Hello, Leigh. Big fan of yours. I know this comment isn't relevant to the article, but I am really curious about something, so here it goes:
On Elpha, you have previously stated the following: "...the only thesis across the whole firm (for any type or stage of company from pre-seed to pre-IPO) is to invest in insanely talented founders. Founders who live and breathe the mission of their company and can inspire others to do the same. Founders who have the technical & business acumen to execute on an ambitious vision. Founders who will be able to guide their company through the inevitable challenges it will face at different stages of growth."
My question to you is: how do you figure out who is talented enough and how do you figure out if the founders have the "technical & business acumen to execute on an ambitious vision"? Are you looking for someone with at least a masters degree? A PhD? Would an MBA or a masters degree directly relevant to the business product/service itself carry more weight? Do you place more weight on previous entrepreneurial success? What if someone does not meet those criteria is there something they can do to win you over? Could they potentially win you over after an conversation/ pitch in which they impressively showcased their grasp of entrepreneurship, strategic thinking and business modelling?
I know you're a busy woman, so I'd really appreciate it if you could enlighten me a little.
Hello, Leigh. Big fan of yours. I know this comment isn't relevant to the article, but I am really curious about something, so here it goes:
On Elpha, you have previously stated the following: "...the only thesis across the whole firm (for any type or stage of company from pre-seed to pre-IPO) is to invest in insanely talented founders. Founders who live and breathe the mission of their company and can inspire others to do the same. Founders who have the technical & business acumen to execute on an ambitious vision. Founders who will be able to guide their company through the inevitable challenges it will face at different stages of growth."
My question to you is: how do you figure out who is talented enough and how do you figure out if the founders have the "technical & business acumen to execute on an ambitious vision"? Are you looking for someone with at least a masters degree? A PhD? Would an MBA or a masters degree directly relevant to the business product/service itself carry more weight? Do you place more weight on previous entrepreneurial success? What if someone does not meet those criteria is there something they can do to win you over? Could they potentially win you over after an conversation/ pitch in which they impressively showcased their grasp of entrepreneurship, strategic thinking and business modelling?
I know you're a busy woman, so I'd really appreciate it if you could enlighten me a little.
One note - Little Boy was ~9,700 lbs (not 400), according to Wikipedia