vc operational swagger

the power of knowing what you don't know

🎧: listening to 'dinner party, by Robert Glasper, Terrance Martin, & Kamani Washington'

as i've been advising a bunch of founders lately, mostly first-timers, there's this pattern i keep seeing. vcs are claiming they've got all this operational experience, but let's be real, it's not always as legit as they make it sound. let's call it what it is - "operational experience inflation."

here's the thing, vcs love second-time founders, especially if they've had a company tank. why? because these founders are comfortable not having all the answers. they know what they don't know... it's like their superpower. shameless plug, i’m in that bucket.

now, same goes for vcs who haven't actually been in the trenches running a company. if you're investing but haven't actually built something from zero to one, or even early stage (and what does early stage even mean? i'd say pre-series b), that's fine! but here's the kicker - if you've got that "investment self-awareness," that's when you level up. it lets founders know exactly how you can actually help them on their journey.

imagine if some specialized engineer in formula one, like the aero guy for mercedes, tried to give tire advice to lewis hamilton without any experience... that's just asking for trouble.

look, vcs without the operational experience can still bring a ton to the table. but being upfront about your background? that's where the magic happens. it opens up honest conversations about how you can truly support founders.

to my vc friends: own your actual expertise. whether it's your network, financial smarts, or knack for spotting patterns. and founders, do your homework. dig into those claimed experiences.

remember, a diverse board with a mix of operational and non-operational backgrounds can be your secret weapon. it's all about leveraging the right expertise at the right time.

in the end, it's not about having all the answers. it's about knowing what questions to ask and when to bring in the real experts. that's the true superpower in the startup world.

-v.