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

20VC: Are the Best CEOs the Best Fundraisers, Are the Best Founders Insiders or Outsiders to a Problem, Why Ownership Should Not Be a Focus in VC & The Biggest Lessons Scaling MongoDB to $26BN Market Cap with Kevin Ryan, Founder @ AlleyCorp


Listen Later

Kevin Ryan is one of the leading serial entrepreneurs and investors in New York. Previously he co-founded MongoDB, Business Insider, Gilt Groupe, Zola, Nomad Health, Pearl Health, and was the CEO of DoubleClick (Acquired by Google for $3.1B). Today, Kevin is the founder and CEO of AlleyCorp, a venture capital firm that incubates and invests in transformative companies in healthcare, diversified tech, robotics, and impact. Just yesterday, Alleycorp announced their $250M fund, their first ever external capital. 

In Today’s Episode with Kevin Ryan We Discuss:

  1. Early Signs of Entrepreneurship

  • How did Kevin’s early life shape his career? How would his parents and teachers describe him?

  • Does Kevin agree that successful entrepreneurs always show signs early?

  • What does Kevin think about luck vs. skill? Why does Kevin think that most things are out of your control as an entrepreneur?

  1. Lessons from Founding 10+ Companies Worth $27BN

  • Does Kevin agree the best CEOs are also the best fundraisers?

  • What were Kevin’s biggest lessons from scaling DoubleClick from 20 to 2000 employees?

  • What was Kevin’s a-ha moment behind Business Insider? What was the reason behind its success?

  • Why does Kevin believe the best founders are always in unfamiliar fields?

  1. Incubating World’s Best Companies

  • How does Kevin allocate resources between incubations vs. investments?

  • What are the biggest commonalities between successful companies at AlleyCorp?

  • Is Kevin a market-led or people-led investor?

  • What does Kevin think is the most important element in achieving product-market fit?

  • What was Kevin’s biggest miss on selecting founders? What were his takeaways?

  1. Current State of Venture

  • Why does Kevin believe venture is more competitive now than ever before?

  • What does Kevin know now that wish he’d known when he started investing?

  • Does Kevin agree rich investors make better investors?

  • Why does Kevin not care about ownership?

  • Does Kevin agree with Doug Leone that venture has transitioned from a high boutique margin industry to a low margin commoditised industry?

  • Does Kevin agree with Peter Fenton that price is a mental trap?

 

...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

1,002 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

8,717 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