In this episode of Nothing Venture, host Aarish Shah sits down with Oli Harris, a partner at Dream Ventures, to explore the intriguing parallels between poker and venture capital. Oli shares his background as an entrepreneur and discusses the unique approach Dream Ventures takes in investing, leveraging a gambler's instinct to identify elite technology and consumer companies. The conversation delves into the challenges founders face when transitioning to CEO roles, emphasising the importance of adaptability and delegation. Oli highlights the significance of being a great fiduciary, building trust with both founders and limited partners (LPs), and the impact of larger funds on investment strategies. Tune in to gain insights on what makes a successful founder and the evolving landscape of venture capital.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Nothing Ventured
00:00:10 - Oli Harris: Entrepreneur to VC
00:00:57 - Transitioning from Founder to CEO
00:01:37 - The Role of a Fiduciary in Venture Capital
00:01:57 - Investment Strategies and Founder Characteristics
00:02:49 - The Poker Mindset in Investing
00:03:15 - Networking and Understanding Human Behavior
00:04:53 - The Importance of Adaptability in Founders
00:05:59 - The Challenges of Scaling a Business
00:08:09 - The Difference Between Building Revenue and Building a Business
00:10:58 - Self-Awareness in Founders and CEOs
00:12:07 - The Unusual Journey of Founders
00:13:44 - The Anti-VC Approach of Dream Ventures
00:16:05 - Pragmatic Money Management in Venture Capital
00:17:51 - Understanding DPI and Trust with LPs
00:20:10 - The Three Tiers of Investment Portfolio
00:21:07 - The Importance of Early Exits
00:22:14 - The Reality of Venture Capital Returns
00:24:10 - The Shift in Venture Capital Attitudes
00:25:19 - The Velocity of Money and LP Relationships
00:30:10 - The Challenges of Fund Size and Investment Strategy
00:31:56 - Evaluating Founders: Process and Intuition
00:35:10 - The Human Element in Venture Capital
00:38:07 - The Mental and Emotional Toll on Founders
00:40:01 - The Dangers of Shiny Object Syndrome
00:42:05 - The Importance of Focus in Startups
00:44:58 - Normalising Cashing Out for Founders
00:46:08 - The Future of Secondary Investments in Europe

Find [guest name] online at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliharris/
Twitter: https://x.com/ohchopper
Dream Ventures: https://www.dreamventures.com/

This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B.
Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/

Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe


Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

Oli Harris: From poker chips to portfolio cos

Nothing Ventured

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews