Actually a super high bar

@startup__academy

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Why it worked

The video uses a compelling analogy of a lion hunting in the Serengeti to explain the predatory nature of some VCs, which resonates with founders who are often in vulnerable positions. The direct question about the achievability of finding a helpful investor also creates engagement.

Summary

The video discusses the difficulty for VCs to operate with a "do no harm" principle, comparing it to a chess grandmaster who is deeply invested in the game. The speaker suggests that only about 10% of the time do VCs act in a truly helpful way, implying that their nature often leads them to capitalize on opportunities regardless of the outcome for others.

Structure

1VCs have a high bar of "do no harm".
2Founders want to make a mark on the world.
3VCs are compared to chess grandmasters who are deeply involved in the game.
4The nature of VCs is to capitalize on opportunities, like a lion taking down a limping antelope.
5Only a small percentage of VCs are truly helpful.
6The difficulty for VCs to be helpful is questioned.

On-screen text

Actually a super high bar for a VC is do no harm. There's a lot of reasons why that's hard for a VC. Elaborate please. This is important man. one talks about this shit. Everybody wants to make a mark on the world. Everybody wants to make a mark on the world. And you might believe one thing or another mark on the world. And the way I think about it is an operator who's running a company is a if they're good is a grandmaster of chess. is a grandmaster of chess. The VC and by the way that grandmaster of chess this operator entrepreneur is playing this chess match somewhere between 60 and 80 hours a week And is like really knows this thing and it's like knows many moves ahead and just sees things and they're in it as well. And the VC is a chess enthusiast and they check in on the chess match once every three months. And they're like trying to make a mark on the world. They have an opinion. They're trying to make a mark. "Hey why don't you And you're like you know don't go to Jordan and tell him how to dunk and definitely don't go to him and tell him how to dribble. But it's hard because everybody has an opinion and you believe whatever you believe you really believe it. But if you're not in the thing all in all the way every day 12 to 16 hours a day on this game it ain't a thing. But that's a hard thing for most people to take who aren't running shit. Why do you think it's hard for them to take? Because VCs are glamorized and they have a seat at the table in some fashion and there are certain powers. You can make a mark. And so it's sort of like the way to think about it is you're on the Serengeti and you're on the Serengeti and if an antelope limps in the Serengeti the lion will take it down even if it's not hungry. Can't even fucking help it. It's just what is what he does. And that's kind of the nature of most VCs. This the nature of it is they will if you are on the Serengeti and limping you will be eaten. It's just the nature of it. And the lion doesn't even know why sometimes. He's just like this is what I do. Yeah. So when you're talking to other founders you're saying priority number one is just find an investor that does no harm? That would be a high bar. So achievable what percentage of the time then you would guess? Ten percent. And then the one percent is helpful.

Original caption

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Transcript

Actually a super high bar for a VC is do no harm. There's a lot of reasons why that's hard for a VC. Elaborate please. This is important man. No one talks about this shit. Everybody wants to make a mark on the world. Everybody wants to make a mark on the world. And you might believe one thing or another mark on the world. And the way I think about it is an operator who's running a company is a if they're good is a grandmaster of chess. is a grandmaster of chess. The VC and by the way that grandmaster of chess this operator entrepreneur is playing this chess match somewhere between 60 and 80 hours a week. And is like really knows this thing and it's like knows many moves ahead and just sees things and they're in it as well. And the VC is a chess enthusiast and they check in on the chess match once every three months. And they're like trying to make a mark on the world. They have an opinion. They're trying to make a mark. "Hey why don't you And you're like you know don't go to Jordan and tell him how to dunk and definitely don't go to him and tell him how to dribble. But it's hard because everybody has an opinion and you believe whatever you believe you really believe it. But if you're not in the thing all in all the way every day 12 to 16 hours a day on this game it ain't a thing. But that's a hard thing for most people to take who aren't running shit. Why do you think it's hard for them to take? Because VCs are glamorized and they have a seat at the table in some fashion and there are certain powers. You can make a mark. And so it's sort of like the way to think about it is you're on the Serengeti and you're on the Serengeti and if an antelope limps in the Serengeti the lion will take it down even if it's not hungry. Can't even fucking help it. It's just what is what he does. And that's kind of the nature of most VCs. This the nature of it is they will if you are on the Serengeti and limping you will be eaten. It's just the nature of it. And the lion doesn't even know why sometimes. He's just like this is what I do. Yeah. So when you're talking to other founders you're saying priority number one is just find an investor that does no harm? That would be a high bar. So achievable what percentage of the time then you would guess? Ten percent. And then the one percent is helpful.