Deep Dive: The Power Law with Sebastian Mallaby
Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the author of The Power Law: Venture Capital And The Making Of The New Future. Reading and breaking down the lessons from his book has personally been a treat, for the book doesn’t just document the history of venture capital and the various factors that drive success in VC, but hooks you into it right from the first page with remarkable storytelling.
Today’s episode features Sebastian Mallaby and the lessons from his book in his own words. We have a thorough look into Venture Capital: its role in the origin of the open and sharing culture at Silicon Valley; the roles, responsibilities, and mindset of a VC; the effective and ineffective ways for an investor-founder-VC collaboration; assessment of a risk-taking attitude for a VC; the importance of networking for a VC; what works and doesn’t work in modern capitalism; and the future of VCs.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Silicon Valley’s open and sharing culture and the role VCs had in its making
- The mindset of a VC
- The role VCs played in making companies like Apple what they are today
- VCs who’ve stood out to Sebastian while researching for the book
- Bill Gurley and his investment in Uber + how he understood that network businesses are lucrative
- What is the solution for growth investors coming in and spoiling the market?
- Why taking risks as a VC shouldn’t equate to writing checks with minimum due diligence
- The importance of network embeddedness + preparedness for a VC
- 3 things to do to remain at the top as a VC
About
Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an experienced journalist and public speaker and contributes to a variety of publications, including Foreign Affairs, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, and the Financial Times, where he spent two years as a contributing editor. He is also the author of five books, most recently The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future.
Sebastian Mallaby
Author - The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future
Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an experienced journalist and public speaker and contributes to a variety of publications, including Foreign Affairs, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, and the Financial Times, where he spent two years as a contributing editor. He is also the author of five books, most recently The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future.
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