My Second 20 Minute VC Appearance: The Mechanics Of Raising A First Institutional VC Fund

About a year and a half ago, I had my first experience on as a guest on Harry Stebbings‘ famous podcast, The 20 Minute VC. In that older episode, we mainly covered the importance of individual and firm branding in today’s ecosystem. Fast-forward to today, Harry was kind enough to have me back again, and this time, as Harry is getting even better as an interviewer and expanding his own knowledge of the business (his brain feels encyclopedic!), there’s a fresh new episode with me on that was released today.

Click here to listen to today’s new episode on iTunes, or click here to listen on your desktop browser.

As the number of smaller VC firms seems to increase each year with no end in sight, Harry thought it would be interesting for his growing audience to hear more about the backstory of how a new fund can think about transforming their capital base from individuals to institutions. I tried to go into detail on that topic in an earlier post a few weeks ago, and Harry does a great job in our conversation of double-clicking into some of the meatier topics.

As most of you who read this blog have come to know me through the written word, I would be honored if you could take a listen to Harry’s new podcast and share any points of view or feedback you have. In this talk, Harry helps me dig into the details and mechanics of trying to raise an institutional fund with limited experience as an investor — specifically, we dive into pre-marketing, building relationships with LP investors, what are the hard questions to expect, how to demonstrate progress and proof, and even the mechanics around the closing process.

And, thanks again to Harry and his intrepid team for inviting me on as a guest again. Harry’s questions and pacing in the conversation were really great and specific. He even stumped me with some questions where I finally relented and got Harry to agree to our third podcast some years in the future when I can finally answer those unanswered questions.