Paige Finn DohertyFounding Partner, Behind Genius · Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures

How Can Investors Bring Value To Founders?🤔 #venturecapital #shorts

6 Aug 2022 · 1 min

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In this brief interview, a venture investor emphasizes that founders should never feel they work for their investors. The investor describes their approach to adding value by sharing opinions, networks, frameworks, and challenging founders' thinking, drawing inspiration from seasoned VCs like Doug McKenzie of Kleiner Perkins. They also mention collaborating with Anne Miraco of Floodgate on best practices for managing board and strategic meetings, stressing that it is a 'sin' for founders to claim they act solely because an investor told them to. The overall message promotes a partnership mindset where investors support founders without exerting control.

Chapters

Have you found that passing the baton is different when you're working with a team that works for you rather than a co-founder?
I don't view any of my teams as working for me. In fact, I work really hard to make sure that all founders know that they do not work for their investors. And so as an investor, I feel really lucky to be on a journey with the founders who I work with. And I do my damnedest to add value, just like Doug McKenzie at Kleiner Perkins and many other VCs added value to me. And so I share opinions, I share my network, I share frameworks, I challenge their thinking, but by no means do I view them as working for me. I just earlier today, Anne Miraco at Floodgate and I did this, you know, how to manage a board meeting or strategic meeting of startups. I was really clear that to me, it's a sin if you as a founder are ever saying, you know, well, I'm doing this because my investor told me to.