The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20VC: Accel's Sonali De Rycker on Building a Generational Defining Venture Firm; Hiring, Culture, Incentives | Investing; Biggest Mistakes, Biggest Lessons from Prior Crashes, Why Market Size is Dangerous to Focus On | Decision-Making; Type 1 vs Type 2 Ri
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Jun 27, 2022 
Sonali De Rycker, a Partner at Accel, shares her inspiring journey from a small town in India to being a prominent venture capitalist. She discusses invaluable lessons learned from economic downturns and how to maintain investor psychology in tough times. Sonali also dives into the non-obvious challenges of building strong teams, emphasizing the importance of cultural fit and mentorship. She addresses the critical need for transparent communication in decision-making and reflects on the significance of learning from past investment mistakes to foster future resilience.
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From India to the US
- Sonali De Rycker grew up in India with limited opportunities, leading her to seek education in the US.
- Despite financial and logistical challenges, she secured a full scholarship and viewed herself as her own startup.
Discovering Venture Capital
- After graduating and working at Goldman Sachs, Sonali discovered her passion for venture capital through Spyglass, an early internet software IPO.
- She joined Atlas Venture in Europe during the dot-com bust, later moving to Accel in 2008.
Dot-com Bust Lessons
- During the 2000 downturn, Sonali worked with struggling e-commerce founders, negotiating sales and managing limited resources.
- A call from David Bonderman highlighted the challenging market and the importance of attention to detail, even for small investments.
