NEXT.io Podcast Evert Einroos: What VCs Really Look For in Founders
🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #248 with Evert Einroos, Managing Director of Yolo Investments.
Evert joins us to break down how Yolo Investments scaled from a scrappy operator-led VC to a professional fund with external LPs and over 150 portfolio companies. He explains why warm intros still matter, how to structure a successful fund, and why passion-led founders shine in gaming.
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Sponsors
01:50 - Welcoming Evert Einroos
03:00 - Origin story: How Yolo Investments started
05:30 - Early wins, flops & the power law in VC
06:50 - Lessons from the crypto crash
07:20 - Launching Fund 2 with external LPs
10:19 - Why startups should want Yolo on their cap table
13:36 - Balancing founder energy vs. investor guardrails
16:03 - What VCs really look for in founders
20:22 - Red flags that turn investors off
21:19 - How to get on Yolo’s radar
26:10 - The 5 “S”s of building a VC fund
27:56 - How LPs make money
29:03 - Challenges of iGaming as an investment class
33:23 - The passion vs. opportunity balance in gaming
38:11 - Startup success rates & power laws
41:41 - What’s next for Yolo Investments
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This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:
Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.
Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.