"Turpentine VC" | Venture Capital and Investing

E16: Lessons From Co-Founding First Round, Idea Lab, and B Capital with Howard Morgan

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Dec 6, 2023
Howard Morgan, co-founder of First Round, Idea Lab, and B Capital, discusses the importance of global investing, including challenges and opportunities. They explore frontier areas like genomics, bioinformatics, longevity, and space technology. Morgan reflects on lessons learned throughout his career and offers advice for emerging managers.
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ANECDOTE

Renaissance Technologies' Venture Capital Foray

  • Howard Morgan co-founded Renaissance Technologies with Jim Simons, focusing on venture capital.
  • Despite high returns, venture capital was eventually removed due to even higher quant returns.
ANECDOTE

Idealab and the Rise of Paid Search

  • Howard Morgan helped start Idealab, focusing on innovative ideas like paid search.
  • Initially seen as evil, paid search proved successful, demonstrating the importance of unconventional thinking.
ANECDOTE

From Infinautics to Half.com

  • Howard Morgan invested in Infinautics, co-founded by Josh Kopelman, which later became ProQuest.
  • This partnership led to the creation of Half.com, a used book selling platform eventually acquired by eBay.
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