S1E11: How Does LA's Top VC William Hsu Look at Entrepreneurs and Taiwan's Startup Environment
Dec 30, 2022
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Guest William Hsu, VC and co-founder of Mucker Capital, discusses the potential of Taiwan's startup scene, the importance of storytelling in startup pitches, and the need for Taiwanese entrepreneurs to think globally. They also explore the 'blue-collar VC' concept and share insights from Thomas Edison's muckers.
Taiwan's startup ecosystem has the potential to rival that of Los Angeles, according to William Hsu, Co-founder and Partner of Mucker Capital
Mucker Capital emphasizes the importance of financial discipline, market knowledge, and persistence in building successful startups
Deep dives
Building Vertical SAS Companies in a Fragmented Industry
Trenton, an entrepreneur from Go Free, runs a vertical SAS company for freight orders in a global industry with large billion-dollar players and many fragmented small players. With expertise in building vertical SAS companies, Mucker Capital saw the potential in Trenton's business. However, Trenton struggled with pitching his idea and lacked knowledge on how to scale. Mucker Capital recognized the need for a sales motion and financial discipline to drive growth and profitability in the industry.
The Origins and Approach of Mucker Capital
Mucker Capital, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, takes an unconventional approach to investing. The firm's name is inspired by Thomas Edison's team of hard-working innovators known as Muckers. Mucker Capital believes in the importance of perspiration over inspiration and focuses on lean startup methodology. The firm also prides itself on its humble beginnings, bootstrapping its own venture fund and providing guidance to entrepreneurs to build capital-efficient and lean businesses.
The Blue-Collar VC Model and Lessons in Humility
Mucker Capital describes itself as a 'blue-collar VC' due to its focus on capital efficiency, lean operations, and the willingness to bootstrap. The firm emphasizes the importance of financial discipline, market knowledge, and persistence in building successful startups. Despite their success, Mucker Capital maintains humility and recognizes that they are constantly learning and evolving, acknowledging that success is based on continuous improvement and adaptability rather than relying solely on past achievements.
Overcoming Obstacles and Cultivating Success in Taiwan's Startup Scene
Mucker Capital has faith in Taiwan's startup ecosystem and sees potential for it to become on par with other startup hubs. While Taiwan may face obstacles such as risk aversion and limited international connections, Mucker Capital believes that success is possible by selecting the right entrepreneurs and helping them develop storytelling and business skills. The firm acknowledges Taiwan's strengths, particularly in engineering talent, and encourages startups to focus on global markets from the outset to attract attention from international investors.
William Hsu of Mucker Capital opened up to us about his story before funding Mucker Capital and shared his insights as a venture capitalist who witnessed Los Angeles turn into one of the most vital tech geographies in a decade from a no man's land for startups.
"Taiwan, as we see it today, is already better than what LA was in 2011 when Mucker Capital first started" William Hsu talked to us about his confidence in seeing Taiwan builds up a competitive startup ecosystem. William pointed out Taiwan's advantages and what Taiwanese startups should pay attention to. More than that, he revealed how he usually encourages and coaches entrepreneurs for every startup that wants to succeed in pitching to investors. Check out his insights and tips now!
Highlights: ⭐The "Mucker" concept from Thomas Edison's muckers ⭐If LA can do it, so does Taiwan. ⭐Taiwan has those tech talents. ⭐Experience in Stanford inspires William's career as an entrepreneur. ⭐It values failure as much as success: William's learning from failure and what he encourages his entrepreneurs to do every quarter. ⭐How to tell a compelling story to VCs: 3 takeaways from William ⭐An actual example of how William coaches a Taiwanese entrepreneur ⭐The most important thing Taiwanese entrepreneurs need to do.
Host: Jeremy Olivier, senior editor of AmCham Taiwan Guest: Wiliam Hsu, Co-founder and Partner of Mucker Capital, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm that focuses on Seed and Series A startups outside Silicon Valley. Mucker Capital is one of the best-performing VCs outside the bay area in the last 10 years.
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