Double Team Your Fiduciary Assignments

I have followed this practice for over 20 years and continue to train next generation General Partners today. I have always brought new team members into my firm with the following statement:

“There are no shortcuts in this business.  Venture capital is an apprenticeship.  I am willing to teach you, and hopefully you will rise to the challenge and learn.”

The simple fact is that, usually, at the outset of a board relationship a junior partner (meaning junior in age) will not have the personal experience, the gravitas, to carry the room and will not be able to command the respect in the room that a senior partner can.