Ian Park is a Partner at Primer Sazze, a firm dedicated to investing in ambitious talent across East Asia and North America. Prior to Primer Sazze, he was a venture capital allocator at Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), one of the largest sovereign wealth institutions in the world, where he focused on investments into venture managers and founders. He’s also amassed a fervent following of AI, VC, and LP fans over the years through writing his newsletter and his YouTube channel. Prior to KIC, he's built his investing repertoire at VMG Partners and Bertram Capital after leaving the world of consulting.
Ian studied mathematics and economics at University of Minnesota and earned his master's degree in economics at Boston College. He's also got his master's in computer and information technology from University of Pennsylvania as well.
You can find Ian on his socials here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/park-ian/
Substack: https://moneybehindthemoney.substack.com
And huge thanks to this episode's sponsor, Alchemist Accelerator: https://alchemistaccelerator.com/superclusters
OUTLINE:
[00:00] Intro
[02:26] From Boston to SF
[10:58] How does Ian diligence a GP's ability to source?
[13:37] The three things Ian looks for in emerging managers
[17:04] Best practices on sharing insights
[26:37] A typical week at KIC and conversations with GPs
[30:42] How to best approach co-investment opportunities as an LP
[33:38] How does Ian get to conviction on a direct deal
[39:19] What funds should you invest in if you prioritize co-investments?
[43:23] What does Ian look for in a Fund II/III that's not TVPI, DPI, or IRR?
[47:26] Relationship management best practices with GPs
[53:30] The good, bad, and ugly at a sovereign wealth fund
[1:00:00] What is Ian investing in at Primer Sazze?
[1:10:20] What has Ian learned over the years as a content creator?
[1:16:57] Thank you to Alchemist Accelerator for sponsoring!
[1:17:57] If you liked the episode, would greatly appreciate a like and a share!
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