Sourcery How 8VC Builds Billion-Dollar Companies | Palantir, Addepar, Saronic
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Aug 22, 2025 Drew Oetting, a Founding Partner at 8VC, dives into innovative capital strategies that disrupt traditional venture funding. He shares how 8VC’s ‘Build’ Program co-founds nearly 30% of its companies, focusing on creating billion-dollar successes like Palantir and Addepar. Oetting discusses the balance of culture and incentives in startup environments, the importance of AI in biotech, and emerging naval technologies. The conversation also touches on U.S. reindustrialization, public-private collaboration, and the intersection of patriotism and economic growth.
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How 8VC’s Build Program Began
- 8VC's build habit began from problems they experienced while running a fund and managing Joe Lonsdale's network.
- Those operational frustrations led them to co-found companies like Affinity, Anduin, and Standard Metrics before formalizing Build in 2018.
Use EIRs To Vet And Incubate Ideas
- Recruit EIRs and give them runway to test verticals before launching companies.
- Let founders own the idea enough to make it theirs while providing vetting support from partners and customers.
Design Matters When Investing And Building
- Building companies in-house requires intentionally designing incentives, culture, and staffing to avoid resource conflict.
- Firms that try to mix investing and building without this design will struggle or create politics over resources.