Why solo capitalists are winning with Itamar Novick from Recursive Ventures

In this episode you will learn:

00:00 - Introduction

01:21 - Who is a solo capitalist?

03:42 - What are the merits of being a solo capitalist?

07:50 - How is a solo capitalist helpful for a founder?

15:20 - Do solo GPs offer better founder friendly terms?

17:30 - Can solo capitalists be a bad deal for some founders?

22:10 - Why are LPs interested in backing solo GPs?

24:20 - Do solo capitalists charge lower management fees than LPs?

29:00 - Is there an upper limit to the fund size for solo capitalists?

30:08 - What are the challenges of being a solo capitalist?

35:40 - How should solo capitalists look at their succession?

36:40 - How can solo capitalists stay on top of their game while maintaining work-life balance?

38:50 - How do solo VCs and traditional firms differ in terms of diligence, sourcing, portfolio risk management, etc?

41:40 - How has being a solo capitalist become a ‘trend’ in the last five years?

47:50 - Are solo capitalists born out of the evolution of scout programs and super angels?

51:00 - Do founders' agile fundraising strategies match the support provided by solo capitalists?

56:00 - What is the next step in the evolution of solo GPs?

57:15 - Will solo capitalists operate like traditional firms when it comes to managing reserves?

01:00:00 - How will the relation between traditional VC firms and solo capitalists evolve?

01:03:33 - Conclusion

About

Itamar is a solo capitalist and the founder of Recursive Ventures, a pre-seed fund focused on fintech, AI and emerging tech startups. Itamar has been on all sides of the startup table: as a founder and executive, an institutional VC, and an angel investor. He has supported over 50 successful startups, including Deel, Honeybook, Placer, Credible (IPO), MileIQ (acquired by Microsoft), Automatic Labs (acquired by SiriusXM), Tile (acquired by Life360), SafeGraph, and Armory. He’s been recognized by Business Insider as a Top 100 global seed investor. As an operator, he helped take Life360 from Seed to IPO, scaling the business to over $250m in revenue. Before that, Itamar was a founding team member and head of Product at Gigya (acquired by SAP). He holds an MBA from Berkeley Haas and an undergraduate degree in computer science from the Tel-Aviv Jaffa College.

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Understanding VC is a podcast that provides founders with the knowledge and resources they need to understand venture capital. Our goal is to create the best and most comprehensive resource on venture capital on the internet, so that founders can make informed decisions about their businesses and secure the funding they need to succeed.