January 31, 2025

E134: How I Accidentally Started a Billion Dollar Tech Company w/Carta CEO Henry Ward

34 minutes

In this episode of How I Invest, I dive deep into a conversation with Henry Ward, CEO of Carta, to discuss his journey building one of the most transformative companies in private market infrastructure. From cap table management to fund administration and beyond, Henry shares his insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the future of private equity. We delve into Carta's strategic pivots, its playbook for turning services into scalable software, and Henry's contrarian views on AI and leadership. This episode is packed with lessons for founders, investors, and operators navigating the evolving landscape of private capital.

Highlights:

The Carta Journey: How Carta evolved from solving cap table management to building software for fund CFOs.

Scaling Through Innovation: The importance of constantly iterating and innovating in markets with limited growth potential.

AI in Private Markets: Why Henry is focused on using AI to enhance customer experiences instead of reducing headcount.

Building the Carta Cartel: How former Carta employees are founding companies with Henry's support—and reshaping angel investing.

Services to Software: Carta's unique playbook for acquiring service businesses and turning them into software-driven solutions.

Future of Fund Admin: The roadmap for automating fund administration and achieving “one-click” reporting by 2030.

Private Equity Expansion: Carta’s strategy for becoming the operating system for private capital beyond venture.

Leadership Insights: Henry’s take on founder mode, micromanagement, and why caring deeply is essential to great leadership.

Guest Bio:

Henry Ward is the CEO of Carta, a company revolutionizing private market infrastructure through software. Since its founding in 2012, Carta has grown into the industry standard for cap table management, fund administration, and private market data. Henry is also an active angel investor, backing numerous startups founded by former Carta employees. Known for his visionary thinking and contrarian ideas, Henry is committed to reshaping how private capital markets operate.

Our Podcast now receives more than 200,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at [email protected].

#VentureCapital #VC #Startups #OpenLP #AssetManagement

Stay Connected: X / Twitter:

David Weisburd: @dweisburd

Henry Ward: @henrysward

LinkedIn:

David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/

Henry Ward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heward/

Links:

Carta: https://www.carta.com/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at [email protected].

(0:00) Episode preview

(2:31) Building Carta: Innovation and Execution

(5:03) AI's Role and Impact at Carta

(9:21) Fund Administration Challenges and Solutions

(12:33) Investing in Carta's Team and Culture

(14:51) Angel Investing and CEO Controversies

(17:48) Balancing Founder and Investor Roles

(22:03) Carta's Acquisition Strategy and Automation Goals

(25:10) Carta's Role for CFOs in Private Equity and VC

(27:32) Carta's Strategic Pivot and Growth Plans

(30:39) Brand Transition: Venture to Private Equity

(34:35) Closing remarks

...more

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By David Weisburd

4.3

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