Lessons learned

A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak about venture capital, more precisely, the behind-the-scenes. The challenge to do so was to keep it under 6 minutes. After some thought, I decided to give it a go and share some of my learnings of the last 8 years since I got into this business.

In essence, the reason number 1 Venture Capitalists exist is to drive financial returns. How to get there is everyone's secret sauce...

But, here is the thing: one of the reasons I love this asset class so much is that, no matter which tactics you apply, it is ultimately a deeply creative and human assets class - and one that is ever-evolving.

Here are the 6 'learnings' I shared with the audience... They impacted the way I approach the venture capital business today.

Source: Maison Moderne

1. You need to be very good with humans.

2. You need to take risks consistently to generate outsized returns consistently.

3. You need to go out there all the time.

4. You need to stick to your beliefs.

5. You need to connect the dots.

6. You need to reinvent yourself consistently, also as a VC.

If you think I have forgotten something, please drop a note in the comments.

I was in the US last week. After dinner with a friend, I discovered 'little island' on my walk home. The park opened in 2021. While I recall seeing it in the news, I never visited. Covid was probably one of the reasons I missed this cool place. It is a floating public park built on 132 giant concrete tulips installed on pillars on the banks of the Hudson. Check it out next time you are in town.

Life is awesome,

Yannick

European VC Europe