When you get a sense of inevitability from a founder’s pitch…
I recently tweeted… Getting this sense of inevitability from a founder is incredibly powerful. I instantly start believing that their vision is going to happen. As an investor, I want to get on board and help propel the team to their destination. So, what exactly do I mean by this? What are some of the […]
How to build the right management team
There’s a lot of debate surrounding the right time to bring executive level hires into your start-up. But one thing is clear: how you build your team over the first few years can determine the trajectory of your company more than any other decision you make. There are no right answers here. Every start-up is […]
The Multibillion-dollar China Question: Should a mid-sized tech company tempt fate in China?
Didi Chuxing, the largest ride-hailing service is China, confirmed today that it will acquire Uber China. According to reports, the two companies will keep distinct brands, apps, and business operations, but the backends will be merged. The deal ends a long, costly battle between the two rivals: Uber had been spending $1B + a year […]
Company building: how to transition from short-term survival to long-term sustainability
About two to three years post launch, companies typically undergo an interesting transition: they’ve made it through the survival phase and are maturing. It’s time to focus on building a company long term. For most companies, this is a hard transition to make. In the early days, the goals were crystal clear: Survive! Find product-market-fit! […]
Some of our favorite investment themes right now: AI and machine learning
At Version One, we take a thematic approach to investing and are very focused on start-ups with strong network effects, like marketplaces and social platforms. This year, we’ve been writing about the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and the potential for strong data network effects to emerge with these companies – particularly when start-ups […]