I'll tell you a secret that early-stage venture capitalists seldom share: early-stage investors don't use financial analysis to assess deals. If they do, it'll be focused on the likelihood of cash returned to the fund and the time to exit. So, if not financial models with steep J-curves, what should founders focus on? VCs will more or less always back a strong jockey above and beyond the perfect horse. In knowing which deal to back, founders are the jockeys, and the start-up's strategy and business model are the horse. ❌ Founders think the forecast they put in their deck is more important than raising sales for the next week or month. ❌ Founders think hiring people with logos for their deck is more important than hiring hustlers. ❌ Founders think publishing a press release about their round is more important than the competition it generates. TL;DR: Ideas are cheap, and business plans change. Ensure you're on the right team, and be intentional about finding your co-founder. Find them at Antler, not a friend's recommendation.

“Commercial real estate doesn’t have a large enough target addressable market (TAM). Venture capital can’t make the kind of returns necessary in this industry.” - Most people these days, especially VCs who invested in CRE tech during the recent investment craze and lost a ton of $$$ Many argue that the industry TAM simply isn’t large enough. Call me biased, but I disagree. Size matters, but it's how you measure it. There’s something else at work here: a fundamental disconnect between inexperienced industry investors and founders. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g2Kt8CmD

We've been interviewing candidates for the Associate Founder roles inside our platform companies and an MBA graduate made an interesting distinction between the Venture Capital jobs he was interviewing for and our Venture Building firm... His words👇 Venture Capital allows you to get experience in due diligence, research, deal screening, excel spreadsheet manipulation, and learning how to support the partners of the firm. [my words = they probably pay well] Venture Building allows you to build a dang business. ⚡️WOW⚡️ [my words = we don't pay well till the biz takes off then we're rain makers] He was equally excited that it was alongside an experienced team with frameworks and playbooks that we're constantly improving. Frameworks and playbooks he could help build out... In entrepreneurship, there are no easy days. But when we're together there are is also NO BAD DAYS. We were both pumped after that meeting. I learned about the term "Venture Building" and "Associate Founder" a bit ago, but it all came together for me when I saw how the LATAM firms were doing it. They created (or acquired) businesses, ventures, and products and partnered with aspiring "founders" to build "ventures". Roll that up and you get a Venture Building firm partnered with Associate Founders to create impact. It's even more powerful when you can direct that impact at an under served people or community. Here is the beauty in business... There is no ONE WAY to do business and life. We all have a place, a role, and a purpose... When we can align those three things (place, role, purpose), we're able to move mountains and truly create infinite impact... It's taken me four (4) years of shaping, molding, and forging BSV to find the clarity and purpose for this venture. Build the life you want, friends... never settle... and never give up on your dreams.

📣 Opportunity alert. BIP Ventures is actively seeking an Associate to join our team. Ask yourself: - Am I intelligent and driven? - Do I value teamwork and trust? - Do I have a desire to serve others? - Am I seeking to be a leader in a strong team? - Am I committed to continual improvement? - Have I demonstrated the ability to make optimal decisions in a risk/reward framework? - Do I exhibit a strong work ethic? - Do I take a collaborative approach? - Do I have a competitive spirit? - Do I appreciate a merit-based system of wealth creation? - Can I positively impact portfolio companies through my work? 🔗 If so, go to this link to learn more about the role and apply: https://buff.ly/47rVfWP BIP Ventures takes a unique approach to investment and value creation. We augment traditional fundamental analysis with cutting-edge financial science and deep operating experience. Our team applies decades of experience and deep passion for innovation, founders, and investors. As a member of the investment team, you'll be asked to contribute your intellect and intention. And you'll grow in your career as part of an exceptional, high-performing VC firm that is catalyzing opportunities for everyone in its ecosystem. #Opportunity #Job #VentureCapital #VC #Hiring

Big CRE Firms Keep Investing in Proptech Companies: They not only look for upside but to fill tech gaps they have in their operations. Other investors can learn from what they’re doing https://lnkd.in/e6JeTiNZ

