Software Engineering Daily

VC Investing at CRV with James Green

Nov 20, 2024

52:34

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James Green, a general partner at CRV, shares his journey from studying neuroscience at Harvard to venture capital, highlighting how tech and health intersect. He discusses the importance of early-stage startups in driving innovation and how unique insights are key to gaining competitive advantages. The conversation also delves into the intricacies of pre-seed investments, stressing the value of revenue potential over initial metrics, and evaluates the emerging landscape of AI applications in the tech industry.

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Quick takeaways

James Green's journey to becoming a VC illustrates the importance of adapting skills and insights from varied experiences in tech.

Successful venture capitalists prioritize understanding critical leverage points in startups, which can greatly influence their long-term viability and direction.

Deep dives

James Green's Journey to Venture Capital

James Green shares his unique path to becoming a venture capitalist, tracing it from his upbringing in the UK to his education at Harvard, where he initially pursued neuroscience. After realizing the flaws in the U.S. pharmaceutical system, he transitioned towards tech startups, leveraging his basic computer science skills to secure a position at CarWow, a consumer internet company. His experiences there ignited his curiosity about the funding process and the relationship between startups and venture capitalists. Green's journey encompassed a mix of startup involvement, cold-email outreach to various companies, and eventually an IEEE internship at Insight Partners, leading to his long-term career at CRV, where he now invests in various innovative projects.

Intro

2min

From Neuroscience to Venture Capital

10min

Navigating Venture Capital and Innovation Hubs

11min

Navigating Competitive Advantages in Entrepreneurship

6min

Navigating Pre-Seed Investments

16min

Innovative Investment Insights: Asterix's Unique Position in Security Technology

2min

Evaluating AI Investments

5min

CRV is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. The firm has invested in more than 600 startups including Airtable, DoorDash and Vercel.

James Green is a general partner at CRV where he is known for investing in startups focused on security, infrastructure and financial services. He joins the show to talk about his path into tech, CRV, life as a VC, and more.

Gregor Vand is a security-focused technologist, and is the founder and CTO of Mailpass. Previously, Gregor was a CTO across cybersecurity, cyber insurance and general software engineering companies. He has been based in Asia Pacific for almost a decade and can be found via his profile at vand.hk.