The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

 

Guy Turner of Hyde Park Venture Partners joins Nick to cover founder profiles and the characteristics that lead to the strongest startups. We address questions including:

  • You've observed over 50 startups, across your portfolio, and have written extensively about founder profiles. What are the two high-level categories of characteristics that you've observed?
  • Within the inspection characteristics category... what are the three dimensions that matter most?
  • The first two modes seem to differ primarily on the experience dimension... what are the two modes and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
  • Mode 3 you call the exec turned founder.... and mode 4 seems to have the ingredients for big outcomes or big flameouts. Walk us through each of these and their defining characteristics.
  • We've discussed four modes, but based on your framework there should be eight. What about the other four modes?
  • Do you think modes 1 and 2 work better for all investors or just HPVP?
  • Dealflow filtering and evaluation... can you use the inspection characteristics?
  • So we've discussed the inspection characteristics... let's transition to the the second major category, the experience characteristics. Talk more about what they are and how you assess them.
  • What are the five actions that matter most in startup teams?
  • How do you handle a situation where the deal comes late and there's already a term sheet and you don't have time to observe these characteristics over time?
  • What are the five styles that matter most?
  • Self-reflection, do you and Ira and Tim look in the mirror w/ Hyde Park and consider these expectations
  • How about for building the team at HPVP... do you apply founder assessment criteria in your hiring?
  • Are there any soft skills or overlooked founder characteristics that you haven't written about but you look for?
  • What's your take on the issues w/ ethics, not only amongst founders but at the investor level?

 

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Category:general -- posted at: 1:19pm EST