GHP #58 - From CFO to Angel Investor, Keys to Success with Mark MacLeod

Episode 58 is with Mark MacLeod!

Mark is a semi-active angel investor with a portfolio of 14 investments, 2 highly positive exits and counting. He was most notably General Partner at Real Ventures, Canada’s largest and most active seed stage fund. With a background in finance, he also served as CFO for software companies including, but not limited to, Shopify and Freshbooks.

We talk to Mark about his journey from finance to venture capital. He details his move from C-suite to investor, and the critical skills that are needed to help a start-up succeed. Mark also dives into the critical skills needed to become a leader in the industry.

This was a fun conversation with plenty of gems throughout, so we hope you enjoy!

Timestamps
1:31 - Mark's Career Journey
7:00 - They Key to Learning Fast
8:30 - Importance of Product-Market Fit
9:50 - Managing Stress in Decision Making
12:25 - Critical Skills Young Professionals Need to Learn
15:30 - Don’t Chase Titles. Do this instead.
19:04 - What makes a great leader?
22:45 - How to Develop Trust amongst Your Team
24:42 - How to Successfully Fundraise with VCs
27:10 - What Makes a Start-Up Investment Worthy?
31:40 - How Mark got into DJ-ing and Fitness
34:40 - Lightning Round