The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified 144. The 8 Startup Profiles & Those that Make the Strongest Investments (Guy Turner)
Oct 25, 2017
42:54
Guy Turner of Hyde Park Venture Partners joins Nick to cover founder profiles and the characteristics that lead to the strongest startups. We address questions including:
- You've observed over 50 startups, across your portfolio, and have written extensively about founder profiles. What are the two high-level categories of characteristics that you've observed?
- Within the inspection characteristics category... what are the three dimensions that matter most?
- The first two modes seem to differ primarily on the experience dimension... what are the two modes and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
- Mode 3 you call the exec turned founder.... and mode 4 seems to have the ingredients for big outcomes or big flameouts. Walk us through each of these and their defining characteristics.
- We've discussed four modes, but based on your framework there should be eight. What about the other four modes?
- Do you think modes 1 and 2 work better for all investors or just HPVP?
- Dealflow filtering and evaluation... can you use the inspection characteristics?
- So we've discussed the inspection characteristics... let's transition to the the second major category, the experience characteristics. Talk more about what they are and how you assess them.
- What are the five actions that matter most in startup teams?
- How do you handle a situation where the deal comes late and there's already a term sheet and you don't have time to observe these characteristics over time?
- What are the five styles that matter most?
- Self-reflection, do you and Ira and Tim look in the mirror w/ Hyde Park and consider these expectations
- How about for building the team at HPVP... do you apply founder assessment criteria in your hiring?
- Are there any soft skills or overlooked founder characteristics that you haven't written about but you look for?
- What's your take on the issues w/ ethics, not only amongst founders but at the investor level?
Guest Links:
- Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Guy on Twitter
- People part 1: Successful Startup Team Modes
- People part 2: The Characteristics that Matter in Startup Teams
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