The hottest Venture Capital Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics
SaaS Engineering β€’ 176 implied HN points β€’ 09 Jul 23
  1. There can be amazing business leaders who are not great founders, and vice versa.
  2. It's important to recognize and complement different talents within a founding team.
  3. The journey of entrepreneurship requires a unique mindset shift and stamina, and successful teams are a combination of visionaries and leaders.
PropTech Future β€’ 176 implied HN points β€’ 05 Sep 23
  1. Engage with thought leaders and content creators from various industries to find inspiration and insights.
  2. Follow key figures and newsletters in the Real Estate industry to stay updated on trends and analysis.
  3. Explore resources in areas like Venture Capital, RevOps, Business Strategy, and Product/Growth to learn and grow in your professional journey.
The Odin Times β€’ 176 implied HN points β€’ 23 Apr 23
  1. The mission at Odin is to drive progress by reimagining how we invest.
  2. Women investors on Odin are more likely to invest in female-led businesses and healthcare.
  3. Increasing diversity in investors can lead to more investments in sectors like healthcare, education, and climate tech.
Japan Optimist β€’ 176 implied HN points β€’ 25 Mar 23
  1. Japan's start-ups and venture capital outperform global peers with a 18% net IRR per year in the decade before COVID.
  2. Japan's venture capital ecosystem attracts top talent and continues to grow, showing a 7% outperformance over TOPIX.
  3. Japan's government actively supports entrepreneurship and innovation, aiming to create '100 Unicorns by 2027' through public-private partnerships and deregulation.
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Aashay's Newsletter β€’ 176 implied HN points β€’ 10 Sep 23
  1. Haystack announces a new $75M fund for early-stage startup investments
  2. Personnel updates at Haystack, with promotions and changes in roles
  3. Acknowledgment of founder secrets and partnerships in the venture business
Venture Curator β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 23 Jun 23
  1. To understand VC investment decisions, consider the Venture Capital Method, where earnings and market support determine the firm's future value.
  2. Investors aim for successful exits with specific returns and use metrics like ROI and IRR to evaluate startup potential.
  3. Negotiations between VC firms and founders often involve ownership percentages based on future valuations and return expectations.
Points And Figures β€’ 666 implied HN points β€’ 27 Jan 24
  1. Trading in the pits required strong self-belief and comfort with risk
  2. Success in trading was highly psychological, combining self-confidence, quick decision-making, and adaptation
  3. Venture capitalists who take real risks and make markets are more likely to succeed
Robots & Startups β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 29 Apr 24
  1. There are more startups in the US than VCs can support, leading to increased competition for funding and a rise in startup failures.
  2. Investors are showing increased interest and making significant investments in robotics startups, especially those focused on AI and autonomy.
  3. Success rates for founders improve with past experience, highlighting the importance of learning from failure in the startup world.
The VC Corner β€’ 119 implied HN points β€’ 08 Dec 23
  1. The VC Corner is a weekly newsletter focusing on venture capital updates. It's designed for both experienced investors and those new to the field.
  2. The newsletter offers curated news and resources relevant to startups and investment. This can help readers stay informed on the latest trends in the industry.
  3. Readers can get started with a free trial to access past posts and insights. This is a great way to sample the content before committing.
Space Ambition β€’ 59 implied HN points β€’ 15 Mar 24
  1. E2MC is a global venture capital firm focusing on space technology. They invest around $500k in seed and pre-seed stages, and they're open to startups worldwide, except in geopolitically complex areas.
  2. Raphael Roettgen aims to engage more people in the space sector. He wrote a book explaining the space economy, making it easier for entrepreneurs and investors to understand and join the industry.
  3. He emphasizes the importance of diverse talent in space tech. E2MC has a higher percentage of female leaders in its portfolio than the industry average, and he encourages educational efforts to support women in STEM fields.
Venture Curator β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 08 Jun 23
  1. Evaluation of venture capital fund performance involves three key terms: Distribution Paid In Capital (DPI), Residual Value Paid In Capital (RVPI), and Total Value Paid In Capital (TVPI)
  2. These terms help Limited Partners (LPs) assess the success of a fund and understand the returns generated beyond the initial investment.
