How to Raise a Venture Fund | Associated Team Synthesis Pt.3
Jun 20, 2023
auto_awesome
Exploring interviews with guests who have unique fund structures and strategies. Alternative revenue strategies for venture funds, emphasizing the importance of vision and belief. The significance of social capital and small teams in venture capital fundraising. Differentiated models of venture funds and challenges in building and retaining top talent. Reflections on innovative fund structures, impressive guests, and the podcast season finale.
Innovating on fund structures requires a strong legal team to navigate complexities and tailor legal documentation to unique structures, allowing for more flexibility and self-sustaining models.
Fund managers with a strong sense of purpose and dedication to their missions create unconventional fund structures, overcoming challenges and unconventional routes to achieve desired outcomes.
Deep dives
Unique Funds with Novel Structures and Strategies
The final episode of Season 8 features interviews with three guests, Adrian from Uber Morgan, Ian from Syndicate, and Alice from Entrepreneur First. The main theme that emerged from these interviews was the creation of funds or companies that invest in startups in unique ways. Although the guests had different backgrounds and paths, they all shared a common goal of finding differentiated approaches to reach their end goals. The discussions highlighted the importance of thinking outside the box and being innovative in fund structures, such as creating hybrid company structures or focusing on long-term sustainability rather than traditional fundraising methods.
Challenges and Benefits of Non-traditional Fund Structures
One key insight from the interviews was the challenges faced when innovating on fund structures. The guests emphasized the importance of having a strong legal team to navigate the complexities and ensure the legal documentation is tailored to their unique structures. They also discussed the advantages of structuring their funds as companies rather than traditional firms, as this allowed for more flexibility and potentially reduced reliance on continuously seeking funding from limited partners (LPs). By incorporating strategies like allocating a percentage of startups' shares or paying dividends, these funds aimed to create self-sustaining models that minimize the need for constant fundraising.
Belief in Unique Visions and Missions
Another key takeaway from the podcast episode was the unwavering belief that these fund managers had in their unique visions and missions. The guests emphasized that their goals went beyond just raising funds or investing in startups. They viewed their work as a means to execute a broader vision for themselves and the world. This strong sense of purpose and dedication to their missions led them to create unconventional fund structures and pushed them to overcome challenges and unconventional routes to achieve their desired outcomes.
Social Capital and the Future of Venture Capital
The podcast episode highlighted the significance of social capital and networking in the venture capital industry. The importance of building relationships and connections stood out as essential for success, whether in attracting investors or gaining access to valuable networks. The discussions also touched on the potential for new opportunities and ideas to thrive with the emergence of differentiated fund structures. By challenging traditional models, these funds offer a chance for capital to flow into sectors or asset classes that have typically been overlooked, thereby shaping future innovations and positively impacting the world.
Notice:
If you want to get in contact with us you can reach us via email at associatedpodcast@gmail.com as well as on Twitter (@associated_pod).
We are trying to understand our listeners better, so we can make better content. Please consider filling out our listener survey which can be found here (https://airtable.com/shraJVvUNv6D7PkDP).
Description: For the last episode of our series on ‘How to Raise a Venture Fund’, Danielle, Francesca and Tunde reunite again to discuss their key takeaways from the previous three episodes, where we interview the founding partners of funds with novel strategies and structures.
Our interviews with Adrian (Übermorgen), Ian (Syndicate) and Alice (Entrepreneur First) yielded fantastic insights which we got to unpack. Some of the key themes we discussed were:
The motivations behind their atypical structures (2 of 3 are structured as companies rather than funds)
Raising capital outside mainstream LP circles
Earning the right to innovate on structure and strategy simultaneously
We took so many learnings away from each episode and we cannot thank our guests enough for coming on the show!
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode