Join John Zeratsky, Co-Founder & General Partner at Character, in this eye-opening episode of the Understanding VC podcast. Discover why design plays a crucial role in the world of venture capital and delve into the intriguing debate between visionary and hypothesis-driven founders. Gain insights into the importance of strategy in the fiercely competitive VC market and explore the powerful sprint methodology that propels startups towards product-market fit. Uncover the secrets of evaluating investments using scorecards and learn how to navigate challenges like FOMO and gracefully saying no. Stay tuned as John reveals the fascinating story behind the name "Character" and its deep-rooted connection to integrity in investing. Don't miss this thought-provoking episode!
Chapters:
00:06:00 - The Importance of Design in VC
00:09:00 - Visionary Founders vs. Hypothesis-Driven Founders
00:15:00 - Importance of Strategy in VC
00:22:00 - Sprint Method and Product-Market Fit
00:26:00 - Hypothesis driven approach - How it can save time and money
00:28:00 - Introduction to the OATS scorecard system
00:32:00 - Longitudinal use and comparison of scores
00:33:00 - Reasons for not investing
00:39:00 - Challenges of FOMO and saying no
00:42:00 - Detachment and enthusiasm in investment decisions
00:47:00 - Name selection process and the significance of "Character"
About:
John Zeratsky is co-founder and general partner at venture-capital firm Character, bestselling author of Sprint and Make Time, and former design partner at GV. Previously, John was a design leader for YouTube, Google Ads, and FeedBurner, which was acquired by Google in 2007..
