The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC: The Implications of a Biden vs a Trump Administration on Venture and Startups, How The Rise of Rolling Funds, SPACs and Solo Capitalists Will Impact Venture & What We Can Do To Swing the Race Pendulum in VC with Barry Eggers, Founding Partner @ Ligh

Nov 2, 2020

Barry Eggers, Founding Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and Chair of the NVCA board, discusses the ramifications of a Biden versus Trump administration on venture capital. He explores the impact of SPACs and solo capitalists on the industry, emphasizing their potential. Barry shares insights on fostering diversity within venture capital and offers advice on increasing representation among minorities. He also reflects on the need to maintain a long-term perspective amidst the dynamic landscape of venture investing.

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ANECDOTE

Unlikely VC

Barry Eggers's path to venture capital was unconventional, not considering it until his mid-30s.
His experience with acquisitions at Cisco sparked his interest, leading him to co-found Lightspeed Venture Partners.

INSIGHT

People Element in VC

Building a successful venture capital firm heavily relies on the often-overlooked people element.
This includes attracting, retaining, and motivating talent, managing dynamics, and fostering a strong team culture.

INSIGHT

Biden vs. Trump Impact

A Biden administration may bring infrastructure investment and immigration-friendly policies, benefiting startups.
However, potential downsides include increased capital gains taxes and continued trade war pressures.

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Barry Eggers is a Founding Partner @ Lightspeed Venture Partners and currently Chair of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Board of Directors. Lightspeed is one of the premier funds of the last decade with homeruns including Snapchat, Affirm, Mulesoft, Nutanix and Stitch Fix. Prior to LSVP, Barry spent close to 6 years as @ Cisco developing Cisco's initial M&A program and leading the company's first wave of acquisitions and integrations.

In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:

1.) How Barry made his way into the world of venture over 20 years ago and how he came to found one of today's leaders, Lightspeed?

2.) What are the implications of a Biden administration? How does this compare to a Trump administration? What can be done to mitigate the tax concerns around Biden's policies? How does Barry think about each candidate's stance on immigration? What are the challenges here?

3.) How will SPACs change the world of venture? What will it take for them to be viewed in the same class as IPOs? Why are they often better than direct listings? How does the rise of solo capitalists change the state of venture? What does Barry make of rolling funds being born?

4.) What does Barry believe we can do to swing the race pendulum in venture? What were Barry's biggest lessons in taking the Lightspeed partnership from 1 to 10 female partners? How can this be done with ethnic minorities also? What advice does Barry give to his counterpart GPs?

5.) How would Barry describe his own style of board membership? How has it changed over time? How does Barry keep his head in boards with many around him are losing theirs? What advice does Barry give to new board members adopting board seats for the first time?

Items Mentioned In Today’s Show:

Barry’s Favourite Book: Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community

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