Clock Speed with Shamus Madan

Join Shamus Madan as he interviews industry leaders like Mark Cuban and Tim Draper, sharing insights on building billion-dollar businesses to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

From Data Scientist to the GP of ResponsiblyVC Investing in Pre-Seed Sustainable Startups w/ Zécca Lehn

E57 • May 30, 2022 • 24 mins

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Zécca Lehn from Responsibly Ventures. They discuss the difference between climate and sustainability funds, Zécca's interest in macroeconomic policies, and the link between journalism and venture capital. They also talk about the transition from angel investing to starting a VC fund, the concept of failure rates, and the significance of discipline in fundraising. The conversation wraps up with a discussion on the importance of ethics and problem-solving in startup success.

Key Points

Zaca Land, while discussing his investment firm Responsibly Ventures, emphasizes the importance of ethics and alignment with teams and investors who are committed to addressing real problems related to human suffering, health, or planetary survival.
In venture capital, particularly in pre-seed and early-stage investing, a disciplined, value-driven approach focused on fundamental factors such as market size, competitive advantage, and team capabilities can lead to low failure rates and high potential for significant returns.
Founders are advised to surround themselves with supportive networks, maintain clear communication with their teams, and align with customer values, particularly as consumers are willing to pay a premium for products and services that contribute positively to the environment.

Today Zécca Lehn joins the podcast to discuss his journey from being a data scientist to investing in the private markets as an angel investor. Over the past couple of years Zécca has worked his way up to the top 1% of angel investors and decided to go further through founding ResponsiblyVC. The firm focuses on investing in sustainable startups working towards a mission to save the planet.

Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast

Twitter of Guest: @Zecca_Lehn

Speakers

Shamus Madan

Guest • 22%

Zécca Lehn

Guest • 78%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction and guest introduction: Zécca Lehn from Responsibly Ventures
0:29	Distinction between a climate and sustainability fund
1:24	Zécca's introduction to macroeconomic policies and universal basic income
3:32	Connection between journalism and venture capital
7:01	Transition from angel investing to starting a VC fund
10:43	Value investing and concept of failure rates in venture capital
12:55	Impact of discipline and value in fundraising
18:17	Importance of maintaining marketing costs during recession periods
21:58	Role of ethics and problem-solving in startup success
23:15	Closing remarks and appreciation

Transcript

Loading transcript...

- / -