Catholic Founders #25 The #1 Catholic VC on Investing, Loving Your Customers, & Solving Your Neighbors Problems | Tim Connors
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Hey guys — today is a really really special episode for me.
I meet a lot of people. And it’s rare that I feel like a changed man after. But this conversation was one of those. Tim is an incredible person who is genuinely excited by finding people who are solving their neighbors’ needs.
BEFORE WE START:
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In this Email:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
* Tim Connors | PivotNorth Capital
* Today we're talking to Tim Connors, one of the most influential venture capitalists in the world, renowned for his presence on the Midas List (4 times now). But what truly sets Tim apart isn't just his financial acumen; it's his radical approach to capitalism rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. He's proving that doing immense good in the world, by solving real human needs, is not only compatible with maximizing profit but is, in fact, the most potent strategy for long-term success. Get ready to have your assumptions about business, investment, and impact completely reshaped.
Core Lesson:
We Don’t Take the Love Your Neighbor Idea As Seriously as We Ought to.
After seeing Tim’s conviction towards loving his neighbor, and to the extent that he does this, it’s something I can’t unsee.
How many people would reach his level and just relax? Just enjoy their drinks on the beach. Most would.
But Tim won’t. He’s doggedly determined to find the things he can solve for other humans in an incentivized way.
So, in summary. We need to take this idea of love your neighbor much more seriously.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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Key Episode References:
* Encyclicals: Rerum Novarum, Caritas in Veritate, Mensuram Bonam, Antiqua et Nova
Select Quotes:
* "If Fortune 500 boards were just all reading Rerum Novarum and following that, their profits would be maximized and the world would be a much better place." — Tim Connors
* "Companies who love their customers the most are the most profitable and have the lowest customer acquisition cost." — Tim Connors
* "Benedict basically says solve the real need of your neighbor with your work... do it with your God given skills, talents, and then do it with the max degree of influence you have in the polis." — Tim Connors
* "The best returns I've had are deals that fundamentally make their customers’ lives better." — Tim Connors
* "My belief is that you do better in all asset classes if you love your customer. You actually do better." — Tim Connors
* "If all Catholic assets were... screened, filtered, and invested with CST principles from Rerum and Antiqua and Mensuram Bonam. We'd have collectively a loud voice for the vulnerable in these companies." — Tim Connors
Help spread the word! Highlight your favorite of these quotes, and then share on social media / Substack notes with some encouraging words to help others discover this episode.
Key Moments: (outline)
* 00:00 - Introduction to Tim Connors and Catholic Social Teaching in business.
* 02:53 - Tim Connors' background and career journey into venture capital.
* 05:34 - The integration of Catholic faith into Tim Connors' investing philosophy.
* 08:00 - The impact of Pope Benedict's "Caritas in Veritate" on Tim's approach.
* 09:00 - Contrasting ethical and exploitative business models.
* 12:57 - Attributes of successful founders: smarts, goodness, and grit.
* 15:55 - The importance of empathy, self-awareness, and moral compass in founders.
* 16:20 - How Tim Connors screens for "goodness" in founders.
* 18:34 - Why "best founders hunt in packs" and the power of referrals.
* 20:55 - The shift to systems thinking in problem-solving.
* 24:00 - Applying systems thinking to consumer banking (Chime.com example).
* 27:00 - The systems solution to homelessness (CloudApartments.com example).
* 28:23 - Developing and applying a systems thinking mindset.
* 31:34 - Reframing capitalism: Maximizing ROI through love of customer.
* 34:00 - The Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a measure of customer love.
* 35:30 - Challenging Milton Friedman's shareholder-first theory.
* 37:00 - Rerum Novarum and its relevance to modern capitalism.
* 39:00 - Aligning Catholic assets with Catholic social teaching.
* 42:15 - Applying the lean startup mentality to any organization, including the Church.
* 44:00 - Key "winning metrics" for organizational success.
* 46:00 - Doubling parish size through welcoming and bottleneck analysis.
* 47:00 - Advocating for canon law changes to improve parish engagement.
* 48:57 - The influence of Caritas in Veritate on pursuing societal change.
* 51:00 - Coaching leaders to solve problems for the vulnerable, planet, and Church.
* 52:31 - The power of collective action by Catholic entrepreneurs.
* 53:47 - The role of AI in human flourishing and the importance of morally-oriented builders.
* 54:48 - Final calls to action and how to connect with Tim Connors.
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