The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC: 19 Company Portfolio: 1 Decacorn, 7 Unicorns, 4 Acquisitions; One of the Best Seed Investors of All Time on How to Pick Generational Defining Founders, Why Nothing but the Founder Matters & Why the Best Investors are Never Happy w/ Gili Raanan

Listen Later

Gili Raanan is the Founder of Cyberstarts and one of the most successful seed investors ever. In his 19 company portfolio, Gili has invested in a decacorn (Wiz), seven unicorns and had three others acquired. Prior to Cyberstarts, Gili spent over 15 years as a General Partner @ Sequoia Capital investing in some of the world's best cyber security companies.

In Today's Episode with Gili Raanan We Discuss:

1. From Founder to World's Best Seed Investor:

  • How did Gili make the move into the world of venture with Sequoia?
  • How did Mike Moritz and Doug Leone recruit him? What was that process like?
  • What are 1-2 of Gili's biggest takeaways from working with Doug and Mike?

2. How to Find and Pick the Best Founders:

  • What did Mike Moritz teach Gili about getting to know founders?
  • Why does Gili look for the pain in the eyes of the founder? What questions does he ask?
  • What are the most common signals of truly exceptional founders, having backed 7 unicorns?
  • Why does Gili believe that both market and product is BS? Why are the founders all that matters?
  • Why does Gili believe that the founder does not have to be a domain expert in a market to create a massive company in that market?

3. What it Takes to be the Best Seed Investor:

  • Why does Gili believe that the best seed investors do not have theses?
  • How important does Gili feel the brand of the VC firm is? What were his biggest lessons on brand from spending 15 years as a General Partner @ Sequoia?
  • Why does Gili believe that the best investors are never happy? When you are happy, you lose.

4. 2021 is Back: Pricing, Uprounds and more

  • Why does Gili believe that the best companies are always expensive and will always be expensive at every round?
  • Why does Gili believe that 2021 pricing and funding is back?
  • Is this a good thing? How does Gili advise founders on how much to raise and what valuation to set with investors?
  • What does Gili believe are the single biggest sins from the zero interest rate environment?

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The PitchBy Harry Stebbings
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

468 ratings

More shows like The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

View all
This Week in Startups by Jason Calacanis

This Week in Startups

1,267 Listeners

a16z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

a16z Podcast

1,003 Listeners

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors by SaaStr

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors

174 Listeners

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

2,288 Listeners

Equity by TechCrunch, Mary Ann Azevedo, Kell, Theresa Loconsolo, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Devin Coldewey, Margaux MacColl

Equity

343 Listeners

Masters of Scale by WaitWhat

Masters of Scale

3,964 Listeners

Y Combinator Startup Podcast by Y Combinator

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

207 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

8,778 Listeners

The Logan Bartlett Show by by Redpoint Ventures

The Logan Bartlett Show

189 Listeners

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups by Conviction

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

125 Listeners

The Ben & Marc Show by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz

The Ben & Marc Show

120 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

434 Listeners

AI + a16z by a16z

AI + a16z

33 Listeners

Lightcone Podcast by Y Combinator

Lightcone Podcast

19 Listeners

Training Data by Sequoia Capital

Training Data

36 Listeners