Reboot Podcast Episode #25 – Live Beyond Compare – Brad Feld

The Reboot podcast showcases the heart and soul, the wins and losses, the ups and downs of startup leadership. On the show, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and Startup Leaders discuss with Jerry Colonna the emotional and psychological challenges they face daily as leaders.

Episode 25 // October 15, 2015

Can we live beyond compare?

Guests

Brad Feld

Brad Feld

VC at Foundry Group and Entrepreneur.

View Bio

Episode Description

Longtime friends, Brad Feld and Jerry Colonna talk on Reboot Podcast #25 about VC’s as Dungeons and Dragons characters, Brad’s evolved and evolving investment criteria,  defining success, and the single best piece of advice Brad offered to Jerry that changed his career.

Brad Feld on Twitter 

 

Show Highlights

[bctt tweet=”“There is no right way to be a founder. There is no one answer.” @bfeld” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”I’m successful if I create a unicorn….What a stupid fucking phrase.” – @bfeld”]

[bctt tweet=”“Stop trying to be a VC like everybody else. Just be a VC like you.”@bfeld to 34 yr old @jerrycolonna” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Investors are like dungeons and dragons characters.” @bfeld ” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“There’s a right way and a wrong way, and then there’s the way that works.” @jerrycolonna” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Stop trying to be a VC like everybody else. Just be a VC like you.” @bfeld to 34 yr old @jerrycolonna” via=”no”]

“Investors are like dungeons and dragons characters.” – Brad Feld

“Founders often view VC’s as a singular archetype.” Brad Feld

“The idea that VC’s are the same is just wrong.” Brad Feld

“An effective investor is one that has intellectual and emotional alignment with the founders.” Brad Feld

“There’s a right way and a wrong way, and then there’s the way that works.” – Jerry Colonna

“We like to say no within 60 seconds because we don’t want to waste the founders time, and we don’t want to spend our time on things we aren’t likely to invest in.” – Brad Feld

“One of the things they have learned over time is that their job as a VC firm is not to invest in every great company. Their job is to invest in 10 companies per year they think could be great.” Brad Feld

“Learn yourself first, but then also realize that most of the people you are going to interact with on this planet (especially in the context of entrepreneurship) don’t really know themselves.” Brad Feld

“There is no right way to be a founder.” Brad Feld

“Starting down the path of learning yourself never ends.” – Brad Feld

“As a founder, you are going to have this collection of different types of people you are going to have to learn.”Brad Feld

“If I were to give myself advice when I was younger the first thing I would say is to relax.” Jerry Colonna

“Stop trying to be a VC like everybody else. Just be a VC like you.” Brad Feld

“The thing that is so powerful is that as an entrepreneur you get to define your own reality.” Brad Feld

“You are probably already successful if you are a founder because you are pursuing something that you want to pursue.” Brad Feld

“If you can expand the notion of “what is success,” then all of the sudden you can take in that success might be defined as being satisfied, generally being happy, and doing good work done well and for the right reasons.” Jerry Colonna

“Success for me on a Saturday morning is that I slept for 12 hours the night before.” – Brad Feld

“Success doesn’t have to be externally driven, validated by other people, or measures of things that line up against our societal check marks.” Brad Feld

“Success today is going to be sticking my head in that demon’s mouth.” Brad Feld

“I’m successful if I create a unicorn….What a stupid fucking phrase. What a stupid idea. that’s success? why? what does that mean?” – Brad Feld