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The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20 VC 037: How To Get a Job at a Startup, Startup Lessons and Brad Feld's 'Open Office Hours' with Tak Lo, Director @ Techstars

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

The Twenty Minute VC

Finance, Venturecapital, Tech News, News, Siliconvalley, Technology, Investing, Startups, Business

4.4637 Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2015

⏱️ 19 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tak Lo is Director at Techstars, helping entrepreneurs do more faster - on both sides of the Atlantic through Techstars London and Techstars NYC. Tak is also Founder at Travelst and Frontlyst. Prior to his road into entrepreneurship, Tak was a Consultant at Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton and was a specialist in the US ARMY. In today's incredible episode Tak shares his lessons from his own startup experience, the required reading for all entrepreneurs and of course when thinking TechStars, how can we not discuss the man himself, Brad Feld, and how Tak has adopted Brad's use of open office hours.

Items Mentioned in Today's Show:

In Today's Episode You Will Learn:

  • How and why Tak made the transition first from the army to a career in consulting and then what made Tak take the entrepreneurial route and start his own company?
  • Tak is renknowned for the amazing service and contribution he brings to every startup. What services does Tak bring and what does Tak feel all entrepreneurs and advisors must add?
  • Does Tak back singular founders, or does he prefer a founding team?
  • Tak is a Specialist on Leadership, for founders wanting to gain or develop their leadership skills, what can founders do, read or learn to further their leadership skills?
  • For individuals contemplating moving into the tech world, how do they know which is the right job? Are there any immediate aspects they must look for or be wary of?
  • What are the biggest misconceptions of the tech industry?
  • How can people find out about networking events 
  • What sector Tak believes is the next to be disrupted and why?
  • What is the premise behind Brad Feld's 'Open Office Hours'? Why has Tak decided to adopt this tactic? What does Tak hope to gain from it? How is it going so far?

We then finish today's episode with a lightning round, hearing Tak's thoughts on the greatest leader and why, the future of the asian tech market, his favourite book and why and his most recent investment and why he said yes?

Follow HarryTakThe Twenty Minute VC

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You're listening to episode 37 of the one and only 20 minute VC with your host, Harry Stebbings.

0:06.2

Today is a very special day as we welcome our second TechStars guest. Previously, we had Greg

0:12.5

Rogers of TechStars on the show, number 27. And today, I'm delighted to welcome TAC Lowe.

0:20.4

TAC is director at TechStars London, and in today's

0:23.8

episode, we discussed the lessons he learned from his startup experience, the required reading

0:28.8

for all entrepreneurs and startup founders, and of course, the incredible Bradfeld's open office

0:34.5

hours.

0:35.4

It's an incredible interview filled with loads of actionable tips and tricks.

0:39.6

I can't wait to hear what you think.

0:41.0

So without further ado, here is TACC.

0:44.1

Three, two, one, zero.

0:49.6

You have now arrived at your destination.

0:52.6

TAC, thank you so much for coming on the show.

0:54.8

I'm so excited to have you here.

0:56.9

Great.

0:57.4

No, happy to be here, here.

0:58.9

Let's start by hearing a little about yourself and your background and how you made your move into the venture industry.

1:05.5

Yeah, so I'm actually, you know, despite my American accent, I'm actually, I'm from Hong Kong.

1:12.9

I spent a lot of time in Asia.

1:15.3

I first started my career, believe it or not, in the United States Army.

1:19.4

I was in operations of logistics for about two and a half years.

1:24.6

And then I became a management consultant at Deloitte and Bruce Allen. I went to London

...

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