Investor Stories 311: Why I Passed (Biederman, Kaul, Susan)
Aug 31, 2023
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Investors Rob Biederman, Samir Kaul, and Lior Susan discuss situations where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. They reflect on missed opportunities, emphasizing the value of being open to being proven wrong and maintaining relationships with founders.
Passing on startups with founders they like but ideas they don't is a challenge for VCs who typically work with founders to improve their core areas.
Valuation should not be the main factor when considering an investment; belief in the entrepreneur and the potential upside matter more.
Deep dives
Passing Based on Idea vs. Founder
Rob Biederman of asymmetric partners discusses the difficulty of passing on startups when they like the founder but not the idea. Despite the popular VC belief that the person matters more than the business, they usually work with founders to improve the idea in their core areas. However, for startups in industries they don't invest in, it's hard to pass when they have a strong desire to work with the founder.
The Consequence of Success and Learning from Mistakes
Samir Call of Cozle Ventures shares the story of passing on Pinterest, which turned out to be a great success. He learned the lesson that the valuation shouldn't be the main factor when considering investment. If they like something a lot, believe in the entrepreneur, and see a big upside, the valuation becomes insignificant. He also mentions the importance of avoiding risky investments like Theranos, where refusal to allow real diligence is a clear red flag.
1.
Stories of Missed Opportunities and Valuable Lessons
On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:
Rob Biederman
Samir Kaul
Lior Susan
Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.
The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.
Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.
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