Eric Ver Ploeg, venture investor at Recursive Capital, discusses data examining whether startup conversion rates have democratized outside Silicon Valley.
Insight
Ver Ploeg: Over 80% of VC advice to CEOs is useless
“I'm fully aware that the CEO who's been working 60 plus hours a week in a specific sector for several years knows a lot more about that sector than me as a VC board member who, I mean, really can rarely spend more than five hours a week on a specific company a…”
Opinion
Ver Ploeg: Uber's growth mirrors early Google, justifying its valuation
“You know, I haven't seen their financials, but, you know, I've talked to their investors who have, and, you know, they say things like, you know, it's financials are like the early days of Google, that, you know, it really is growing that Stratospherically, an…”
Insight
Ver Ploeg: A startup board is not the CEO's boss
“Your board is not your boss, right? It's an, and by the same token, you know, becoming CEO of a young company is not sort of about unfettered open field running either. A board is an amalgamation of people who have a collective interest and have their own sepa…”
Insight
Ver Ploeg: Board members should prioritize rational outcomes over emotional support
“By and large, I don't think that's the normal operating role of being sort of the support. I think the, in terms of an efficient business interaction, the role of the board member is a very you know, To be very rational and to be very specific about trying to …”
Insight
Ver Ploeg: Silicon Valley angels offer better tech experience than non-tech angels
“I think, you know, you just have a larger fraction of people with money, In the Valley have money from being involved in entrepreneurial ventures. So they have relative experience. Whereas, you know, I grew up in Ohio, like the people who had money there, you …”
Opinion
Ver Ploeg: Meal delivery startups lack defensibility and will compete to death
“I just don't understand all of these, you know, sort of food meal delivery businesses. They've raised a ton of money and I look at them and I just don't understand where the defensibility comes from their business models and how they're not just going to, you …”