Wharton FinTech Podcast Urvashi Barooah, Principal at Redpoint Ventures - From Wharton to Venture Investing
Sep 7, 2023
Urvashi Barooah, Principal at Redpoint Ventures, shares her journey from Wharton to venture investing. She discusses her transition from consulting to venture capital, her investment philosophy, and advice for aspiring VCs. They explore the potential of vertical SaaS in various industries and the challenges of staying grounded in VC. They also discuss the qualities of an empathetic investor and supporting the fintech community.
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Entrepreneurship Upbringing in India
- Urvashi grew up surrounded by entrepreneurship through her parents' businesses in India.
- She learned early on about the grit needed to run a business facing real-world challenges like land rights and insurgencies.
Focus on Founders to Break Into VC
- Spend more time building relationships with founders rather than only networking with VCs if you want to break into venture capital.
- Actively engage with the founder community to develop relevant experience and insights.
Key Early Stage Investment Criteria
- Early stage investing prioritizes team quality, market size, and timing of market readiness.
- founders' tenacity, a billion-dollar market opportunity, and clear market catalysts indicate strong investment potential.