O'Driscoll: Historically, a16z captured 10% of top VC outcomes, Benchmark 6%
Rory O'Driscoll · Benchmark vs a16z: Why Stage Specific Firms Win · 20VC with Harry Stebbings · May 8, 2025 · at 26:42
Rory O'Driscoll (General Partner at Scale Venture Partners) analyzes venture capital power-law distributions using historical market capture data.
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“In a less competitive time, the best firm in terms of percentage of total outcomes was Andreessen. They got 10% of the good outcomes. Benchmark got six, and everyone else bunches in the two, three, four, five percent rate, right? In other words, when there was less money than there was today, the most aggressive firm Only, and I say only with parents because it's an amazing outcome, got into 10% of the great numbers, of the great deals.”
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