E36: Masterclass on Portfolio Construction with Anubhav Srivastava, CEO of Tactyc
Jan 26, 2024
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Anubhav Srivastava, CEO of Tactyc, discusses portfolio construction, fund recycling, reserve strategies, and follow-on investments. They also explore the future of Tactyc and lessons from clients.
Iterative portfolio construction is key in fundraising for venture capital funds, with the ideal portfolio size being around 35 to 40 companies.
Tactyc is a forecasting and planning software that helps VCs optimize fund performance, raise funds, and build portfolio construction plans, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a live version of fund models throughout the fund's lifecycle.
Deep dives
Importance of Portfolio Construction in Fundraising
The podcast episode highlights the significance of portfolio construction in fundraising for venture capital funds. It explains that the number of investments should be the primary focus rather than the reserve ratio. The ideal portfolio size is around 35 to 40 companies, providing enough shots on goal for potential outliers. The episode also mentions that the reserve ratio varies based on the fund size, ranging from 20-25% for a $25 million fund to 50% for funds exceeding $70 million. Iterative portfolio construction is emphasized, where various parameters like check sizes and reserves are iterated upon to achieve the desired portfolio size.
The Role of Tactic in Fund Management
The podcast introduces Tactic, a forecasting and planning software for venture capitalists. Tactic is designed to help VCs optimize fund performance, raise funds, and build portfolio construction plans. It works best with funds that prioritize quantitative and iterative portfolio construction. Tactic offers a user-friendly interface that guides users through a workflow, allowing them to answer strategic questions and see the immediate impact of their choices. The episode also mentions the importance of maintaining a live version of fund models throughout the fund's lifecycle and how Tactic assists in achieving this goal.
Considerations for Follow-On Investments and Secondaries
The podcast delves into the topic of follow-on investments and secondaries in venture capital funds. It highlights the quantitative framework to evaluate follow-ons based on multiples and the importance of having a good relationship with founders for a potential information advantage. The episode also discusses the typical ownership targets for seed-stage funds and the deviation in assumed round sizes and valuations in recent years. Additionally, the podcast touches on recycling capital and the challenges that funds face in reaching their recycling targets. The relevance of graduation rates and the impact of market conditions on follow-on strategies are also mentioned.
Anubhav Srivastava, CEO of Tactyc, sits down with David Weisburd to discuss iterative portfolio construction, portfolio size impact, fund recycling and check size, reserve strategies, and follow-on investments. They also explore the future of Tactyc and lessons from clients.
(0:00) Introduction and discussion on typical reserve ratios for pre-seed and seed funds
(1:03) Anubhav Srivastava's journey to founding Tactic and its pivot into a forecasting and planning software for VCs
(3:41) Overview of Tactic user base and its global reach
(5:27) Tactic's role in fund management, optimization, and as a fundraising tool
(9:04) Significance of portfolio size and tracking of actual vs projected performance in funds with Tactic
(12:24) Strategies for navigating fund recycling and target ownership
(14:43) Impact of graduation rates on reserve strategies and the importance of number of investments in portfolio construction
(16:09) Discussion on typical reserve ratios for pre-seed and seed funds
(19:10) Considerations for deploying into breakouts and thinking quantitatively about follow-on investments
(20:52) Future of Tactic and best practices for funds considering secondaries
(23:10) Introduction to the Tenex Capital Podcast newsletter powered by Carrie Labs
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