The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

In this discussion, Mike Mignano, a Partner at Lightspeed and co-founder of Anchor, shares his insights on the evolving landscape of social media. He believes we are on the brink of a new social media giant and discusses the shift from the traditional social graph to recommendation media. Clubhouse's rise and fall is analyzed, and Mignano argues that BeReal has a defensible position in today’s market. He also reflects on investment strategies and the challenges faced by platforms in monetizing creative content.

Rene Haas, CEO of Arm, shares his journey from Eastman Kodak to leading one of the tech industry's giants. He reflects on crucial lessons from seven years at Nvidia, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and continuous learning. Haas discusses decision-making, revealing common pitfalls leaders face in balancing speed and quality. He also shares insights on scaling organizations while retaining agility and ambition, underlining the need for a culture of urgency and accountability to drive innovation in a large tech company.

Annie Pearl, Chief Product Officer at Calendly, shares her journey from consulting to product leadership, highlighting key insights from her time at Box and Glassdoor. She discusses the necessity for product-led growth companies to eventually embrace enterprise strategies and the challenges involved in that transition. Annie emphasizes the importance of hiring the right product leaders and structuring effective teams to scale. She also explores how Calendly is evolving from a broad scheduling tool to vertical-specific solutions to better address customer needs.

Logan Bartlett, Managing Director at Redpoint, delves into the current venture capital landscape, discussing why some believe this is a remarkable time for investing. He shares insights on the contrasting dynamics between consumer and B2B sectors, emphasizing the recent decline in later-stage financings. Logan also critiques the laziness he's observed among VCs over the past two years, pondering the implications of shifting public market valuations on investment strategies. His personal journey through investing highlights lessons learned from both successes and misses.

Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble, shares her inspiring journey from co-founding Tinder to building a dating app that empowers women. She discusses the pressures of leadership, revealing her highest-pressure moments and how they've shaped her decision-making. Transparency is a key theme, as Whitney highlights its benefits and pitfalls in effective leadership. She also emphasizes the importance of truly listening to teams and maintaining a balance between risk and reward, all while navigating her role as a mother and entrepreneur.

Discover the secrets behind scaling a media brand to over 100 million downloads. Learn how persistence and smart platform selection can drive success. Emphasize consistency and niche focus to engage your audience effectively. Unveil the art of multi-channel content creation and the importance of robust distribution strategies. Explore the dynamics of building a community of dedicated fans, while also gaining insights into equity management for startups and tools designed to sharpen cognitive performance.

Wes Chan, Co-founder and Managing Partner at FPV Ventures, shares insights from his impressive journey at Google and in venture capital. He argues that market dynamics often overshadow the vision of founders, emphasizing that successful entrepreneurs should think in 100-year plans. Wes critiques traditional market sizing and scenario planning, believing they miss the real potential of a product. He also discusses raising funds in uncertain times, advocating for timeless investments and a fresh approach to venture capital that prioritizes true innovation over fleeting trends.

Jordan Van Horn, a Revenue Leader at Monte Carlo with impressive stints at Segment and Dropbox, shares his journey from the wine industry to tech sales. He emphasizes that success in sales isn't just about pricing or revenue in the early days but optimizing for long-term relationships. Jordan discusses the importance of a well-defined sales playbook and when to hire sales leaders versus representatives. He also highlights insights on effective onboarding and the necessity of learning from past sales experiences to foster a high-performing team.

Sheel Mohnot, Co-founder and General Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, shares his unique journey from fintech founder to venture capitalist. He discusses key lessons from his investments in companies like Flexport and Mercury, and reflects on the dangers of oversized GP commitments. Sheel explains the power law in venture capital and its implications for portfolio construction, emphasizing the importance of selective investments in emerging markets. The conversation also touches on the evolving dynamics of collaboration in the VC landscape, blending ambition with strategic partnerships.

Marcelo Claure is an entrepreneur and investor who has founded and led some of the world’s most iconic businesses. He is currently the Chairman & CEO of Claure Capital, a newly founded multi-billion-dollar global investment firm. Before this, Marcelo was COO @ Softbank Group, the world’s largest technology investment company. Bill Gurley is a General Partner @ Benchmark, one of the most successful funds of the last decade with a portfolio including Uber, Twitter, Dropbox, Modern Treasury, Snapchat, StitchFix, and many more. Michael Eisenberg spent 15 years as a General Partner @ Benchmark working alongside Bill and the Benchmark partnership. Following Benchmark, Michael co-founded Aleph, one of the leading Israeli venture funds of the last decade. David Tisch is the Founder and Managing Partner @ Box Group, one of the leading seed focused firms of the last decade with a portfolio including Airtable, Glossier, PillPack, Plaid and many more. Cyan Banister is one of the most successful and renowned early-stage investors in the last decade. Her portfolio includes the likes of SpaceX, Uber, Affirm, Opendoor Postmates, Niantic and Thumbtack to name a few. Zach Weinberg is a Co-Founder of Operator Partners, operators funding operators, with no outside LPs, just their own capital. Luciana Lixandru is a Partner @ Sequoia, one of the world’s most renowned and successful venture firms with Sequoia-backed companies accounting for more than 20% of NASDAQ’s total value. Jeff Lieberman is the Managing Director @ Insight Partners, one of the leading investing franchises of the last 25 years with their most recent flagship fund announced earlier this year being a staggering $20BN. Nick Shalek is a General Partner @ Ribbit Capital, specializing in fintech they are one of the most successful venture firms of the last decade with a portfolio including Robinhood, Coinbase, Revolut, Nubank and more. Frank Rotman is a founding partner of QED Investors, one of the leading fintech-focused venture firms investing today with a portfolio including the likes of Klarna, Kavak, Quinto Andar, Credit Karma and more. Geoff Lewis is the Founder and Managing Partner @ Bedrock, now with over $1BN in AUM, Bedrock invests in breakout technology companies that are incongruent with popular narratives. Justin Fishner-Wolfson is founder and the managing partner of 137 Ventures. Their portfolio includes SpaceX, Wish, Anduril, Flexport, and WorkRise (formerly Rigup) to name a few. David Sze is a General Partner @ Greylock where he has led some of the firms most notable investments including Facebook, LinkedIn and Pandora. In Today's Episode We Discuss Price Sensitivity: 1.) How do you assess your relationship to price and price sensitivity? 2.) When is the time to pay up and have less price discipline? 3.) When should we remain disciplined and not pay up for a deal and walk away because of price? 4.) Of the deals you have paid up for, did their growth rate justify the high entry price? 5.) Knowing all you know now on price, how do you advise younger investors today?