Suffolk Construction Venture Capital: Suffolk Technologies, is an institutional venture capital firm affiliated with Suffolk, the $5 billion national construction firm. Fund Size: $110 Million Investment Thesis: Construction, Supply-Chain, Design, Smart Buildings, Sustainability, FinTech & Insurance. Stage Agnostics Investments Made: 35 (Higharc, Ediphi, Augmenta) Suffolk Technologies connects startups with Suffolk’s decades of construction experience, more than 2,300 in-house industry experts, over 100 job sites throughout the United States, over ten thousand trade partners, and hundreds of the largest real estate owners, architects, engineers, and financial services partners. Suffolk Technologies launched its BOOST Program in 2020, which brings together key industry stakeholders and Suffolk experts to accelerate built environment startups. During the intensive six-week company building program, BOOST provides startups with job site piloting opportunities and hands-on guidance in the areas of product development, business model design, go-to-market strategy, partnerships, and more. Recognizing the unique challenges many innovators and startups face when accessing our industry, we designed our venture capital platform and ecosystem of partners to deliver expertise, validation, and go-to-market support that put startups on a shorter path to success. Suffolk was going to be able to invest off the balance sheet, so adding external LPs allowed the fund to be more active while still bringing the financial rewards home. #construction #constructionindustry #supplychain #architect #venturecapital #venturefunding #suffolkjobs #suffolk #corporateventurecapital #constructiontechnology

One of the knock-on effects of the VC recession since 2020 and 2021 is that emerging fund managers will struggle to raise. ✏️ LPs who haven't left the sector entirely are holding managers to a higher standard when it comes to: (a) what is the central theme/identity of the fund, and how differentiated is it from other funds? (b) what is the manager doing that is truly exceptional/an unfair advantage in a competitive deal market? (c) what can LPs expect when it comes to returns and expected distributions? These are tough questions to answer, and many managers can't or won't be able to answer them. That's why we are all in on venture studios -- the best studios CAN answer all these questions: 👥 Studios are organized around a key vertical, business model, or venture-building process. They don't spray and pray. 🔨 They build expertise and assets in their space to build leverage. This leverage pays off not just for one deal but every deal in their portfolio. 💵 Studios are extremely capital efficient and don't overinvest. They also are seasoned in guiding ventures to their appropriate exits and returning capitals to their investors. If you are an LP looking for a better, more coherent strategy for generating returns in early-stage start-ups, consider whether venture studios are right for you. #venturebuilding

6 amazing benefits to joining an emerging VC fund: 🧵 1) Flexibility & autonomy - Usually newer funds are less rigid & feel more like a startup. 2) Increased responsibility - Since emerging firms are smaller, you (esp. as a junior VC) will be able to take on responsibilities that would normally be more senior tasks at other firms. 3) Wearing many hats- Frequently at newer funds you’re playing many roles. Similar to a startup, you’re helping where needed, even if it’s outside your JD. 4) Thinking strategy - Newer funds are just getting started. As an early employee, you’ll play a role in defining the strategy of the firm & implementing processes that scale. 5) Participation in upside - Newer funds frequently give carry allocation as part of the offer. This is to offset the risk you’re taking joining a new firm. 6) Partner track - When joining a firm, you’re either put on Partner track, meaning you have a path to be promoted, or you’re on a set contract, meaning you have to leave after x yrs. Newer funds frequently offer early hires Partner track #venturecapital #recruiting #startup

THE CHANGING GUARD OF PLATFORM SPECIALIZATION I was recently accepted into the VC Platform Global Community and have been exploring their recent research. There are clear trends that can shift portfolio returns across Venture Studios and VC firms. The term "Platform" has encompassed a wide range of responsibilities, often handled by one individual. However, there's been a shift towards hiring Platform Specialists who possess in-depth knowledge in specific areas. Early Platform Specialists mainly concentrated on pre-investment functions, particularly in Marketing and Investment Operations. Today, the most notable growth has been observed in post-investment-focused specialists. #VCplatform #startup #venturestudio

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