"Turpentine VC" | Venture Capital and Investing

E56: Upfront Ventures' Mark Suster on Fund Management and the Exit Landscape

26 snips
Sep 17, 2024
Guest
Molly O'Shea
Guest
Mark Suster
Mark Suster, Managing Partner of Upfront Ventures, shares his disciplined investment strategies and discusses the significance of founder-market fit and market timing in venture capital. He highlights promising sectors like healthcare and space while reflecting on lessons learned from his CEO experience. Suster also addresses the challenges of fundraising, particularly the low transition rates from seed to Series A investments. Molly O’Shea adds depth to the conversation, exploring how empathy and historical understanding play roles in shaping the future of the industry.
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ADVICE

Time Diversity in Venture Capital

  • Maintain time diversity in venture capital investments.
  • This avoids deploying the entire fund when valuations are high, increasing the chances of good returns.
INSIGHT

The 6/40 Rule in Venture Capital

  • In venture capital, approximately six deals per fund drive 80% of the returns.
  • Invest with high conviction in every deal, assuming it will be one of those six.
ANECDOTE

Rula's Pivot to Mental Health

  • Upfront Ventures invested in Rula (formerly Path) when it focused on alcoholism.
  • The company later pivoted to mental health and thrived during COVID, demonstrating founder adaptability.
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