Blog | Understanding VC

Feb. 17, 2022

Understanding VC: #28 Yinglan Tan and Linh Dang on the entrepreneurial journey of Edmicro with Insignia Venture Partners, Linh’s insights on the Vietnamese ed-tech matrix, and Yinglan’s perception of the product-service dichotomy of the VC industry

Our 28th episode was the first in a series of experiments to diversify our podcast in terms of not just ethnicities but also ingenuity. In this episode, we talked to Yinglan Tan, Founding Managing Partner at Insignia Ventures Partners, and Linh Dang…

Nov. 23, 2021

Understanding VC: #20 Chris Smith from Playfair Capital on his transition from law to venture capital, the 2Bs of an ideal pitch deck, and ways VCs can harm a startup

In the 20th episode of Understanding VC, we had a chat with Chris Smith, Partner at Playfair Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund based in London. This episode involves a discussion over several unusual events which lead Chris to where he is…

Nov. 11, 2021

Understanding VC: #19 Aldi Adrian Hartanto from Arise, MDI Ventures on his “language of business”, why being a genius is not a prerequisite for success, and Arise’s unique model of due diligence which goes beyond a simple pitch or product idea

In our latest episode of Understanding VC, we talked to Aldi Adrian Hartanto, Partner at Arise, an early-stage VC fund in partnership with Telkom Indonesia-backed MDI Ventures and Bank BCA-backed Finch Capital. During the beginning of our conversati…

Nov. 9, 2021

Understanding VC: #4 “Success is a moving target”: Fred Siebert on staying original and out of talent’s way

In the fourth episode of Understanding VC, we talk to Fred Seibert, a proactive entrepreneur who announced a new company called FredFilms at the age of 69, refusing to give up on work because according to him, while some might work to live, he lives…

Oct. 21, 2021

Understanding VC: #18 A Conversation with Tu Ngo on her first startup YOLA, her journey towards becoming a VC focused on macro-changes, the perks of working with early-stage startups, and the Touchstone Fellowship Program for founders

In the latest episode of Understanding VC, we got the chance to interview another successful Vietnamese founder and venture capitalist, Tu Ngo, who currently holds the position of founding General Partner at Touchstone Partners, an early-stage Vietn…

Oct. 14, 2021

Understanding VC: #17 Binh Tran’s founding story of Klout, his investment in Axie Infinity, and the importance of personalizing your storytelling process for founders

In the latest episode of Understanding VC, we had a conversation with Binh Tran, co-founder and General Partner at Ascend Vietnam Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm focused on the emerging Vietnamese startup ecosystem. We delved into Binh&r…

Oct. 7, 2021

Understanding VC: #16 Adrian Li from AC Ventures on parallels between triathlons and startups, being a venturepreneur, and his ‘barbell technique’ for work-life balance

In the newest episode of Understanding VC, we talked to Adrian Li, Founder and Managing Partner at AC Ventures. AC Ventures aims on funding scalable early-stage startups, with a focus on developing markets like China and Indonesia. This episode was …

Oct. 4, 2021

Understanding VC: #2 The Algorithm of Self-Improvement: In Conversation with Ivan Kirigin from Tango.vc

In the second episode of Understanding VC, we talked to Ivan Kirigin, an investor at Tango.vc, who is particularly interested in robotics and machine learning. Through our conversation with Ivan, we explored the vast possibilities that the area of r…

Sept. 30, 2021

Understanding VC: #15 Rajesh Sawhney from GSF Accelerator - Do IITians have unfair advantage in tech startups? Should founders be money-magnets or talent-magnets? How to crack the love-code with your customers?

In our latest episode of Understanding VC, we talked to one of the biggest angel investors of India, Rajesh Sawhney, who is also the founder and CEO of GSF Accelerator. GSF Accelerator’s portfolio includes numerous successful companies l…

Sept. 6, 2021

Understanding VC: #1 Genesis of a Billion Dollar Company: Will Klippgen on How to Be a Successful Founder

Most of us have had ideas about building a business of our own which were never realized because of being plagued by ignorance and uncertainty. A startup idea is a seed that requires a conducive environment in order to germinate and grow into a succ…