venturecapital

"Radical transparency doesn't mean that you can't be thoughtful about the way you're gonna still deliver that feedback, right?"

Here is why this quote perfectly encapsulates the latest episode of "Capital Conversations", the Venture Capital podcast I've been hosting for IMD since I created it in 2023.

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Mid-October, I had the priviledge of sitting down in Geneva with Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp, one of Europe’s leading seed funds, founded by Reshma Sohoni.

Seedcamp cultivates deep, lasting relationships across its extensive network. It has backed over 500 tech-driven startups, including Sorare, Revolut, UiPath, and Wise, and supported many more founders through its Expert and Talent Networks.

Key themes we've discussed in this episode:

- empathy in investor-founder relationships
- balancing empathy with honest feedback
- transparency and communication
- long-term approach to advice
- respecting individual startup cultures.

Last quote, about why effective advice is measured by the founder's receptiveness and willingness to act on it:

"You need to assess the effectiveness by thinking about the founder's response to the feedback... seeing if he's receptive on the spot or not to like what you're sharing with him... and based on that, I think you can then also see if the actions then follow or not", highlights Sia.

Listen to this episode on:

The IMD website: https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/podcasts/capital-conversations/sia-houchangnia-on-building-relationships-that-empower-founders/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ZrHK6s
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4ghiirG

VC in particular in the earliest stage, is a people's business. This episode is hence a key for (aspiring) GPs and LPs to understand why emotional intelligence, team dynamics, empathy, thought partnership, transparency and open communication are paramount from the outset and throughout the relationship.