Bhragan Paramanantham’s Post

Thanks for these thoughts, Olivia. I (obviously) couldn't agree more. The reason that so many are so dismissive of this sort of capability-building by a small handful of firms is that they either (a) don't want to admit that it matters, because admitting it's impactful is then VERY expensive for them to then go duplicate, or (b) they've tried or seen others try, but only half-heartedly, and seen those efforts amount to not much. The reality is if you're going to do it you need to REALLY commit and invest. There can be no half measures in this stuff. If you're going to do it that way you should definitely save the money and pay yourselves more. But if you bring a customer-centric approach to it and think like a product builder, and commit whatever resources are necessary to unlock real value creation then you'll see some really rewarding results. You don't need to do everything - in fact you shouldn't. But the things you do choose to do you need to invest in the people and leadership to make sure you do it exceptionally well. People also like to say that firms that build any meaningful portfolio support capabilities end up attracting weaker founders. That's total BS and lazy thinking. As I shared in the session last week, we track religiously the engagement and interactions of our Impact team with our portfolio, and we have from the beginning found that the most capable and most experienced founders are amongst those who lean into what we offer the most. These people understand the value of free help and recognize that no matter how experienced you are and how great your founding team is, you are always under-resourced at the beginning and there is always stuff that you need help on. That's exactly what we're there for. We're not there to run a business for someone, we're there to pitch in around the edges, fill gaps that an early company isn't big enough to be able to fill on their own, etc. But really, I love that so many people dismiss this stuff. Less competition is a luxury....

Great lessons for anyone looking to build that 0-1 journey (0 to 1 bn! ) Excellent points; you can get to 1m by being focusing on yourself, to get to 1bn you have to focus on others. 🧑💻Christopher J. Sanjeev Addala

One of the truths in business we've forgotten over the years is that businesses don't exist to make money. Businesses exist to meet a need. Making money and generating profit are the means by which businesses earn the right to continue meeting customer needs over time. Show me a business that can't tell a clear, succinct story of how they meet customer needs (in ways customers would say themselves), and I'll show you the Achilles heel in their product or business model that will be their undoing. In VCs, firms like Forum Ventures and Redesign Health will win out over time. Their lifeblood is positioning founders to win. They know they don't succeed unless their founders succeed, not the other way around. I'm not sure how we reverse this trend, but I'm glad to see firms like these two leading the way. Who else is doing this right?

So, I think I said, going forward we would just be PSV. Actually, that’s no quite true. Having grown into a venture house, means we’re several independent venture funds, investment units and initiatives under one roof. In the process of finding the right name and narrative for such a house, Helle, Richard, Christel and I, were forced to also think about what actually makes our venture fund hashtag #PSVTech stand out. The answer was very liberating. We’re just another early-stage VC. Personally, I don’t think all of us generalist early stage VCs are all that different. A venture model is venture model, it’s not rocket science at least it shouldn’t be. We all try to stand out by becoming data-driven, being first movers on ESG or the favorite, being founder first. What makes us stand out is our experience, our craft and our ability to really connect with founders. At PSV Tech we’ve dedicated ourselves to backing founders pre-product/market fit. We get behind their vision before others do and based on more than two decades of experience our team knows the twist and turns of getting a software-focused startup from first proof to a repeatable model. We’ve tailored our setup to help founders through that exact stage. It’s the craft we know by heart. Christian, Sebastian

Did you know that our Managing Partner, Victor Orlovski, was recently featured in an AlphaWeek interview, sharing his insights on the venture market for mid- to late-stage start-ups? ✅ It’s true! 🗣️ In his interview, Victor touches base on….. ▪️ The origins of R136 Ventures ▪️Current challenges facing mid- to late-stage start-up and whether they’re permanent or temporary ▪️ What makes a strong VC versus a not so strong one and whether strong VCs are becoming more hands-on with their portfolio companies ▪️How R136 Ventures has adapted its approach to due diligence on potential portfolio companies since the fall out from the Silicon Valley Bank collapse ▪️A message to LPs on the benefits of mid- to late-stage investing compared to early-stage investments 🤝A special thank you to Greg Winterton, Managing Editor at AlphaWeek, for giving Victor the opportunity to share his feedback on the current VC landscape. A 🔗 to the interview can be found below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eUjbrFnU #R136insights

