“If you have to ask someone to be your mentor, they are not your mentor.”
Meet Grace, a partner at Amplify Partners and the person that dropped that massive truth bomb. In our conversation, Grace didn’t hold back. And honestly? The VC industry needs more people willing to say the hard thing.
Here are some of my favorites:
1️⃣ Work-life balance in VC? No shot. To compete against the best investors, the game demands everything.
2️⃣ Young VCs need exposure, not expertise: Hear 1000 pitches. Meet 1000 founders. Taste and intuition comes from volume.
3️⃣ Belief compounds: ”Having someone tell you that you’re amazing 1000 times changes everything.” We drastically underestimate the compounding effect of belief. One person’s consistent faith can reshape an entire career.
4️⃣ The VC investor mindset: “I don’t think to win, I think to help." The best investors don’t keep score with founders. They aim to create value and showcase their loyalty.
5️⃣ The generalist VC is dying: Watch the exodus happening right now. Partners leaving mega-funds to build specialized, artisanal firms. The future belongs to those who pick a lane and own it.
What broke my brain?
Venture Capital is fundamentally a series of transactions. Buy equity. Sell equity. Repeat.
But here’s the paradox that Grace helped me see: The LEAST transactional VCs build the BEST portfolios.
Why? Because helping without keeping score creates trust. Trust compounds. In a game built on reputation and relationships, trust is the ultimate currency.
Grace's Spotify playlist: Raving 101 - there is more to love than GenAI
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introductions
(01:58) - EDM & traveling
(06:42) - Grace’s new show: Get with it
(08:40) - Work-life balance and Grace’s outlook on venture friends
(10:23) - Grace’s career arc + mentorship
(17:06) - Specializing and being a technical investor
(21:38) - Menlo Ventures → Amplify Partners
(24:24) - Current state of venture
(30:06) - Grace’s mindset!
(32:07) - Highlights and lowlights
(34:33) - Ceremonial Final Qs
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