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Max Altman

12 statements across 1 episodes · 4 bullish · 0 bearish · 1 people on the record · first statement Nov 21, 2025 by Max Altman · across every show →

On the record as a speaker too: Max Altman's record, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.

Everything said about Max Altman, oldest first

Nov 21, 2025 positive
Opinion
Founders should always accept an investment offer from Sequoia Capital
“I think it's really hard if you get Sequoia to offer you money and be on your cap table and have that amazing brand halo effect to not take it, and I think someone always should.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 49:08 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025
Disclosure
Max Altman left family funds to launch Saga Ventures out of ego
“So I, you know, I left after doing three funds with some combination of Sam and Jack to build out my own firm just for ego and pride, to be completely honest.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 11:43 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 bullish
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Max Altman predicts numerous $100B AI startup exits by 2033
“Like, not to be on the AI hype train, but I do think we are going to have a lot of exits Eight years from now, around the hundred billion dollar mark.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 38:21 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Altman: Capital supply grew 10x while top-tier startups only grew 2-3x
“There's now like hundreds of billions of capital chasing slightly more companies. I think the experiment we're going through right now and went through in 2020 is like, hey, if we put 10 times as much capital into the market, there better be 10 times as much g…”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 52:27 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 neutral
Insight
Altman: Founders care about investor portfolio prestige, not check size
“And founders don't care if you did a 25 K check or a million dollar check at the seed. They just think that you've invested in the best companies.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 39:34 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025
Insight
Altman: Lead Series A VCs walk away if non-leads pre-fill two-thirds of the round
“People do these wonky things where they're like, we raised five from this person, and we have this thing soft-circled, and then you get to your lead, and they're like, there's only room for us to do under half of this deal. We're out. And I'm like, don't do th…”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 49:38 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025
Assertion Supported
Max Altman says Hydrazine Capital generated approximately 17 unicorn companies
“You know, I think we had about 17 unicorns across the fund, because it's just a small world, and everyone's coming by, so I'm like, oh, these are the founders of Instacart, or Reddit, or Rippling, or Boom, and it's like, this is the bar.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 12:35 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 neutral
Insight
Altman advises seed funds to model receiving only 70-80% of pro rata
“So I think a lot of the times that I've learned is like, hey, model in the pro rata, but you're only gonna get 70 or 80% of it.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 45:20 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 neutral
Insight
Altman: Seed VCs have a 15-year window before being replaced
“Yeah, we have to compete with them, we have to do better than them, there's not room for all of us, and Frankly, I kind of think, Harry, you were younger when you started, so you might have a little more time. I got, like, 15 years of this until I'm really goo…”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 1:03:36 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 positive
Opinion
Max Altman calls Parker Conrad the best sales and product leader
“He's crazy, but he's the best salesperson and the best product person that I've ever met in my life.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 6:58 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 positive
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Max Altman says his earlier venture funds achieved 4x DPI
“I was fortunate enough to have data from the earlier funds to say, we've absolutely crushed it, and we're now at like about four X DPI. I think we can get to five or six, and we knocked it out of the park.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 44:06 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
Nov 21, 2025 neutral
Disclosure
Max Altman avoids asking brother Sam Altman for OpenAI roadmap leaks
“I don't want to put him in a weird position where he's leaking anything. It just, it doesn't seem like good for OpenAI, and it doesn't feel good. Like, I kind of want, and you might say this is stupid, to like, earn this on my own right.”
Max Altman Nov 21, 2025 ▶ 58:03 20VC: Max Altman on The New Seed War: Can Anyone Compete with Sequoia and a16z | Leaving $2BN on the Table with Reddit | Lessons from Backing Rippling at $25M Post | Why Climate Tech is a Mirage and Disaster
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