  3. Understanding the relationship between these terms can provide insights into the performance and potential value of a venture capital fund.
Parth's Playground β€’ 12 implied HN points β€’ 17 Dec 25
  1. Private and public investments often reinforce each other, creating paired opportunities where startups and incumbent/public companies both benefit and accelerate a new technology or market.
  2. Major tech or market tailwinds typically spawn new companies while prompting mature firms to reinvent themselves, producing complementary ecosystems rather than simple displacement.
  3. Talent flows between startups and large companies, so watching both early experimental founders (micro) and hungry, founder-led mature firms (macro) gives a fuller view of where durable opportunities will form.
Venture Curator β€’ 139 implied HN points β€’ 03 Nov 23
  1. Investors look for startup ideas with the potential to reach a billion-dollar valuation, known as 'big ideas,' and may reject ideas perceived to lack that scalability.
  2. Venture capital operates on a power law model, where a small percentage of investments drive the majority of returns, requiring each investment to potentially return the entire fund.
  3. Founders should focus on solving popular, growing, urgent, expensive, mandatory, and frequent problems to increase their startup's chances of success.
benn.substack β€’ 562 implied HN points β€’ 01 Mar 24
  1. If you're a visionary founder who raises a lot of money and then sells shares for personal gain before mismanagement leads to the company's downfall, VCs will prioritize your ability to grow and persuade over your financial choices.
  2. In the world of venture capital, making money often trumps moral values, with investors backing those who are monetizable rather than necessarily 'nice.'
  3. While secondary sales by founders may raise concerns about focus and fairness to employees, making them transparent to the entire company could help ensure accountability and address potential disillusionment.
Investing 101 β€’ 184 implied HN points β€’ 01 Feb 25
  1. Finding good investment opportunities is all about connecting with the right people and being aware of what’s happening in the market. Investors need to actively search and know their environment well.
  2. Picking the right companies is crucial, and it requires careful evaluation beyond just being excited about a hot trend. It's important to analyze the quality of the business and its team.
  3. Supporting the companies after investing is where the real partnership happens. Investors should provide helpful guidance without getting in the way of founders' decisions.
Venture Curator β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 27 May 23
  1. Send your pitch deck as a file instead of a link to make it more compelling and shareable
  2. Ensure your deck is visually appealing, concise, and focused, under 10MB for efficiency
  3. Include key elements in your deck like team, problem, unique approach, value proposition, market data, and financial projections, while excluding sensitive details
Not Boring by Packy McCormick β€’ 76 implied HN points β€’ 09 Jul 25
  1. Authenticity is key in both writing and investing. Being true to yourself helps set you apart from the competition.
  2. Differentiation is important. You should stand out by focusing on your unique strengths and ideas.
  3. Learning from others is valuable, but avoid copying them directly. Use their insights to inspire your own original thinking.
Lolita's Newsletter β€’ 78 implied HN points β€’ 28 Jan 24
  1. Ganas Ventures and Lolita Taub invested in Avify, and you can too!
  2. Avify is addressing a $1.8 trillion inventory distortion challenge with strong traction and community support.
  3. Avify's team has a strong background, the market opportunity is significant in Latin America, and they are focused on revolutionizing SMB inventory management.
Venture Curator β€’ 159 implied HN points β€’ 19 Jun 23
  1. Beware of the '1% Market Fallacy' where startups believe capturing a small percentage of a massive market will guarantee success.
  2. Building a successful startup requires focusing on a specific, well-defined market segment to understand customer needs and create a competitive advantage.
  3. It's more effective for startups to prioritize capturing a significant share of a smaller market first before expanding to larger markets.
Venture Curator β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 23 May 23
  1. Understanding terms like liquidation preference, participation, and non-participation rights is crucial for both investors and founders in startup financing.
  2. Liquidation preference refers to the priority investors have in receiving proceeds from the sale of a company.
  3. Non-participation means investors choose between a 1X preference or their stake, while participation involves investors receiving funds through both methods during liquidation.
Build To Scale β€’ 118 implied HN points β€’ 20 Nov 23
  1. The board's primary role is to ensure proper governance, not run the organization. Their responsibility includes hiring and firing the CEO.
