Invested by Aleph

Sam Lessin on What Entrepreneurs Don’t Realize About VCs, When the State Should Intervene with Tech, the Future of Crypto and the Evolution of Truth

Sep 11, 2024

In conversation with Sam Lessin, a General Partner at Slow Ventures and former VP at Facebook, intriguing insights unfold. He discusses the significant values shaping venture capital, revealing how family influences investment decisions. Sam weighs in on the chaos of AI, the evolution of trust in a digital world, and the state’s role in regulating technology. He highlights the promise of decentralized systems like cryptocurrency and reflects on his experiences at Harvard, advocating for proactive change amidst challenges.

01:20:14

Episode guests

Sam Lessin

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Sam Lessin emphasizes the vital role of personal values, particularly family, in guiding entrepreneurial decisions and fostering individual potential.

The conversation highlights the significance of embracing financial losses in venture capital as essential for emotional resilience and future success.

A shift in entrepreneurial focus is noted, where local businesses and community impact are increasingly valued over traditional billion-dollar startup ideals.

Deep dives

Empowering Underdogs

The discussion emphasizes the speaker's pride in helping those overlooked by others. There's a strong sense of fulfillment when individuals who had been written off manage to achieve success. This empowers a narrative that encourages support for those often unnoticed, illustrating a belief in the potential of every individual. The speaker values the journey of recognizing and nurturing unexplored talent.

Intro

2min

Navigating Values in Venture Capital

14min

Parenthood and Entrepreneurship

5min

Digital Trust in Modern Society

25min

Investing in a Decentralized World

16min

Navigating Integrity and Innovation at Harvard

11min

Reflecting on a Father's Influence and Life Lessons

2min

Calculated Risks: Skiing and Business

7min

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Sam Lessin, a General Partner at Slow Ventures.

Sam is currently an intern at The Information and has co-founded two companies, Fin and drop.io (acquired by Facebook in 2010). Between 2010 and 2014 he was a VP of product management at Facebook, where he managed the People, Places, and Things product group and the Identity product group. Sam started his career at Bain and Company, and attended Harvard ('05). In his spare time Sam enjoys skiing and kite-surfing.

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