Fundraising at TPG. She began her career and spent nearly a decade in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs.
Meghan graduated from the University of Notre Dame.
In this episode, we discuss:
(02:00) The current state of the venture capital market and LP perspectives on liquidity and the impact of market resets on traditional exit opportunities like IPOs and M&As
(04:00) Liquidity and the challenges for LPs in funding upcoming capital calls due to increased venture activity and the need to adjust liquidity timeline expectations
(09:00) The complexities of exit strategies and the necessity for alignment between GPs and LPs on exit timing
(12:57) Using “Strip sales” as a liquidity management strategy are detailed, where a portion of a fund’s assets are sold to secondary buyers, and practical examples of how this strategy has been effectively implemented
(21:56) The need for venture capital to adopt more institutional and LP-friendly practices akin to the private equity evolution post-2008, driven by current fundraising challenges that compel VC funds to innovate in liquidity management and LP relationships
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Meghan. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
This week we're doing another special roundtable discussion with a focus on the seed stage market. Joining us are Jenny Fielding of Everywhere Ventures, Kirby Winfield of Ascend, and Nate Williams of UNION Labs.
This whole conversation was focused on seed stage investing. We spent most of our time discussing how the market reset affects seed-stage decision-making, fund sizing, and reserve strategies. We also touched on what they are seeing and hearing from LPs that invest in seed funds.
If you’re a VC investor, then I’m sure you already know about Sydecar, the go-to platform for emerging VCs to manage their SPVs and funds. Sydecar is on a mission to make private markets more accessible, transparent, and liquid by standardizing how investment vehicles are created and executed. Their powerful software allows VCs to launch SPVs and funds instantaneously, track funding in real time, and offer hassle-free opportunities for early liquidity.
Whether you’re syndicating your first or fiftieth deal, Sydecar acts as your silent operating partner, handling all back-office functions in a single place. Sydecar always has your back, so that you never have to worry about chasing subscription docs, lost wires, or late K-1s.
With all the recent ups and downs in the private markets, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your back office is operating smoothly. Sydecar's responsive and proactive customer support team is there to assist, helping you build trust with your investors and tackle the challenges of building your firm.
Visit sydecar.io/ventureunlocked to learn more.
About Jenny Fielding:Jenny Fielding is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures. She is one of the most active global pre-seed investors, having invested in 300+ companies as the first money in. Jenny has built a thriving community of 500+ founders and operators who help source, diligence, and invest in the next generation of startups across 3 core verticals: money, health, and work.
Prior to Everywhere, Jenny spent 7.5 years as the Managing Director of Techstars where she invested in a portfolio of companies with a current market cap over $10B. Jenny is a 2x founder, a lawyer by training, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Cornell Tech.
About Kirby Winfield:Kirby Winfield is the Founding General Partner at Ascend.vc, the most prolific pre-seed stage venture fund in the Pacific Northwest.
Kirby has been operating and investing in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning since the 1990s. His first startup pioneered the use of semantic AI for web search. He advised the Allen Institute of Artificial Intelligence on the launch and growth of its highly regarded Ai2 Incubator program, and has backed 30+ AI startups as a VC.
Early in his career, Kirby was a founding team member and operating executive at back-to-back tech IPOs, with Go2Net and Marchex. He is also a two-time venture capital-backed CEO, with AdXpose (DFJ, Ignition) acquired by comScore, and Dwellable (Maveron, VersionOne) acquired by HomeAway.
About Nate Williams:Nate Williams is the co-Founder and Managing Partner of DeepTech seed fund UNION Labs Ventures and formerly an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at Kleiner Perkins focused on opportunities in Climate, PropTech, and Mobility. Nate's track record includes senior leadership experiences executing through startup, growth and turnaround stage culminating in successful exits for 4Home (to Motorola '10), Motorola Mobility (to Google '12), Motorola Home (to ARRIS '13) and August Home (to Assa Abloy '17).
Prior to Kleiner Perkins, Nate was CRO & Head of Platform PM at August Home, Inc. a leader in Smart Home Access where he secured August commercial growth with market leaders and integration partners including Airbnb, Wal-Mart, Amazon, Honeywell, Comcast, and Google/Nest. Nate was also Senior Director of Marketing & Business Development at Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility (following their acquisition of 4Home where he was CMO & Head of Business). Earlier in his career, he was an Analyst in the Digital Home Group of Intel Corp.
Nate earned an MBA from The UCLA-Anderson School of Management and a Bachelors in Communication Science from The University of Connecticut. He is named in several Communications Infrastructure patents, entrepreneurial, and comfortable building cross-functional teams introducing products under significant market uncertainty.
