How I Invest with David Weisburd

Latest Episodes:

E63: Chris Rizik on The Rise of Midwest LPs May 02, 2024

Show notes

Chris Rizik, CEO of Renaissance Venture Capital sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Renaissance’s unique approach to venture. In addition, they discuss how large corporations participate in venture, when to admit a loss vs. doubling down and signals of a strong fund manager. (0:44) Introduction of guest Chris Rizik and overview of Renaissance Venture Capital (2:36) The Innovator's Dilemma and evolution of large tech companies (4:18) Challenges and opportunities of promoting startups in the Midwest (6:06) The growth of unicorns in the Midwest and the importance of consistent returns (9:36) Importance of growth when investing in fund managers (10:21) Sponsor: Deel (12:19) Lessons learned and mistakes made in venture capital (19:11) Chris Rizik discusses the ideal fund to invest in (21:15) Importance of patience and networking in investing (24:48) Potential of underserved geographies for startup communities

E62: Babson College's $700M Endowment on Venture Capital Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

Trish DiGirolomo, investment manager at Babson College sits down with David Weisburd to discuss scaling Babson College’s endowment via disciplined strategy and process. In addition, they discuss the advantages of patience and a focus on cash on cash returns, criteria for manager selection, and leveraging experienced alumni in the investment process. (0:00) Trish DiGirolomo discusses the investment strategy and process at Babson Endowment (4:57) Role of private equity in Babson's portfolio and philosophy on holding positions post IPO (10:34) Importance of patience, conviction, and timing in venture capital investments (13:08) The role of secondaries market in venture capital (16:11) Leveraging relationships and the value Babson brings to a fund (20:16) The structure of Babson's investment office and criteria for assessing potential managers (26:27) Sponsor: Deel (28:31) Diversified alpha and return thresholds (33:07) Importance of conviction and thesis in strategy (41:59) Dealing with difficult personalities in GPs

E61: Erik Iverson and Mike Partsch on WARF’s $3B Endowment Strategy Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Erik Iverson and Mike Partsch of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) sit down with David Weisburd to discuss how WARF supports innovation while driving financial returns. In addition, they discuss the case for investing in life sciences, how inventions turn into portfolio companies and the importance of maintaining relationships through market cycles. (0:00) Introduction and overview of Wharf (1:45) Investment strategy and portfolio construction (4:08) Correlation between industry hype and venture returns (7:00) Sponsor: Deel (8:40) Process of spinning out companies from the University (12:45) Sourcing and developing new relationships in venture capital (15:06) Discussion on unfair practices in valuation and liquidation (16:38) Challenges of venture capital (17:04) The mission and highlights of WARF

E60: Emerging Manager Alpha At Scale with Michael Downing Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

Michael Downing sits down with David Weisburd to discuss emerging manager venture funds, the MDSV Capital Extension Program, and the effect of market conditions on fundraising. They also discuss the role of MDSV in the venture capital landscape, portfolio construction, LP expectations, and Michael’s background as an entrepreneur and investor. The conversation wraps up with a discussion on the importance of not overlooking emerging managers as a key part of the venture ecosystem. (0:00) Episode preview and discussion on outliers in emerging manager funds (6:00) Overview of the MDSV Capital Extension Program (9:45) Sponsor: Deel (13:13) Impact of market conditions on fundraising (16:37) Role of MDSV in the venture capital landscape (20:27) Portfolio construction and expectations of LPs (23:31) Michael Downing's background as an entrepreneur and investor (25:32) 10X Capital Podcast Newsletter (26:27) The importance of not overlooking emerging managers in venture capital (27:38) Please visit & subscribe to the 10X Capital Podcast YouTube channel

E59: How Jordan Nel Spots Winning Venture Funds Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

Jordan Nel sits down with David Weisburd to discuss how to spot winning venture funds. In addition, they discuss portfolio construction and concentration, the scalability of venture funds and difficult conversations with GPs. (0:00) Introduction and Overview of the Episode (1:12) Genesis of Jordan Nel's Fund and Current Strategy (3:21) Evaluating Founders and the Importance of their Background (6:38) Importance of Urgency in Management and Entrepreneurship (8:17) Portfolio Construction and Concentration (10:47) Sponsor: Deel HR and Payroll Platform (11:13) Why Small Funds Outperform Large Funds (14:10) Understanding the LP Base and LP Demands (17:32) Providing Value-Add as an LP and Tackling Challenging Conversations with GPs (21:07) Interacting in the LP Ecosystem and Strategy for Follow-On Investments (24:54) The Role of Judgment and Diligence in Investment Decisions (28:52) Insider Investing and Differentiating Between Saving an Investment and Doubling on an Asymmetric Edge (30:51) Conclusion and Invitation to Subscribe to the 10X Capital Podcast on YouTube

