Lars Leckie is the Managing Director of Aspenwood Ventures.

Aspenwood Ventures is a SF-based venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments, particularly from pre-seed to Series A.

It focuses on B2B software companies and is led by Lars Leckie and Steve Kishi, who previously worked at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners.

Aspenwood Ventures continues the legacy of Hummer Winblad, a prominent early-stage software investment firm focused on advancing innovative software startups.

Takeaways

• Journey from founder to investor.
• The partnership model in venture capital.
• Staying consistent in investment strategy.
• AI is a market expansion opportunity rather than a threat to enterprise software.
• The VC landscape has shifted towards larger funds, but early-stage investing remains crucial.
• The importance of capital efficiency in software companies.
• The market for enterprise software continues to grow despite fears of saturation.
• Companies should consider going public earlier to provide liquidity.
• The future of public offerings may shift back to smaller companies as investor appetite returns.
• Backing founders is about enabling them, not micromanaging.
• Sales strategies - when to hire and scale.
• Revenue milestones.
• Hiring the right salespeople.

Chapters

00:00 From Founder to Investor: A Career Journey

05:57 The Shifting Landscape of Venture Capital

11:50 The Future of Enterprise Software in the Age of AI

17:49 The Dynamics of Going Public: A New Era for Startups

25:47 Backing Founders: The Role of Venture Capitalists

34:06 Sales Strategies: When to Hire and Scale

39:14 The Canadian Tech Ecosystem: Growth and Opportunities

45:09 Resilience in Adversity: Lessons from Sports

Keywords

venture capital, software innovation, enterprise software, AI impact, startup funding, investment strategies, founder journey, leadership transition, market trends, public offerings, venture capital, founder support, revenue growth, sales strategies, Canadian tech, resilience, fitness, personal development