Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology Building the premium venture studio and fund for consumer brands with Mike Jones, Founding Partner @ Science
May 7, 2025
Mike Jones, Managing Partner at Science Inc., has a wealth of experience in building and scaling consumer brands like Dollar Shave Club and Liquid Death. He discusses his transformation from founder to VC, emphasizing effective leadership styles and the crucial role of consumer insights. Mike unveils the secrets behind Dollar Shave Club's viral marketing and shares hard lessons from unsuccessful ventures. The conversation also covers AI's impact on investment strategies and exciting consumer trends, making it a vital listen for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Joy of Building Consumer Brands
- Mike Jones shares his joy seeing consumer products he helped build in real life, like Liquid Death in vending machines.
- He loves making people's lives better and feeling connected to the product journey.
Evolve Leadership with Scale
- Effective startup leaders evolve from micromanagers to strategic, board-level thinkers.
- Managing a growing team requires delegating and empowering through others, not hands-on control.
Daily Metrics and Cross-Learning
- Track daily business metrics tailored to your model like CAC, LTV, margins, and retention to spot trends early.
- Share growth learnings across portfolio companies to accelerate multiple businesses simultaneously.