E58: Claude Grunitzky on Democratizing Access to Venture Capital Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Claude Grunitzky sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Claude's journey as a venture-backed founder, securing an investment from Goldman Sachs, the importance of mentorship in venture capital, and Claude’s approach to spotting potential. They also delve into the creation of The Equity Alliance, the firm’s investment process, and their involvement with Serena Ventures. (0:00) Episode Preview (0:44) Journey to starting Trace TV (2:16) Sponsor: Deel (5:26) Securing an investment from Goldman Sachs (7:52) Founding of The Equity Alliance (11:39) 10X Capital Podcast Newsletter (12:03) Mentorship in venture capital (14:23) Claude's approach to spotting potential (21:14) Importance of relationships and strategy (22:21) Investing in Serena Ventures and the investment process at Equity Alliance (27:05) Claude's personal mission (27:49) Please visit & subscribe to the 10X Capital Podcast YouTube channel

E57: Eric Poirier CEO of Addepar on Lessons from $6 Trillion in Assets Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

Eric Poirier sits down with David Weisburd to discuss insights from the platform’s investment data on nearly $6 trillion in assets. They also talk about the top performing asset classes, the future of asset management and how to manage talent to scale a business. (0:00) Introduction and Eric Poirier's journey to becoming the CEO of Addepar (4:56) Insight into Addepar's impressive dataset and its sophisticated capabilities (8:22) Venture Capital as the best performing asset class and Addepar's business model (11:10) Eric Poirier's vision for Addepar in 5, 10, 20 years and the building of its infrastructure (14:32) Building a team and setting company culture at Addepar (17:25) Comparing Eric's experiences at Palantir and Addepar (18:22) Sponsor: Deel (19:08) Employee attrition and client-centric approach at Addepar (20:07) Importance of showing up as a CEO and the impact of a CEO's decisions (22:09) The role of empathy and compassion in leadership and its impact on Addepar's growth (23:40) Closing remarks with Eric Poirier and introduction of the 10X Capital Podcast Newsletter

E56: Robert Rodriguez on Hollywood, Artificial Intelligence, & Film Finance Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

Robert Rodriguez sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the role of creativity in filmmaking, cost-effective film production, and the influence of technology and AI in film. The discussion also covers Rodriguez's film fund, strategies for creating profitable movies, and the importance of living a creative life. (0:00) Episode Preview (1:41) Strategy for producing cost-effective films (5:19) Bootstrapping in film (10:05) Sponsor: Deel (10:20) Adoption and impact of technology in film production (13:29) AI in film production (16:18) The Robert Rodriguez Experience (20:10) The power of creativity (22:47) The Film Fund (29:07) Creating profitable movies (30:03) The importance of living a creative life (32:04) Please visit & subscribe to the 10X Capital Podcast YouTube channel

E55: Eric Sippel - Lessons from Investing in 45 Venture Capital Funds Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Eric Sippel sits down with David Weisburd to discuss criteria used to identify top quartile managers, GP follow-on strategies and how LP value-add can increase alpha. (0:00) Introduction and Welcome Eric Sippel (1:16) Eric Sippel's Investment Strategy and Check Sizes (4:04) Providing Value and Building Relationships Before Investing (5:20) Sponsor (Deel) (7:23) Time Spent with a GP Before Committing (10:36) Investing in Different Tiers of Companies (12:00) Importance of Sticking to Strategy (15:04) Patterns Among Highest Performing Funds (17:26) Sourcing Mechanisms and Networking Strategies for LPs (21:23) Building Relationships in the Venture Capital Space (24:36) Final Words from Eric Sippel

E54: Morgan Creek Capital’s Endowment Style Investing – Frank Tanner Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

Frank Tanner sits down with David Weisburd to discuss Anthony 'Pomp' Pompliano's role at Morgan Creek as well as the company's origin, growth, and guiding principles. They dive into understanding power laws in venture capital, early-stage investing, and Morgan Creek's manager selection process. (0:00) Episode Preview (0:49) Anthony 'Pomp' Pompliano's Connection to Morgan Creek (2:13) Origin and Growth of Morgan Creek (5:04) Sponsor: Deel (6:50) Background on Mark Yusko & Morgan Creek's Guiding Principles (9:00) Understanding Power Laws in Venture Capital (13:27) Portfolio Construction and Early-Stage Investing (16:28) 10X Capital Podcast Newsletter (17:00) Morgan Creek's Manager Selection Process (20:24) Providing Value and Accessing Top Funds (22:33) Please Visit & Subscribe to the 10X Capital Podcast YouTube Channel

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