SeedToScale | Curated by Accel

Learnings from 40 Years in VC | SeedToScale Specials

Aug 16, 2023
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

From Steel Town to Harvard

  • Jim Schwartz grew up in a working-class family in a small steel town, with parents who held humble jobs.
  • Despite this, he excelled academically and athletically, becoming a class president and football captain, eventually attending Harvard.
ANECDOTE

Path to Venture Capital

  • After Harvard and business school, Jim explored manufacturing and consulting before discovering venture capital.
  • He worked on Wall Street, at Citicorp's venture group, and co-founded Adler & Company before Accel.
INSIGHT

Specialization in Tech

  • Accel's initial vision was to specialize in tech, focusing on telecom and software.
  • This was a contrarian approach at the time, as software was not seen as a strong investment area.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app