Understanding VC

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Erwin Arifin, co-founder at StartupIndonesia about his journey from business school to VC, and the lessons he learned along the way. Erwin shares his in-depth knowledge of the Indonesian startup ecosystem which he has acquired through years of networking with some of the biggest players in the market. He talks about the bridgeable gaps between founders and VCs which StartupIndonesia seeks to work on through some ingenious methods. He goes a little into the details of how StartupIndonesia functions and their much talked about SID point system which ascribes a comprehensively determined investability score to startups, which is followed by a brief discussion of a few methods which can help soonicorn companies grow into unicorns. Towards the end of the episode, he cites some of the issues which persist in the Indonesian startup ecosystem and how they can be resolved through prudent and persistent effort.

Deep Dive is a brand-new segment of Understanding VC where I explore discrete concepts related to venture capital with our guests. This episode is inspired by the remarkable deck that Jyri Engenstrom has created on the functioning of early-stage VCs, which you can find in the show notes. Jyri is a partner and co-founder at Yes VC, an early-stage VC firm based in San Francisco.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Chris Smith, Managing Partner at Playfair Capital, who was formerly an angel investor and a lawyer. Over the course of this episode, Chris talks about his transition from a lawyer to a venture capitalist, and the vicissitudes he faced during his journey. He also shares some extremely useful insights on how VCs function, the type of VCs founders should avoid, and the things that are much more important during early-stage fundraising than just capital. He also talks about his opinion on the ideal work culture in the wake of the pandemic and the world crawling back to normalcy, his unusual route of an interview process to becoming a partner at Playfair, and the type of culture they nurture at Playfair. Towards the end of the episode, Chris shares his thoughts about the comparative dynamics of European and Southeast Asian markets and some of the challenges that await them in the future.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Aldi Adrian Hartanto Partner at Arise, an early-stage VC fund in partnership with Telkom Indonesia-backed MDI Ventures and Bank BCA-backed Finch Capital. Aldi shares with us his knowledge about two things that are often overlooked in the early stages of startups, especially while implementing due diligence: finance and budgeting. He talks about his experience working with Japanese LPs, the kind of work ethic that they uphold. He explains his due diligence process, and how it is different from the conventional methods. In response to the question about the kind of companies he is interested in, he mentions his concept of “venture indexing”, and the ways in which it has come to replace venture investing for him. Towards the end of the conversation, Aldi shares his insights on the stereotypes attached to Corporate VCs, and the correct way for founders to find the perfect investment match for their company.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Tu Ngo, the Founder and Chairperson of YOLA, a leading company dedicated to a hybrid English education in Vietnam. She is also the founding General Partner at Touchstone Partners, an early-stage Vietnamese VC focused on sectors including healthcare, education, manufacturing, and climate action. Tu shares with our audience her successful journey amidst challenges while building YOLA at a time when the internet and e-commerce had barely taken off, and the reason behind her decision to become a VC. She also divulges her list of do’s and don'ts when it comes to finding the right co-founders and investors as a budding entrepreneur, and enumerates the benefits of working on the team of an early-stage startup. Towards the end of the episode, Tu explains the Touchstone Fellowship Program which has been especially designed to aid founders in nurturing their ideas.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Binh Tran, Co-Founder and General Partner at Ascend Vietnam Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm focused on the emerging Vietnamese startup ecosystem. Binh tells us how passionate he is about software development which is essentially a fusion of science, maths, and creativity. He further reflects on how he came about investing in Axie Infinity, currently the world’s most successful blockchain game. He also imparts some advice for up and coming founders to correctly discern the requisites of startup building, and what it takes to be a founder who can lead people who are more talented than himself. He also emphasizes the worth of a successful partnership between co-founders which can turn the fates of a startup in the increasingly competitive south-east asian market which is on a certain path of growth.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Adrian Li, Founder and Managing Partner at AC Ventures. Adrian is a venture capitalist amongst many other things, who has ample entrepreneurial experience, and prefers the tag of being a venturepreneur. He has acquired intensive business experience in Indonesia and China, which he shares with us in this episode. Adrian also divulges his “barbell balance” technique for work-life balance, and reveals a fascinating analogy between triathlons and startups based on his hybrid experience of being an investor, an entrepreneur, as well as an athlete.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Rajesh Sawhney, founder and CEO of GSF Accelerator about the ins and outs of early-stage tech investing, and why a whopping 80% of GSF’s portfolio founders are IITians. He also talks about his journey towards becoming one of India’s biggest angel investors with a record of investing in over 100 startups. He divulges some basic precepts that founders should follow in order to build a successful team and company, and how GSF Accelerator aids them in doing that.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Aloke Bajpai, Co-Founder & Group CEO of ixigo on dealing with a crisis like COVID, how startups can create a great work culture, and key qualities required for a startup leader. He also shares how late stage fundraising is different from Seed & Series A, challenges they faced while raising their first round of investment, and how startups should think about going for IPO. He also shares his thoughts on the qualities of startups he likes to invest in, and an interesting instance where a VC made a big impact for ixigo.

Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Vy Le, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Do Ventures on their 2 investment models, an automated reporting system that Do Ventures use to support their portfolio companies. She also shares the qualities of a great startup team, the tech trends she is keeping track and why she is excited to be part of Vietnam’s transformation into a major tech hub.