Courageous Entrepreneurs Are Heroes, Not Consensus Seekers

06/25/24 • 32 min

Dan Kimerling, founder and managing partner at Deciens, talks about key principles that shape his current approaches to startup investments. He explains Deciens' strategy of leading financing deals with a concentrated portfolio, allowing for deep partnerships with entrepreneurs. Dan critiques the average venture capital returns and promotes a bold, non-orthodox strategy to achieve exceptional outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of alignment with entrepreneurs and LPs, advocating for a venture capital model that values courage, commitment, and long-term relationships over diversification and transactional interactions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[1:48] How growing up in Edison, New Jersey, influenced Dan Kimerling’s personal and professional life.

[4:07] Deciens’ philosophy: Concentrated, bold, partnership-driven investments.

[7:42] Founders seek genuine partnerships with VCs.

[15:54] Achieving greatness requires personal courage, not group consensus.

[18:28] Success in VC means investing in non-consensus deals with a robust framework.

[29:28] Strategies for better alignment among VCs, entrepreneurs, and LPs.

The non-profit organizations that Dan is passionate about: Albuquerque Community Foundation

About Dan Kimerling

Dan Kimerling is the founder and managing partner at Deciens. He is passionate about leading investments in transformative companies at their earliest stages and sits on the board of many Deciens portfolio companies, including Chipper, Therma, and Treasury Prime. He co-founded Standard Treasury, which was acquired by Silicon Valley Bank, where he led API Banking and Global Research. Earlier, he was an analyst at TechCrunch. Dan graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with an A.B. and A.M., studied mathematical finance at Booth, and received several awards. He was named to Forbes’ "30 under 30," is a Kauffman Fellow, and is active in the Young Presidents’ Organization.

About Deciens

Deciens is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting early-stage founders revolutionizing financial services. The firm identifies visionary entrepreneurs at the inception of their journey, offering extensive support beyond funding to realize their visions. Deciens collaborates strategically with industry leaders such as Chipper Cash, Africa's largest fintech; Treasury Prime, a frontrunner in banking-as-a-service; and Therma, an innovator in industrial energy management. Through these partnerships, Deciens champions entrepreneurs driving the digital transformation of traditional institutions.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[1:48] How growing up in Edison, New Jersey, influenced Dan Kimerling’s personal and professional life.

[4:07] Deciens’ philosophy: Concentrated, bold, partnership-driven investments.

[7:42] Founders seek genuine partnerships with VCs.

[15:54] Achieving greatness requires personal courage, not group consensus.

[18:28] Success in VC means investing in non-consensus deals with a robust framework.

[29:28] Strategies for better alignment among VCs, entrepreneurs, and LPs.

The non-profit organizations that Dan is passionate about: Albuquerque Community Foundation

About Dan Kimerling

About Deciens

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Previous Episode

VC is a Truth Seeking Exercise

Vishal Tripathi, investor at Next Legacy Partners, delves into venture capital dynamics, spotlighting Next Legacy Partners' unique blend of philanthropy and athlete-focused strategies. Vishal shares his journey into venture capital, underscoring the industry’s allure for innovation and human connection. He also discusses key insights including the importance for emerging managers to define their unique differentiation and adapt to investor preferences, evaluation criteria for managers, AI's transformative role, and the need for VC innovation amid challenges like prolonged private company timelines.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[1:20] Venture capital allows you to engage with and learn from driven entrepreneurs at the forefront of innovation.

[5:14] Next Legacy Partners mission: linking philanthropy, athletes, and cultural figures with venture capital.

[6:49] Define your unique differentiation as an emerging manager.

[10:27] Emerging managers should align their strategy with their unique strengths and personal approach, remaining open-minded instead of adhering to any one-size-fits-all model.

[21:39] Emerging trends in venture capital, including AI's transformative impact and the need for innovation to address challenges like liquidity and evolving market conditions.

[28:03] VCs should prioritize founders as their primary customers and focus their efforts on adding value to them.

The non-profit organizations that Vishal is passionate about: Anjali, Smile Foundation

About Vishal Tripathi

Vishal Tripathi is an investor at Next Legacy Partners. Vishal analyzes and oversees venture capital funds and industries at Next Legacy, leveraging prior roles as a portfolio manager at Plexo Capital. With a background in financial engineering and quantitative research at J.P. Morgan, he brings extensive expertise in capital allocation and early-stage venture capital. Beyond his professional endeavors, Vishal finds enjoyment in reading DC comics, watching UK panel shows, developing computer games, and avidly following Cricket and Chess.

About Next Legacy Partners

Next Legacy Partners is a venture capital firm formed from the merger of Legacy Venture and Next Play Capital. It stands out with its dual mission to connect the philanthropic world with venture capital (Legacy Venture's focus) and to bridge athletes and cultural luminaries with venture capital (Next Play Capital's focus). Next Legacy Partners is highly community-driven and distinctively focuses on established large funds, direct investments into startups, and emerging leaders in the venture capital industry.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Next Episode

Prioritize Innovation Using Artificial Intelligence, Don't Fear AGI

Gayathri Radhakrishnan, partner at Hitachi Ventures, shares profound insights from her journey and perspectives on venture capital and technology. Gayathri reflects on her early life in India and how her competitive spirit and supportive family shaped her path to challenging norms in male-dominated fields. She delves into her focus on impactful investments in AI, utilizing Hitachi Ventures' corporate strengths to strategically nurture startups. Gayathri values founder passion, problem understanding, and openness to feedback, and her advice to founders stresses preparation, boldness, and leveraging networks for lasting partnerships and growth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[1:54] The making of Gayathri Radhakrishnan: Challenging norms and building a strong sense of confidence and competitiveness.

[10:32] The responsibility and impact that venture capital has on shaping future generations

[14:10] Impact of corporate venture capital, when done right: Hitachi Ventures’ commitment to patient capital with a 10-year fund cycle further underscores their long-term support for startups.

[18:21] Trends and opportunities: Entrepreneurs should explore opportunities where AI can revolutionize industrial processes, enhance safety and efficiency, and contribute to sustainable practices.

[23:37] Passionately understand your problem, stay open to feedback, and ensure your solution has real-world validation and market potential.

[28:20] Aim for follow-up meetings and leverage the investor's network for potential introductions.

[35:15] What’s the immediate threat posed by AI?

The non-profit organizations that Gayathri is passionate about: SV2

About Gayathri Radhakrishnan

Gayathri Radhakrishnan is currently Partner at Hitachi Ventures, focusing on AI investments in Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Automotive. With over 20 years in technology, she has held roles at Dell, Corning, and Micron Ventures, and served as a Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital. Gayathri holds an MS in EE from The Ohio State University, an MBA from INSEAD, and is a Kauffman Fellow. She has driven strategy at Dell’s Software Group and mentored startups at TechRanch Austin and Techstars Cloud.

About Hitachi Ventures

Hitachi Ventures is the global venture capital arm of Hitachi Group. Hitachi Ventures invests in innovative companies that address society’s key technological challenges in areas like IT, industrial automation (robotics, sensor technology and IoT), cloud services (data management, cybersecurity), mobility (autonomous driving, mobility services, smart infrastructure and security services), energy, smart medicine (AIfor digital imaging, smart diagnostics, remote care), smart city, smart infrastructure and more. It’s portfolio includes companies such as Samsara Eco, Trustwise AI, WEKA, StrikeReady, Archetype AI, WASE, Cure51, Proscia, Thea Energy, Captura among others.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.