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

20 VC: Running Lerer Hippeau Ventures Like A Startup with Eric Hippeau, Managing Partner @ Lerer Hippeau Ventures

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

🗓️ 21 December 2015

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Eric Hippeau is a Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau Ventures. He is the chairman of RebelMouse and co-founder of NowThis Media. Previously, Eric was the Chief Executive Officer of The Huffington Post and a Special Partner at Softbank Capital, where he served as Managing Partner. Prior to Softbank Capital, Eric was Chairman and CEO of Ziff-Davis, which was the largest media company serving the technology sector. He serves on the Board of various private and public companies, including Buzzed & Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
A special thank you to Mattermark for providing all the data displayed in today's show and you can find out more about Mattermark here! 
 
In Today's Episode You Will Learn:
 
1.) How did Eric make his way into the world of tech and venture?
2.) Question from Eric Paley: How does Eric compare the role of VC to the role of operator and does Eric think each draws on the same skills and strengths? 

3.) What does Eric think makes a great VC and what makes a great operator? Are there any commonalities in the individuals he has come across?

4.) Eric reveals the best pitches he has seen and what made them so effective and flips the coin to discuss the worst pitches and what not to do when pitching a VC?

5.) Eric has made many investments in adtech and content, an area most VCs are hesitant of. So why are VCs hesitant of this space and why does Eric think he and Ken have been able to master it and produce great returns?

6.) With Eric's experience as CEO at Huffington Post, how does Eric view the changes to the media landscape and what are his predictions and concerns for the next few years?

 

Items Mentioned In Today's Episode:
Eric's Fave Book: The Lord of The Rings
Eric's Fave Blog or Newsletter: Strictly VCDan Primack: Termsheet
Eric's Most Recent Investment: The Drone Racing League
As always you can follow The Twenty Minute VCHarry and Eric on Twitter here!
If you would like to see a more colourful side to Harry with many a mojito session, you can follow him on Instagram here!
 
 
Have you ever wanted to know who someone is simply from an email address? 
With Loyalty Bay's Super Users product now you can. Simply input an email address and it will go off and find publicly available profile information i.e. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter etc for that email address. This is incredibly powerful in building a richer data profile on your users for marketers and business development people alike. Free 30 day Trial. Check out www.loyaltybay.co.uk
 
 

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello and welcome to the 20-minute VC with your host, Harry Stebbings, and what better way to celebrate the festive season and Christmas coming than by having an all-star legend of the VC industry on the show.

0:11.5

Our guest today is a managing partner at Lear Hippo Ventures. He is the chairman of Rebel Mouse and co-founder of Now This Media.

0:19.4

Previously, he was the CEO of the Huffington Post and a special partner at SoftBank Capital,

0:25.2

where he served as a managing partner.

0:27.5

Prior to SoftBank Capital, he was chairman and CEO of Zipf Davis,

0:31.5

which was the largest media company serving the technology sector.

0:34.7

And if that wasn't enough, he also serves on the board of various

0:38.1

private and public companies, including BuzzFeed and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. It is, of course,

0:44.8

the legend, Eric Hippo. And all the data and analysis used in today's episode was provided by

0:50.2

the kind folks at Mattermark, and a little personal recommendation on that one. If you have

0:54.9

lots of free reading time this Christmas, make sure to follow at Thinker, that's at Thinker on

1:00.6

Twitter for some awesome article suggestions. But before we dive into our interview with Eric today,

1:06.2

have you ever wanted to know someone simply from an email address? With Loyalty Bay's super user's product,

1:12.1

now you can. Simply input an email address and it will go off and find publicly available

1:17.7

profile information, i.e. from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., for that email address. And they've

1:24.4

got a free 30-day trial and you can check them out at www.loyltiebay.com.

1:30.7

And do not forget to download the free conversion rate optimisation ebook made for you

1:35.0

by Loyalty Bay founder Will Roberts, the links in the show notes.

1:39.1

However, it's now time for me to hand over the reins.

1:41.9

So ladies and gents, it gives me immense pride and pleasure

1:45.0

to welcome the legend, Eric Hippo, managing partner at Lira Hippo Ventures.

1:50.4

Three, two, one, zero.

...

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