Peter Fenton

Peter Fenton is a General Partner at Benchmark, with a stellar two-decade track record in tech investing. Victor Lazarte, also a General Partner, previously built Wildlife Studios into a mobile gaming giant. They discuss the critical role of shared purpose in partnerships, the unique culture of Benchmark, and their transition from builders to investors. Insights on navigating the evolving tech entrepreneurship landscape reveal the importance of genuine relationships, mental health, and the creative interplay between technology and gaming innovations.

In this insightful discussion, Peter Fenton, the longest-serving partner at Benchmark, shares his expertise as a leading tech investor. He delves into the Darwinian principles that shape Silicon Valley, drawing parallels with AI's transformative role in business. Peter emphasizes the importance of embracing non-scalable approaches and reveals strategies for sourcing top-notch investments. He also discusses the nuances of being an effective board member, underlining the significance of strong relationships and community in fostering innovation.

Join Peter Fenton, Sarah Tavel, Chatham Williams, and Eric Vishria from Benchmark for a captivating discussion. They share insights on their unique investment strategies, the significance of informal dinners in fostering partnership culture, and the emotional complexities of venture decision-making. The team delves into what it takes to become a Benchmark GP and why there's no growth fund, along with their supportive ethos towards entrepreneurs. Listen to their humorous takes on family dynamics and the evolving landscape of venture capital!

Peter Fenton, General Partner at Benchmark, discusses his impressive track record in venture capital, including investments in notable firms like New Relic. He shares how a casual golf game sparked New Relic's Series A investment, illustrating the importance of trust in startup relationships. Fenton dives into the nuances of market timing and the concept of 'unlocking consumption' in today's investment landscape. Lastly, he reflects on the positive aspects of capital oversupply and how it can enhance innovation and collaboration within the venture ecosystem.

In the 40th episode Benchmark’s Peter Fenton joins to discuss his early VC aspirations and path to get where he is now, the successful VC and entrepreneurial mindsets, plus inflation and the current market state. Rashad also joins to discuss Rahul Ligma, Twitter layoffs, and his brand new show No Agenda.(0:00) Intro/Rahul Ligma(04:56) Rashad’s new podcast “No Agenda”(9:28) Introducing Peter Fenton(17:06) Working at Accel(24:59) Mentorship(28:50) Benchmark(39:21) Entrepreneurial mindset(49:19) Successful founder characteristic(54:08) Estimating timelines(1:03:07) Everyone gets worse in venture over time(1:13:48) VC websites(1:19:18) Inflation(1:26:55) Robert Sapolsky(1:32:06) Outro Show Notes:Subscribe to No Agenda: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KHruq3qC0IKm5U9wOIjKZ?si=13bab75351d74c70https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBgv57GHyNgjhl3CBB3XtXp2JylaVKdNsRahul Ligma: https://twitter.com/Rezowan_/status/1586047782351441920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1586047782351441920%7Ctwgr%5Ef725476e02dc15cc5f19f20bc8c3527e61e44c4f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2022%2F10%2F28%2F23428775%2Ftwitter-fake-employee-layoff-rahul-ligma-elon-musk Mixed and edited: Justin HrabovskyProduced: Andrew Nadeau and Rashad AssirExecutive Producer: Josh MachizMusic: Griff Lawson 🎙 Listen to the showApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-cartoon-avatars/id1606770839Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg Follow on Socials📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/cartoonavatars🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/cartoonavatars🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@cartoonavatars About the ShowA Saturday morning podcast hosted by Logan Bartlett (Partner and Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures) covering the tech news with his friends and other people with industry expertise. Executive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow on Socials 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow📱 X - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow About the ShowLogan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, we sit down with the people behind today’s most important startups and extract the tactics, lessons, and frameworks they’ve learned the hard way. Conversations span hiring to GTM, product, growth, fundraising and everything in between - collectively forming the ultimate playbook to make you a better CEO, investor or board member.Tap follow and enable notifications to stay ahead of the game.