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

What lessons did VITALIZE Managing Partner Gale Wilkinson learn as a founder?

29 Nov 2022 · 1 min

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In this interview segment, VITALIZE Managing Partner Gale Wilkinson shares the key lessons she gained from founding two businesses and how they inform her work as an investor. She emphasizes the critical importance of focus, noting that her first venture—a blog‑style project started in her early twenties—lacked a clear direction and ultimately failed because it did not generate revenue. The experience taught her that a focused vision and a solid revenue model are essential for sustainability. Wilkinson then discusses her second startup, Hirebright, which aimed to connect students and recent graduates with startup and growth‑stage roles. The venture highlighted the challenges of co‑founder dynamics, especially when partners do not share the same vision. These insights—focus, revenue clarity, and aligned co‑founder vision—are presented as foundational principles that guide her investment decisions today.

Chapters

After starting 2 businesses, I'm curious, what lessons did you take away as a founder that have benefited you as an investor? Number one is focus. My first business was not focused. I was 20, let's see, 25 at the time that I started it and had to learn all this stuff that college didn't teach me to succeed in the real world. And I started what effectively became a blog because I never figured out how to generate revenue, which is Second lesson. That experience was really great because I created something. I had a ton of viewers, but I ended up shutting it down after 3 years of doing it kind of on nights and weekends because I learned that, you know, focus is important and I need the revenue model. And I started one when I was at business school called Hirebright, and that was about helping students and recent grads find startup and growth roles. But I didn't have the same vision as the partner that I had at the time, and I learned a ton about co-founder dynamics.