David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital, has spent over 25 years shaping the venture capital landscape. Formerly a lawyer with degrees from Stanford and Harvard, David transitioned into venture capital, making early bets on companies like Splunk, Build.com, and GitLab. His career is marked by a passion for helping founders, fostering strong industry relationships, and identifying high-potential investments.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• 00:43 Introduction to Driving Alpha Podcast

• 01:57 Meet David Hornick: From Law to Venture Capital

• 03:43 Early Ventures and Key Investments

• 07:35 The Importance of Getting Lucky Early

• 09:44 Big Wins and Missed Opportunities

• 17:26 The Lobby Conference: Building Relationships

• 21:36 Adding Value as a VC

• 25:12 Psychology in Venture Capital

• 27:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode

David shares how his background in law unexpectedly led him to venture capital and how he navigated the early years of his career. He discusses the importance of getting lucky early, but also how hard work and strategic networking can help VCs manufacture their own luck.

David also opens up about his biggest investment wins—such as Splunk’s $30 billion acquisition—and the key deals he missed, including early opportunities with Facebook and Uber. He dives into his passion for building meaningful relationships through the Lobby Conference, an exclusive networking event that has connected some of the biggest names in tech and venture capital. Finally, he explains why psychology and emotional intelligence are just as critical as technical knowledge in evaluating and supporting startups.