  2. For startups, having a balanced board with diverse views is crucial. Consider adding independent board members with operational experience.
  3. Operational issues and management conflicts should be addressed before they escalate to the board level. Keep the board updated and maintain high trust.
Venture Curator β€’ 159 implied HN points β€’ 16 Jun 23
  1. Understanding funding runway and burn rate is vital for startup founders to secure necessary resources.
  2. Calculating gross burn rate and net burn rate is essential to determine the financial health of a startup.
  3. Maintaining transparency about financial runway and frequently communicating with investors are crucial for successful fundraising.
Life Since the Baby Boom β€’ 230 implied HN points β€’ 05 Dec 24
  1. Len lands a new job as a Venture Capitalist Assistant, where he will help a company get more funding. He feels excited and valued in this role, especially after his TV appearance as an 'Internet investing wizard.'
  2. The company Len is working with, NetsForAll, is fictional, but it reflects the early days of Internet Service Providers. This shows how innovative ideas were emerging before the Internet became widely known.
  3. Len gets to meet important people in the Internet business and share stories from his past experiences, like solving a big embezzlement case. This mix of new opportunities and past accomplishments makes him feel fulfilled.
Points And Figures β€’ 266 implied HN points β€’ 25 Oct 24
  1. Angels and venture capitalists have different roles in funding startups. Angels often invest earlier and can take more risks compared to venture capitalists.
  2. Angels should act quickly and be transparent in their decision-making process. This helps entrepreneurs know where they stand and not get left waiting.
  3. Investing in early rounds is usually more beneficial for angels. After a company has grown, it can make more sense for them to find new seed deals rather than invest in larger rounds.
Venture Curator β€’ 179 implied HN points β€’ 16 May 23
  1. Discover how VC funds calculate target ownership in startups, providing valuable insights for founders and VC enthusiasts alike.
  2. Understand the costs associated with VC business, like organizational fees, operational fees, and management fees, to determine the total investment capital for startups.
  3. Learn about the average check size that VC funds invest in startups and how ownership percentage is calculated based on the investment amount and post-money valuation.
Venture Curator β€’ 139 implied HN points β€’ 13 Oct 23
  1. Founders are hesitant to discuss their startup's competitive advantages, known as MOATs, due to lack of understanding and fear that their startup may not have a strong enough MOAT.
  2. A startup's MOAT includes characteristics like community, trust, network effects, and users that make it hard for competitors to replicate.
  3. Successful companies like Spotify built their MOAT on a bold vision and a statement that revolutionized the user experience, rather than just technology or features.
The Down Round β€’ 78 implied HN points β€’ 18 Jan 24
  1. Startups need to focus on building sustainable business models for long-term growth and survival.
  2. Companies with high valuations must navigate carefully to achieve a 'soft landing' without damaging their cap tables.
  3. Entrepreneurs should consider various strategic and financial options, including debt and unconventional fundraising, to ensure business continuity.
Lolita's Newsletter β€’ 137 implied HN points β€’ 06 Aug 23
  1. US economy is experiencing ups and downs with increased interest rates and reduced consumer spending
  2. Global VC funding dropped significantly in Q2 2023 but some areas like AI and female founders are showing promise
  3. Despite the challenges, tough times can present opportunities for staying informed, resilient, and adaptable
SaaS Engineering β€’ 137 implied HN points β€’ 02 Jul 23
  1. Investing early in a successful company may not guarantee returns if mispricing and over financing occur.
  2. Selling secondary shares at various funding rounds can lead to a more secure return than waiting for a long-term exit.
  3. Maintaining a conservative financing trajectory can lead to attractive outcomes, even if less exciting than high-risk strategies.
DeFi Education β€’ 679 implied HN points β€’ 22 Mar 22
  1. Having a clear investment process is important. Documenting what you do helps you improve and grow over time.
  2. Teamwork can enhance your investment decisions. Consider gathering a small group to discuss and evaluate investment ideas together.
  3. Monitoring your investments is crucial. Don't just set it and forget it; keep an eye on your assets and know when to sell or change your strategy.