Interview, Fireside Chat
Oana Olteanu: Why Founders Should Expect More From Their VCs | 20VC #950
- Foundational models are expected to become commoditized similar to compute, shifting value capture toward companies delivering the "last mile."
- Companies with go-to-market lags face a difficult Series A fundraising process where investors can assist in re-establishing momentum.
- Recent years of fast, cheap capital have created very low expectations, leading founders to view a non-harmful VC relationship as a success.
- An economic downturn is predicted to prioritize economics over diversity and climate initiatives.
- A scaling philosophy is planned based on a "Romanian village mentality," where successfully raising one or two portfolio companies leads to self-sustaining growth for others.
- Female founders are targeted for support through introductions, VC channel posts, and feedback on investment decks, even when outside the investor's specific domain expertise.
- Efforts are intended to improve venture capital reputation by paying closer attention to founders, listening actively, and demonstrating service over ego.
- Industry behavior is expected to evolve if investors prioritize honesty, finding their unique style, and being helpful rather than conforming to exclusive industry "clubs."
- Feedback delivery is expected to be more effective when conducted as founder-to-founder dialogue rather than standard VC commentary.
- Board interactions are anticipated to improve when documents are requested only for specific purposes, avoiding the waste of time caused by materials sent without clear asks or requests for input.
- Time is considered precious, particularly regarding board meetings where founders present and VCs listen without providing shared insights or requests.
- A positive shift is expected for women in venture capital as relationships are established and respect is earned over time.
- Success is predicted even when competing against top-tier funds, provided that hustle is sustained.
- A broader reputation strategy is proposed where messengers share truthful assessments of an investor's relationship with founders to the wider population.
- Sending Word documents for board materials is expected to reveal truth when investors acknowledge their engineering-centric limitations and avoid arguing against technical details.