Masters of Scale How to get funded now: VCs Reid Hoffman, Aileen Lee, and Stacy Brown-Philpot, with Van Jones
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Nov 11, 2025 
Join venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn; Aileen Lee, the visionary behind the term 'unicorn'; and Stacy Brown-Philpot, who scaled TaskRabbit, as they discuss the evolving landscape of startup funding. Moderated by journalist Van Jones, they dive into the shifting focus towards profitability, the heightened expectations for AI-driven growth, and the critical need for founders to adapt. From navigating investor skepticism to unlocking pathways for diverse talent in tech, this conversation illuminates the complexities of today’s venture capital world.
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Founder’s Pre-Seed Reality Check
- Van Jones described his pre-seed AI startup journey that built a working product.
- He then faced tougher investor questions about profitability and conversion.
Series A Expectations Have Risen
- The bar for Series A has moved; investors expect earlier scaling evidence.
- Founders must show the potential to grow from thousands to hundreds of thousands quickly.
AI Drives New Hockey-Stick Benchmarks
- AI is creating rapid adoption hockey sticks that attract capital.
- That makes enterprise growth look slower by comparison and shifts investor focus.