#097 Brad Feld: Founding Techstars, Giving First, and Mentorship

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Oct 21, 2025

Brad Feld, a renowned venture capitalist and co-founder of Techstars, shares profound insights on mentorship and the startup culture. He discusses how the concept of 'Give First' has reshaped industry dynamics. Listeners learn about key mentors in his life, including Len Fassler, and the pivotal lessons they imparted. Brad also reflects on the importance of letting go while holding on to vital passions and how reading and writing are essential for self-reflection and creativity. His experiences highlight the transformative power of community and authentic connections.

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INSIGHT

Startups Are Deliberate Risk Experiments

Brad Feld frames startups as throwing yourself at the ground and missing, capturing the experimental, risk-taking nature of entrepreneurship.
Embrace trial-and-error and persistent effort as core startup behaviors.

ADVICE

Stay Until The End When You're Responsible

When you hold operational responsibility, "fight to the bitter end" and persist until it's truly over.
Stay accountable until the role's obligations are resolved, even through hardship.

INSIGHT

Support Founders—Don't Seek Control

Separate presence from control: support founders without trying to micromanage them.
Your role as an investor or board member is to enable the CEO, not run the company.

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:03:49) - Heroes

(00:10:50) - How do you know when it’s time to step away from something you started?

(00:18:37) - Len Fassler

(00:32:52) - Mentors and inflection points in life

(00:39:07) - Brad’s book - Give First

(00:47:58) - The role of books in Brad’s career

Links:

Scribe — https://scribemedia.com

Give First: The Power of Mentorship - https://amzn.to/3KT3IvF

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We discuss:

The role of heroes and mentors in shaping Brad’s values
How "Give First" transformed startup culture
How to let go of control while still fighting to the end for what matters
Key mentors like Len Fassler and the life lessons they gave him
Why reading, writing, and coding all serve as reflective practices

Quotes from Brad:

"The best way to fly is to throw yourself at the ground and miss." (Zaphod Beeblebrox quote that Brad uses to describe startups)
"I love to help things get started. That’s my favorite part of the journey."
"Fight to the bitter end. You try until it doesn’t work anymore."
"Some things don’t end. Some things outlive you—which is delightful."
"The future does not belong to me. The future belongs to people 40 years younger than me."
"Give First is not a religion. It’s a philosophy."
"Your VC’s are not in control. The board members are not in control. The CEO is in control."
"Books are core to so many things I do. Reading and writing are how I process the world."
"I write books to understand better an idea and work out the idea."
"Mentorship is about ways of being, not about following a set of rules."
"Hibernation from social media gave me the creative space to finish the book I actually wanted to write."
"People said, 'Brad’s the king of the Colorado startup community.' I hated that. I don’t want to be king—I want to be just one of the many leaders."