Before I get started…I butchered yesterday’s blog post and I think it is worth reading it with the right links so you can go back and read it here if you like.
Yesterday Airbnb went public and today’s guest on the podcast Glenn Solomon – was an early investor. We do not dig too deep into it, but I thought this post by LInkedIn founder Reid Hoffman titled ‘Airbnb Reflections‘ – who led the Series A round – is a great read.
Onwards…
Glenn Solomon is today’s guest and I was really excited to have him on the podcast. He has absolutely crushed it over the years investing in private and public markets and I wanted to pick his brain. He hangs his hat at GGV Capital. I have had his partner Jeff Richards on my podcast as the markets were deep in their March panic and he doled out some incredible advice and stock picks as well.
That Glenn believes we are in inning two of the trillions to be created in infrastructure and development software is why you must listen in.
You can listen to the episode here on Spotify or Apple and below are some more details of the episode.
I hope you enjoy….
Guest: Glenn Solomon
Profile: Managing Partner GGV Capital, Board memeber at companies like Hashicorp
Where to Find Him: LinkedIn, Twitter
Fun Fact: In a past life, Glenn was a killer athlete. He won three NCAA National Championships during his time as a member of Stanford’s tennis team. He shares some great stories about John McEnroe and won tournaments playing doubles withJohn’s brother Patrick.
What’s the Panic About:
This episode is an extension of the open source software conversations we’ve been having on Panic with guests like Chetan Puttagunta and Ross Mason. I brought on Glenn Solomon, a legend in the software community, to keep this conversation going. Glenn has been in the VC business for over 20 years, with most of that time spent at the venture firm GGV Capital. He has an impressive portfolio, investing in companies such as Slack, Airbnb and Square. Glenn is not only a strong investor but a strong writer — with his insights on the software industry featured in places like Forbes (Why Developers Ae Fueling The Next $1 Trillion Wave). In this episode, Glenn and I talk about his investing journey, how he thinks about trends, open source/software investing, public markets, mentorship, the value of MBA programs, founders, SPACs and more. Enjoy!
The Takeaway:
As Glenn puts it, starting a company is super hard and never goes according to plan. But people bounce back. Don’t be afraid to invest in founders who have had some misses. That’s what makes them stronger.
Favorite Quotes:
“Price is a lazy way to pass on investments.”
“The best companies surprise you.”
“Respect everyone, fear no one.”
“Every company in the world is becoming a software company.”
Food for Thought:
Glenn is also in the business of blogging and podcasting just like me. He has a great podcast called Founder Real Talk that I encourage you all to check out if you want to delve more into the world of founders. He blogs at ‘Going Long‘.
PS – I am now doing two ‘Panic With Friends’ podcasts per week. Thanks for listening and make sure you subscribe over on Spotify or Apple.