Origins - Inside Venture Capital, Hosted by a GP and an LP

Join Jason Shuman, a contrarian investor known for his unique approach, and Will Quist, an investor focused on the startup-Venture Capital relationship, as they uncover the true value VCs bring to the table. They discuss the art of contrarian investing, emphasizing market timing and strategic clarity. The conversation dives into the complex interplay between startups and VCs, highlighting how strong relationships and alignment between investors and founders can either make or break a venture's success. Tune in for insights on navigating the venture capital landscape!

Join Jason Shuman, a Primary GP focused on impact investing, and Will Quist, a Partner at Slow Ventures known for his unique firm-building approach, as they delve into the world of non-consensus investing. They discuss the risks and opportunities of zigging while the market zags and reveal how to spot disruptive companies from day one. The conversation also touches on the evolving role of VCs, the significance of founder support, and how impact teams can drive seed stage success.

Joanna Rupp, Managing Director of Private Equity at the University of Chicago, discusses endowment investing, the differences between small and big funds, and the challenges of managing an influx of capital in the VC space. She also evaluates a new venture fund with insights on diligence, relationship building with LPs, and key milestones for success.

Frank Rotman, CIO at QED Investors, discusses the flaws in funding startups, the role of VC associates, and how VCs can stand out. He emphasizes sustainable growth, non-consensus alpha approach, and the need for purpose in the marketplace.

In this podcast, Scott Kupor, Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, discusses the evolution of the firm, managing LP/GP expectations, and the impact of AI on venture capital. He reflects on his role since being the first hire at a16z and shares insights on valuation corrections in the current venture landscape.

In this podcast, Nick Chirls, Beezer Clarkson, and David Clark discuss the challenges and strategies for unlocking performance in venture capital investments. They explore the role of emerging managers, the significance of dollar sizes and returns, and the importance of focus and long-term commitment. They also analyze venture capital performance data, discuss return expectations, and share valuable lessons from past market cycles.

Ed Sim, founder of Boldstart, and Seyonne Kang, Partner at StepStone, join the hosts to discuss Q4 market predictions. They cover topics such as the challenges faced by venture firms, the impact of current market conditions on VC fundraising, factors affecting DPI for older funds, challenges faced by companies in the Q4 VC market, geography and concentration of startup funding, and predictions for Q4 market including uncertainties in startup companies and predictions of failures and markdowns.

Adam Valkin, Managing Director at General Catalyst, shares insights on navigating difficult markets in 2023, investing, firm building, and partnering with founders. He highlights the importance of building alignment and expertise in a small venture firm, the significance of meaningful connections with founders, and the ultimate success being dependent on the founders and their management team.

Melissa Lucas currently serves as the CIO for the investment vehicles of two extended families. She has decades of experience handling the unique investment needs of extended families, and investing across asset classes from venture capital to credit to equities. Prior to her work for families, she spent nearly a decade working at several subsidiaries of The Capital Group – first, as an investment analyst of, and later, as an investor in, the healthcare and chemical industries. In this episode we dive into topics such as where venture fits into her portfolios, the current state of the market across asset classes, how she finds new managers, and how to think about and consider family offices as LPs.

Origins is a podcast about the VC and LP ecosystem, co-hosted by Nick Chirls of Notation and Beezer Clarkson of Sapphire Partners. We're joined by our guest Beth Ferreira, a Partner at FirstMark focused on seed and Series A investing in a broad range of consumer companies, including next-generation commerce, consumer tech, and mobile startups. Prior to FirstMark, Beth was the Managing Partner of WME Ventures, was Chief Operating Officer at Fab and ran operations in the early days of Etsy. In this episode, we do a deep dive on the current state of the series A market, including what founders need to prove between seed and A for Firstmark to gain conviction, valuation compression, how to think about the tradeoffs between growth and efficiency, and why Firstmark is as excited as ever to continue leading seed and Series A rounds, even in a difficult environment. Follow us: https://twitter.com/nchirls https://twitter.com/beezer232 https://twitter.com/bethferreira Links: https://carta.com/blog/state-of-private-markets-q1-2023/