Michael Dearing
person on 6 shows · 11 statements across 2 episodes · said 58 times in 17 episodes since 2015
20VC 45 
Top Founders 7 
the Y Combinator Startup Podcast 4 
the Official SaaStr Podcast 1 
Capital Allocators 1 
the a16z Podcast
On the record as a speaker too: Michael Dearing across every show, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.
Mentions by year, every show
tap a year for its mentions
20VC 45Top Founders 7the Y Combinator Startup Podcast 4Capital Allocators 1the Official SaaStr Podcast 1
2023 2 mentions in 1 episode
2022 2 mentions in 2 episodes 1 per episode
2019 19 mentions in 3 episodes 6 per episode
- 20VC: Guild Education's Rachel Carlson on The Benefits of Scaling Startups Outside of Silicon Valley, Why Mission and Margin Are So Tightly Integrated & Why Mums Are The Most Under-Utilised Asset In The Economy
- 20VC: Why Startup Founders Have One Core Job, How To Reduce Risk & Increase Probability In Your Startup & Why You Should Not Send A Pitch Deck Pre-Investor Meeting with David Rogier, Founder & CEO @ Masterclass
- 20VC: The 3 Stages of Denial For Founders When Scaling, Why You Will Likely Be Unable To Hire Through Your Network & The Interview Question All Founders Must Ask with Olof Mathé, Founder & CEO @ Mixmax
- every mention in 2019, scene by scene →
2018 19 mentions in 4 episodes 5 per episode
- 20VC: The Biggest Growth Opportunities for Young People in Tech Today, Why Distributed Workforces Are The Secret To Beating Incumbents & Why It Has Never Been Easier To Operate A Company Than Today with Andy Pflaum, Founder & CEO @ Astro
- A Conversation with Elad Gil · Y Combinator
- 20VC: Why The Days of Spray and Pray at Seed Are Over, How To Compete In A World of Sequoia Seed Funds & Why Price Doesn't Matter with Dan Scheinman, Angel Investor @ Zoom & Arista Networks
- 20VC: The Fundamentals Of Optimising The Fundraising Process, SAFE's vs Priced Equity Rounds & Why Hiring Is Really A Big Data Problem with Chris Hutchins, Founder @ Grove & Former Partner @ Google Ventures
- every mention in 2018, scene by scene →
2017 8 mentions in 2 episodes 4 per episode
2016 7 mentions in 4 episodes 2 per episode
- 20VC: How Startups Should React To Today's Funding Environment & Why Big Markets Are More Forgiving with Jenny Lefcourt, Partner @ Freestyle.vc
- 20VC: Raising A Solo GP Fund & Why They Are So Prominent Today with Charles Hudson, Managing Partner @ Precursor Ventures
- 20VC: What It Takes To Raise A VC Fund & Investing in First Time Fund Managers with Michael Kim @ Cendana Capital
- 20VC: Techstars Founder, David Cohen on Scaling Techstars Ventures and Investing In Uber, Twilio and Sendgrid
- every mention in 2016, scene by scene →
every mention on every show, scene by scene, with the transcript →
11 statements about Michael Dearing, every show
Dearing: Delivering hard management choices does not require being abrasive
“The decision you're taking can be a difficult and inherently negative one, but the wrapper, the container that you put it in doesn't have to be barbed wire covered with dog poop.”
Dearing: Continuously cultivate career options to avoid being trapped
“It would be about Cultivating those options while you go so that you are never stuck. You never want to be stuck realizing, okay, I work for the wrong person. She or he treats me like garbage. I don't have other options. I have to start cold start cultivating …”
Dearing: Use automated email filters to erase toxic people from your inbox
“Now I use it on other people and I have a robust filter system in my email.”
Dearing: Founder exceptionalism is independent of pedigree or brand-name experience
“That personal exceptionalism, that sense that they are special, that they are destined for really unique outcomes relative to their peer group, I think that shows up early in somebody's life. And it's independent, quite independent of pedigree or brand name wo…”
Dearing: It is a pathetic indictment that basic management makes founders exceptional
“And I also think this checklist of five things that McCallum gave us, if they are good at those five things, they are in the Pathetic indictment of the state of general management that it's that easy to be exceptional, but it really is.”
Dearing: Perfect market timing is impossible, making survival a management challenge
“I would say, though, that if you start with the premise that timing is always slightly wrong, I mean, listen, what are the odds that we invent something, we productize it, and we turn it into a company at exactly the right moment? It's practically impossible. …”
Dearing: Valuation is a VC's primary tool for risk management
“Pricing is the way that we manage our risk. It's the primary tool I have to manage my own risk in the situation. And so as my risk goes up, my price should go down and vice versa.”
Dearing: Seed equity market rounds are priced reasonably
“So I would say on the equity side of the market, I believe for the most part, companies are priced reasonably.”
Dearing: Convertible debt seed market is terribly toxic and undisciplined
“On the convertible debt side of the market, I think it's terribly toxic and about as undisciplined as it could possibly be.”
Dearing: Harrison Metal cut reserves over values violations only twice in 100+ deals
“I've rarely come into a situation where I've completely pulled out. I mean, it has happened, but usually for real values violations, you know, dishonesty, and thank God that's only happened, like, you know, two times out of more than a hundred cases.”