Think Like an Owner Juan Ruiz - Student-led Search Investing - Ep.136
My guest on this episode is Juan Ruiz. Juan is the founder of CommunEtA, the first-ever student-led search investment fund. The goal of the fund is multifold: provide exposure and training for students wanting to build a career in search, provide a grassroots investment option for searchers, and spread the word about search across the country.
We start off the episode discussing a few student-run funds on the venture capital side that inspired CommunEtA and round out the conversation with topics like building a team of students that are constantly joining and graduating, the power of search to transform someone's career, and how search might evolve in the future. Enjoy.
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Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Student Club
Topics:
(3:32) - What models did you study for this dorm room-style fund for the VC world?
(6:52) - What kind of oversight is there from the University staff?
(8:15) - What’s the process for creating systems around the fund given the high turnover of graduating students?
(10:07) - What was the inspiration for the fund and the mission, vision, and value behind it?
(13:36) - What was your background prior to your MBA at Harvard?
(18:40) - What’s the interest level you’re seeing from students toward Search Fund Investing?
(21:50) - What do you view as the main goal of the fund?
(26:53) - What’s the involvement of students in the fundraising process?
(27:46) - What will your role be for Commune ETA going forward?
(29:06) - What are some roles and jobs for students in the Club?
(30:24) - Is there any conflict of interest with students helping to run a Fund while also pursuing Search?
(32:08) - Do you plan to expand this club to other MBA programs?
(33:22) - If this club was in 5 schools, what would the investment committee look like?
(35:08) - Do students get paid?
(35:25) - What are some of the different compensation models you look at?
(35:55) - What challenges do you foresee with growing this club across other universities?
(36:55) - How many students do you need to have quality output?
(37:59) - Evangelizing Search
(42:26) - What college class would you teach if it could be on anything?
(44:43) - What strongly held belief have you changed your mind on?
(46:52) - What’s the best business you’ve ever seen?