David Cruz e Silva 🎙’s Post

Let's talk about a tough pill to swallow in VC. The best founders aren't always the ones you click with personally. We all know the importance of founder-investor fit. BUT. What about when a brilliant, driven founder doesn't fit your social circle? Let's be honest. Sometimes, the best managers aren't the ones you like the most. The takeaway? As VCs, we need to: 👉 Recognize leadership beyond personal preference. 👉 Strong market fit, a sound business model, and a talented team are what matters It's not about finding a best friend. It's about finding the best leader for the company. We loved to discuss this counterintuitive thing. With Ertan Can, Founding GP of Multiple Capital. And we love to hear your thoughts, too. So, please join the conversation in the comments section. #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startupfunding #europe

Dear Founders, Know why love yet hate VCs? What I love about them: ✅ Supporting innovation ✅ Embracing risk ✅ Empowering founders What I hate about them: 🛑 Stifle innovation 🛑 Following the herd 🛑 Ruining founders The difference? Paper thin. Just like good vs bad founders, the difference between good and bad often VCs comes down to humility and growth mindset. The best VCs understand that they don't have all the answers. The worst? They think they've seen it all before. Founders choose your partners wisely. The right VC can propel you forward. The wrong VC can hold you back. Yours truly, David

What do VCs look at when investing in founders? In my interview with Jeremy Tan, he breaks down three things he looks for in founders. 1. Founders with loosely-held convictions. Can they change their mind when presented with countervailing evidence to their initial thesis? 2. Founders with a Growth Mindset. Can they grow as leaders as their businesses scale? 3. Intellectually Curious Founders. Do they actively seek out new information to enhance their business' offering?

The God father of VC  → Don Valentine founded Sequoia Capital  a firm so influential that it helped shape Silicon Valley. backed some of the most successful companies ever, including Apple, Oracle, and Cisco. he shared the founder-first routine that helped him → identify transformative technologies  → build multi-billion-dollar companies. Here's the breakdown: Visionary Leadership:→  Valentine always focused on the big picture, betting on long-term, transformative change rather than short-term gains. Founder Focus: → He believed in backing not just businesses but strong founders with the grit and drive to change industries. Strategic Risk-Taking:→  Valentine didn’t shy away from high risks; he bet on industries with massive potential, even when others doubted.

🚀 Attention Founders: Your Unfair Advantage Revealed! David Cummings of Atlanta Ventures drops some Monday truth: Culture = Your controllable competitive edge 🤔 VCs: What cultural elements do you look for in potential investments? 💼 Founders: How are you consciously crafting your company culture? Let's discuss! 💬 #VentureCapital #StartupLife #CorporateCulture #FounderTips #MondayMotivation

The circles don’t have to cross 2021 VC: founder cheerleader 2024 VC: circles will intersect Remember you can tell the truth and not crush people. All founders are passionate, they have to in order to defy gravity and build something that was never done before. Be kind. And founders, please diligence how the nice VC in front of you who wants to win your business will behave when telling the truth.

The reason we need to talk about CEO succession is not just because founder CEOs considering stepping down need it. It will make the entire startup ecosystem healthier. Companies will be better places to work when they are led by an appropriate leader, not by a founder CEO who is procrastinating on stepping down. Investors will see higher returns if there's the right person in charge at each stage of the company's growth. And yes, founder CEOs will suffer less and enjoy what they do more. Let me be clear. I'm not saying that every founder CEO should quit. Many should go and take their companies all the way to the exit, IPO or another destination. BUT: if a founder CEO is feeling trapped in their role, not being efficient because of this, and the company is suffering as a result, this is a lose-lose situation for everyone. No one gets a medal for staying in their job longer than it makes sense.

Founder Mode is interesting aspect to drive the organization

The one trait that separates great founders from the rest? It's not what you think. After 500+ founder interactions and countless pitch meetings, I've cracked the code on what truly makes a founder exceptional. It's not their IQ, not their ivy league degree, and certainly not their ability to drop buzzwords. It's their ability to listen. Really listen. Here's the brutal truth: Founders who can't listen are ticking time bombs. I've seen "visionaries" crash and burn because they couldn't take feedback. The best founders? They're conviction-driven builders WITH insane humility. They know when to seek help and lean on others' expertise. Having a "system" to gather insights and actually use them? That's the secret sauce. It's not about blindly following advice, but strengthening decision-making. Our "inability to listen" detector is finely tuned. And let me tell you, it's saved us from some potentially disastrous investments. As investors, we're not looking for yes-men. We want founders who can challenge us, but also know when to absorb wisdom. Thoughts? #StartupAdvice #FounderSkills #VCInsights

so by this logic Satya Nadella is a professional faker and skillful liar got it thanks for the insight. Most tech unicorns are not run by founders anymore and many that still are have very competent managers working for them. Scaling the organization behind the scenes. Zuck had Sandberg. Jobs had Cook (and Alves) Gates has Nadella Kalanick (Uber) forced out and Khosrowshahi installed (turns profitable) Brinn & Page (Google) --> Schmidt (who scales) Moore & Noyce (Intel) --> Grove (who scales) Paul Graham is a phenomenal founder friendly guy, but this is where he is out of his element. And if he thinks Brian Chesky, the CEO of AirBnB (who this quote is attributed to) runs a big company, he doesn't. He either hired too many managers too early, hired the wrong ones (again too early) or didn't identify and promote internally. Different set of issues.