Tank Talks Episode 32: Chris Douvos on Building Lasting Startup Ecosystems

On today’s Tank Talk! We welcome Chris Douvos, founder and managing director of Ahoy Capital to talk about “How to build a lasting startup ecosystem.”

Chris’s Background:Chris Douvos founded Ahoy Capital in 2018 to help invest in the micro-VC movement. Prior to Ahoy Capital, Chris spearheaded investment efforts at Venture Investment Associates and The Investment Fund for Foundations. He learned the craft of illiquid investing at Princeton University’s endowment and started his business career as a strategy consultant at Monitor Company.

Chris authors the blog SuperLP in which he chronicles his adventures investing in venture capital and private equity, and his legendary brick oven pizza parties—small gatherings of LPs, GPs, and entrepreneurs. He is sought after not only for investment capital, but also for his advice, and serves on numerous managers' advisory boards.

Welcome Chris!

In this episode we discuss:

02:01 What is a Startup ecosystem and how do they get started09:54 Why some ecosystems thrive and other can’t get started17:47 The impact of COVID on accelerating ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley20:21 Will hubs still be hubs or will dispersion continue22:50 The role incubators and accelerators play in growing ecosystems24:55 Did Y combinator help create the San Francisco ecosystem?26:17 Why Silicon Valley has a blitzscaling advantage28:13 The rise of virtual companies30:34 Successful companies build their own momentum and can hinder ecosystem growth35:18 How remote work will put pressures on geographies to compete for talent39:30 How do regions think about the future of work40:58 The role of government in building ecosystems

Book Chris recommends:Shadow War by Jim Sciutto

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Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency

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