Absurd Ventures的动态

It’s a common adage that Hardware founders are playing the game on “hard mode” but is that really true? Legendary Silicon Valley investor Peter Relan joined me on CLIMB last month as we interrogated the commonly held beliefs about hardware investing and why it scares a lot of VCs away from hardware and hard tech. Personally, I think if you have a hardware founder, building with eyes wide open about the challenges ahead of them, and they choose to do it *anyway* you’re backing an individual with a level of conviction that just can’t be taught. It's why we at VSC Ventures don’t shy away from hardware — whether in PaintJet, Presso?, Glacier, GaeaStar, or Sesame Solar. In fact just the opposite. We’re confident that the next decade of unicorns will come from founders building vertical solutions in legacy industries that have remained under-digitized and under-invested. You can hear Peter and I chat about what it actually means to be ‘eyes wide open’ as a hardware founder in 2024 on our latest episode:

Just dropped! A ?? minisode of Origins where Nicholas Chirls and Elizabeth "Beezer" Clarkson recap their recent conversation with Jack Altman, founder of Lattice and GP at Alt Capital. ?? Nick gives a full debrief on launching Asylum Ventures, offering advice for aspiring GPs. Having raised three funds of Notation, he shares what he's doing differently now and why. Plus, Nick and Beezer discuss key learnings from their chat with Jack: ??? All about Jack’s journey from VC-backed founder to angel investor to institutional VC—how different work as a founder is from investor. Many assume the skills overlap, but the day-to-day realities of running a company and managing LP capital are quite distinct. ???????? How to juggle family and work responsibilities all while building a company and/or managing a venture firm. ?? The secret to being successful… staying true to yourself. You can’t force yourself into a role that doesn’t fit. Catch the minisode + full episode linked in the comments! ?? #OpenLP #Origins #VC

Thinking of founding a start-up? You'll need to convince investors to buy into your idea. In We Try First's very own rendition of Shark Tank, Cheow Sue-Ann pitches her business idea to potential investors. Here's what she learnt. Catch the episodes of We Try First in our HeadSTart newsletter: str.sg/headstart-stli

Angel investing got your attention? Ready to make the jump to LP investor and truly diversify your portfolio? This Fall, we're hosting a LIVE session to help you get started! Whether you're new to Angel investing or looking to level up, there's something for you (and it's more affordable than you might think!). ?? Sign up & learn more: https://buff.ly/3Z7oxsg #angelinvesting #venturecapital #startup

AppLovin's stock had its best day ever on Thursday, rising 46% following the company's latest earnings report. I am super curious about the founder's background and found this latest interview by Pear VC. Adam Foroughi, the founder, shared that he prioritized profitability over revenue growth, leading to a successful bootstrapping strategy. Pivoting is essential in the early stages, even if it means abandoning seemingly promising ideas. Focus on building a profitable business, even if it means rejecting traditional VC funding. As a founder, I can relate a lot to my last 5 years of ventures. Here are my 3 takeaways from this sharing: - The founder plays a crucial role in defining the company’s vision and guiding its early development. - It’s essential for founders to prioritize product market fit and be deeply involved in product development. - As the company grows, founders should delegate responsibilities to skilled individuals, freeing themselves to focus on long-term strategy. ?? AdamForoughi_PearVC_FiresideChat_11042024 Summary https://lnkd.in/gZ6z8E4D

This is what I call “YouTuber-Startup Market Fit” This creator isn’t just popular, they actually speak the language of our users: stock traders and financial degens who want education as entertainment. Their audience? The same people we’re building AfterHour for. Sponsoring the wrong creator can feel like setting money on fire. But when the fit is right, it’s like unlocking a pipeline of high-quality users who actually care. Let’s see if this gamble pays off or if I’ll regret it in the next investor update ?? https://lnkd.in/gN5QxTuw

Make meaningful progress in your pitch with a 'slide one' approach. Focus on the core mission and build from there. With 30 years in Silicon Valley, Pitchfreaks knows the needs of founders and investors. Join us on Clubhouse for insightful discussions on perfecting your pitch! Monday-Wednesday, 10:30am-12pm PT. Follow us in the Pitchfreaks room and subscribe to @Pitchfreaks on YouTube for highlights. #pitchfreaks #coremission #pitchdevelopment #SiliconValley #investorneeds #founderneeds #pitchintroduction #10secpitch #passthepitchfreak #slide1 #clubhouse #pitchfreaksroom"

Something I have in common with a lot of founders: I've picked a bad investor before. Reason why is stupidly simple: I didn't ask enough questions. I was a junior VC in my first real role in venture and we were investing in one of my first deals alongside another fund with a lead investor who seemed... honestly, kinda 'checked out'. Had I picked up the phone and called some of his recent investments, I'd have learned that fact pretty quickly. But I didn't. Maybe I was swayed by their brand, their social presence, their track record, too eager to do the deal, or just too intimidated as a junior investor to question the GP leading the deal. But none of these are excuses for not doing reference checks on an investor you haven't worked with before. Could have avoided a lot of heartburn with just a couple of calls. It's why I'm such a strong advocate of reference checking. I do it for every founder I invest in now and I encourage every founder to reference check me too. Because the end goal isn't a spotless record -- anyone doing this for long enough, has taken their fair share of Ls. It's about finding a fit and a partner you're willing to work with for a better part of a decade. Unsurprisingly this conversation came up in a recent episode of CLIMB with my guest Kate McAndrew from Baukunst. Here's what she had to say:

Testimonial Tuesdays Reviews from clients are always a bright spot in the day. Thank you for the privilege of working with you in this venture. @taylorjohnsonodre @Lior_rozhansky_re @Northstargroupkw @_WillDynan #housesales #investmentrealestate #findyourdreamhome #yourlocalrealtor #realtorofinstagram #buysellinvest #listingspecialist #sellingagent #propertyconsultant#realestatelisting

Today we have the honor of interviewing Konrad von Moltke and Elliott Mack. Konrad is the principal of?WISE Ventures, the investment arm of the Wilf family who are the owners of the Minnesota Vikings (NFL) and Orlando City SC and Pride (MLS, NWSL), among other holdings. Elliott Mack is an investor at?Techstars Sports?and?Techstars NYC Accelerators. Big thank you to Konrad and Elliott for their time and great insights! ??Show Notes:?Through this interview, we touched on the following topics: - The most promising areas of sports tech investments in 2024. - The outlook of the sports tech investment market in 2024. - The major challenges that we're going to have to overcome in the sports tech market in 2024. - The biggest drivers that they see in the sports tech market in 2024. You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Konrad and Elliott located at the top of this blog post. https://lnkd.in/evd2miGV