Someone asked me the other day on how to build a strong, meaningful network.

It's actually simple: Learn to invest (time/capital) in people before they make it & just be there when times are the toughest.

Rinse and repeat.

A few things that every Emerging Manager must have a good answer for when raising today:
1) Minimum Viable Fund size (min to make your strategy viable)
2) Enterprise value needed from thet portfolio to return a 3x NET. For seed funds, factor in at least 50% dilution.
3) Recycling…

A few things that every Emerging Manager must have a good answer for when raising today:
1) Minimum Viable Fund size (min to make your strategy viable)
2) Enterprise value needed from thet portfolio to return a 3x NET. For seed funds, factor in at least 50% dilution.
3) Recycling…

What a difference a year and a half makes (PB data) for 2018'-20' VC vintages

Benchmarks Q2 2022 vs Q4 2023
avg Top decile IRR decreased from 69.64% to 27.10%
avg Median IRR decreased from 31.70% to 13.65%.
avg Top Quartile TVPI 2.04 to 1.82

The debate of small EM funds versus large brand funds in VC is often debated when it comes to where investors should invest, but it's massively flawed. The gap has widened so much the two ends of the barbell may as well be different asset categories. A large LP told me this week…

The debate of small EM funds versus large brand funds in VC is often debated when it comes to where investors should invest, but it's massively flawed. The gap has widened so much the two ends of the barbell may as well be different asset categories. A large LP told me this week…

vc is a home run driven business via ⁦Primary⁩

It’s not having a low strikeout rate, but making it count when you connect. The difference between good and great funds is often a single company (great being 5x+) and requires a true risk seeking mindset (non-consensus)

New Ep! Meghan Reynolds of Altimeter and samir kaji catch up for another LP Unlocked episode to dive deep into liquidity.

This episode is sponsored by Sydecar

Listen to the whole conversation open.spotify.com/show/1Z1jDhQG5…

The seed stage market is ever evolving. For those that remember the Series A crunch, getting follow-on financing at the A/B round (particular B) is as hard as it's been in 14 years. Check out our conversation on how seed stage founder should navigate the seed and beyond and…

Had so much fun chatting #Seed stage trends w/ lots of 🌶️ takes from Jenny Fielding and ☔🔥☔. Give it a listen and let samir kaji and I know what y'all think!

Congrats Nakul Mandan amd team - thrilled to see this and excited to continue our partnership!

Announcing Audacious 2.0

Excited to announce Audacious Ventures's second fund, a $150M fund dedicated to backing the most ambitious founders in the world at the earliest stages of their journey.

A bit more on us in the thread below.

cc Muzzammil Zaveri (MZ) @TheRecruiterSam

Recently David Sacks of Craft Ventures talks with samir kaji about why he views Craft as a company, while also projecting stability for founders and LPs.

This episode was brought to you by Sydecar.

Listen to the whole discussion at open.spotify.com/show/1Z1jDhQG5…

New Ep! David Sacks of Craft Ventures stops by to discuss the craft of venture capital with samir kaji.

Here David talks about why now is a good time to invest.

This episode was brought to you by Sydecar.

Listen to the whole discussion at open.spotify.com/show/1Z1jDhQG5….

VC fundraising is dichotomous. 7 funds that we have spoken to the last month have been vastly oversubscribed (1.5x-2x). But most EMs we meet are slogging through 18-24 month raises. LPs are investing, but funds seem to fall in either side of the spectrum, with little in between.

'VC used to feel like an afternoon tea. Now it's like being a barista at rush hour.' – David Frankel on the shift from having 1,000ish seed stage VC firms to having ~4,000.

From the 2024 Upfront Summit – Upfront Ventures Yair Riemer samir kaji

youtube.com/watch?v=ef1kag…

New Ep! adam bain of 01A stops by to talk with samir kaji about scaling Twitter from 0 to $1B+, being coached by Bill Campbell, and why they don't take board seats.

Listen to the whole episode at open.spotify.com/show/1Z1jDhQG5…

New ep! Mitchell Green of Lead Edge Capital stops by to discuss with samir kaji the Moneyball approach to investing, the art of effective cold calling, and managing 700+ strategic LPs.

Listen to the whole discussion at open.spotify.com/show/1Z1jDhQG5…