In this episode, we discuss:
(03:09): The challenges first-time founders face, especially in fundraising and navigating the current economic climate
(04:17): Trends in pre-seed and seed round sizes including the reasons behind increases and their impact on startups
(06:52): The importance of a founder's ability to fundraise in the current economic environment is stressed as critical for startup success
(08:21): Venture Capitalists' adjusted expectations for startups progressing from seed to Series A
(11:59): The need for founders to adapt their strategies in response to market changes, moving towards building sustainable businesses
(16:21): The effects of significant valuation step-ups during seed rounds on the investment ecosystem
(20:39): Current trends in seed valuations and round sizes and implications for the startup and investment community
(25:52): How seed investors are adapting their reserve strategies to better support startups through to Series A rounds and beyond
(27:09): The impact of the funding environment on LPs investment decisions and strategies
(34:43): The challenges GPs face in fundraising efforts are explored, including navigating expectations and market conditions
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Jenny, Kirby, and Nate. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com -
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.
We are thrilled to bring you a conversation with David Sacks, Founder and Partner of Craft Ventures. Based in San Francisco, Craft was founded in 2017 and currently has over 3 billion in assets under management.
Across the last three decades, David has been incredibly influential as an investor, entrepreneur, and public thought leader. When starting Craft, he was able to draw from his deep operating background, having worked as an early leader at PayPal, and then later founding Yammer, which he sold to Microsoft for $1.2 Billion.
He is also one of the hosts of the All In Podcast, one of the most listened podcasts in the world.
We had a wide-ranging dialogue that took us through the evolution of Craft Ventures from its initial days to today, the strategic decision-making behind scaling fund sizes and team growth, and his overall views on the current outlook of venture capital.
If you’re a VC investor, then I’m sure you already know about Sydecar, the go-to platform for emerging VCs to manage their SPVs and funds. Sydecar is on a mission to make private markets more accessible, transparent, and liquid by standardizing how investment vehicles are created and executed. Their powerful software allows VCs to launch SPVs and funds instantaneously, track funding in real time, and offer hassle-free opportunities for early liquidity.
Whether you’re syndicating your first or fiftieth deal, Sydecar acts as your silent operating partner, handling all back-office functions in a single place. Sydecar always has your back, so that you never have to worry about chasing subscription docs, lost wires, or late K-1s.
With all the recent ups and downs in the private markets, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your back office is operating smoothly. Sydecar's responsive and proactive customer support team is there to assist, helping you build trust with your investors and tackle the challenges of building your firm.
Visit sydecar.io/ventureunlocked to learn more.
About David Sacks:David Sacks is Co-Founder and Partner at Craft. He has been a successful founder and investor for over two decades, building and investing in some of the most iconic companies in tech. David has invested in over 20 unicorns, including Affirm, AirBnB, Bird, ClickUp, Eventbrite, Facebook, Houzz, Lyft, OpenDoor, Palantir, Postmates, Reddit, Slack, SpaceX, Twitter, Uber, and Wish.David first got involved in the technology industry in 1999 when he joined early-stage startup Confinity, later renamed PayPal. Serving as the company’s first product leader and then as COO, David built and ran many of the company’s key teams, including product management and design, sales and marketing, business development, international, customer service, fraud operations, and HR. He pivoted the product from beaming money on Palm Pilots to emailing money on the web, and introduced the business model. When the company IPO’d on the Nasdaq in 2002, David was 29 — the median age of the “PayPal Mafia” executives listed on the S-1. PayPal was later acquired by eBay and eventually spun back out into a publicly traded company (under ticker symbol PYPL).David is well-known in Silicon Valley for his product acumen. AngelList’s Naval Ravikant has called David “the world’s best product strategist.” And has received acclaim as one of the Besties on the All In Podcast.
In this episode, we discuss:
(02:56) David Sacks discusses transitioning from being an entrepreneur with experiences at PayPal and Yammer to founding Craft Ventures, emphasizing the focus on SaaS and leveraging operational expertise to support startups.
(04:56) The growth of Craft Ventures from its initial fund to managing $3.5 billion, focusing on SaaS and marketplaces, and how fund size affects strategy
(08:15) Portfolio construction and the strategic shift towards reserving more for follow-ons to maintain company ownership and align fund size with venture focus
(10:10) The VC market's evolution shifting towards sustainable investment strategies following the 2020-2021 bubble and its correction.
(13:39) Advice for entrepreneurs to focus on capital efficiency and realistic growth expectations due to the changing investment landscape
(17:33) Predicting a continued reset in valuations and funding availability in 2024, and how startups can adjust their strategies accordingly
(34:05) Parallels and distinctions between running a venture firm and a startup, emphasizing the importance of creating a stable, transparent environment at Craft Ventures
(36:10) The significance of firm culture and talent acquisition, focusing on collective success and providing transparent, valuable support to portfolio companies
I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with David. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.
Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com - Visa fler
