Venture Pulse

Venture Capital is About Human Capital

For the first 5 years or so after I became a VC I didn’t talk much about what I thought a VC should be excellent at since frankly I wasn’t sure. I was mostly doing my job and trying to figure out how to be better every day. After a decade on the job I’ve started to speak more openly when newer industry colleagues now ask me what I’ve learned. The number one advice I give is “stop trying to be too smart”. Most VCs did well academically and had enough career success that a venture firm was willing to give them an investment role or they were able to raise their own fund. It’s easy to think the role of a VC is to have strong opinions about markets, trends, tech dynamics and so forth. We think we’re supposed to act smart and have insights that others don’t possess. I don’t think this is the job. [ Both Side of The Table ]

Podcast : Inside the Spectacular Failure of Fab.com

Just a few years ago, Fab.com was valued at $1 billion. Today, it’s remembered as one of the most epic flame-outs in the history of U.S. technology startups. Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier, who in 2013 was the first to report on Fab’s internal turmoil, talks to founder Jason Goldberg about how he felt as the company soared and then collapsed. Jason also recounts the lessons he’s learned -- so he won’t repeat them as he prepares to launch a new business all over again. [ Sound Cloud ]

Reid Hoffman at Startup School SV 2016

This Twenty-Something Forced Silicon Valley to ‘Show Her the Numbers’

If you want to make tech less white and male, you need numbers. But data didn’t exist until one pissed-off engineer took action. [ Backchannel ]

 
 
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