Are you ready to join us on an exciting journey towards discovering the next big unicorn? Advalorem Angel Syndicate offers accredited investors the opportunity to invest smartly in early-stage startups with potential for massive growth. With our expert guidance and hands-on approach, we help turn simple ideas into thriving businesses. Plus, as a member of our syndicate, you'll have access to unbeatable terms and opportunities that are far more promising than anything you've seen before. Don't miss out on the future of venture investing – join Advalorem today! 💸🚀 #SmartInvesting #AdValoremSyndicate 🦄

Take a look at our latest awaken* newsletter as Anna Fang, CEO of the early-stage venture fund ZhenFund, shared her insights on venture capital and more. ✨ 🌟 Highlights: 1. Understand Anna Fang's inspiration behind starting ZhenFund. 2. Explore Anna's point of view regarding the evolving landscape of the venture capital industry in China over time. 3. Delve deeper into the process of finding founders for ZhenFund and how they maintain their high standards. 4. Learn more about the common traits of successful founders and get tips on overcoming early-stage startup challenges. 5. Discuss how the China market is impacting and being impacted by the business trends. 📌 Don't miss out on this exclusive content. Subscribe now at https://lnkd.in/gSvHpHVx!

Have you ever wondered how the spirit of innovation and revolution is shaping the investment landscape for Black-led ventures in America? We at Finmag bring you an exclusive story on how The BFM Fund is radically transforming the scenario. The brainchild of dynamic duo Himalaya Rao-Potlapally and Michel Marceau, this fund aims to provide a direct funding path for Black founders. Operating from Portland, Oregon, they are already causing ripples throughout the Finance, Financial Services, and Venture Capital industries in the U.S. How are they achieving this? What sets them apart? And most importantly, how are they helping the Black-led ventures rise and shine in today’s competitive startup environment? Find out all this and much more at: https://lnkd.in/enfpeHzw Join us in celebrating this innovative fund and appreciating the efforts of its founders towards promoting diversity and inclusivity in the business world. #Innovation #DiversityInBusiness #InclusiveInvesting #VentureCapital #BlackFoundersMatter LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/egmaN-aM Twitter: https://lnkd.in/ejmpRAMp Facebook: https://lnkd.in/eeUf6nU6 Stay tuned for more exciting stories from the world of finance and investment!

Former Bessemer Venture Partners, Index Ventures and a16z alumni launched a new $350 million VC fund: Chemistry A new #VC firm called #Chemistry has launched with a massive $350 million debut fund. Founded by industry veterans Mark Goldberg (former partner at #Index Ventures), Kristina Shen (former general partner at #Andreessen Horowitz), and Ethan Kurzweil (former partner at #Bessemer), the trio brings a wealth of experience from top-tier investment firms. Chemistry plans to invest in early-stage startups, primarily at the Series A level but also in seed rounds. Their focus areas include fintech, infrastructure, developer tools, and work software. Each partner intends to invest in two to three deals per year, emphasizing a hands-on approach with their portfolio companies. As they stated, "We are the portfolio services team, working in the trenches with our founders." The firm's debut fund was reportedly 2x oversubscribed, highlighting strong investor confidence in their vision and expertise. In their previous roles, the founders have backed notable companies like LaunchDarkly, Plaid, and Twitch, among others. The article on TechCrunch in the first comment.

Take a look at our latest awaken* newsletter as Anna Fang, CEO of the early-stage venture fund ZhenFund, shared her insights on venture capital and more. ✨ 🌟 Highlights: 1. Understand Anna Fang's inspiration behind starting ZhenFund. 2. Explore Anna's point of view regarding the evolving landscape of the venture capital industry in China over time. 3. Delve deeper into the process of finding founders for ZhenFund and how they maintain their high standards. 4. Learn more about the common traits of successful founders and get tips on overcoming early-stage startup challenges. 5. Discuss how the China market is impacting and being impacted by the business trends. 📌 Don't miss out on this exclusive content. Subscribe now at https://lnkd.in/gmmNVgvF