Part 2 of 3.
My guest for this weekâs episode is Kittu Kolluri, Founder and Managing Director of Neotribe Ventures, an early- and growth-stage venture capital firm investing in companies that solve hard technical problems and disrupt non-traditional industry sectors. Neotribe is led by a team of serial entrepreneurs with a track record of supporting and advising startups from seed round to IPO. As a Silicon Valley veteran with a career spanning three decades, Kittu has had numerous roles before his time at Neotribe Ventures. Some highlights include working as an engineer at Silicon Graphics, co-founding Healtheon/WebMD, being the founder and CEO of Neoteris, and investing in over four dozen successful companies as a general partner at NEA.
Join us as we sit down with Kittu to talk about Healtheonâs origins, mission, and culture, and how he applied learnings from that experience with Neoteris. He talks about the important difference between leadership and management, talks about the dot com bubble and its similarity to the AI trend of today, and talks about fundraising in a down economy. He also speaks on feeling shifts in the market, finding a ânew normalâ in the economy, and how he ended up in venture capital. Please enjoy my conversation with Kittu Kolluri.
Find Our Guest, Kittu Kolluri, at these links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kittukolluri/
https://www.neotribe.vc/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
https://www.excedr.com
Timestamps:
00:20 Intro
01:11 Episode starts, Healtheonâs origins, mission, and culture
03:38 Starting Neoteris and focusing on creating a culture to be proud of, co-authoring a culture statement
07:03 The difference between leadership and management, leaving Healtheon
08:40 Comparing the dot com bubble and the current AI trend, talking down-market conditions
12:15 Neoterisâ origins, raising money during a down economy, the importance of a CEOâs confidant
15:25 The isolation of being a CEO, attracting a great team, and discovering product/market fit
19:02 Feeling shifts in the market, capital being cheap for nearly 30 years, finding a ânew normalâ
23:37 Leaving Juniper Networks to do venture capital at NEA, interviewing many people to find a fit
27:34 Finding a rubric of success in venture capital, the value of authenticity and intellectual curiosity
30:27 Outro
Social & Website
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr
Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:
Healtheon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healtheon
Neoteris https://www.computerworld.com/article/2572211/netscreen-to-buy-neoteris-for--265-million.html
Naming Your Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/naming-your-startup
NetScreen Technologies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetScreen_Technologies
Juniper Networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_Networks
NEA https://www.nea.com/
Top VC Firms for Biotech https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-vc-firms-for-biotech
Fully-Diluted Capitalization & Why Itâs Important https://www.excedr.com/resources/fully-diluted-capitalization
Funding https://www.excedr.com/category/funding
Negotiating a Term Sheet https://www.excedr.com/resources/negotiating-a-term-sheet
Leasing Options: Lower Monthly Payments vs. Lower Total Lease Cost https://www.excedr.com/blog/lower-monthly-payments-vs-lower-total-lease-cost
Tax Advantages of Equipment Leasing https://www.excedr.com/blog/tax-advantages-of-equipment-leasing
Applying for an Equipment Lease https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-to-apply-for-an-equipment-lease
Leasing vs. Buying Equipment: Benefits & Drawbacks https://www.excedr.com/blog/leasing-vs-buying-equipment
People Mentioned:
Jim Clark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Clark
James Barksdale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Barksdale
Danny Rimer https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrimer/
Alan Greenspan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_GreenspanThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science companyâfrom pre-seed to IPO.
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