20VC: How a16z Uses NPS To Create Better Founder Experiences, Why Intellectual Curiosity Is The Most Important Investor Trait & Creating A Fund To Last Through The Ages with Zal Bilimoria, Founding Partner @ Refactor Capital
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
The Twenty Minute VC
4.4 • 637 Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2018
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Zal Bilimoria is Founding Partner @ Refactor Capital, one of Silicon Valley's newest entrants to the early stage scene with a $50m fund looking to back founders solving fundamental human problems. Prior to co-founding Refactor, Zal was a Partner @ a16z where he co-led investments in Omada Health, Branch.co, AltSchool, Honor, and more, while helping to launch the firm's Bio Fund. Before becoming an investor, Zal spent 10 years as a PM at Microsoft, Google, Netflix, and LinkedIn. He worked on emerging markets for Windows, became one of the first monetization team members at YouTube, and then became the 1st Head of Mobile at Netflix and helped start the Sales Solutions business at LinkedIn.
In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:
1.) How Zal made his way into the world of VC with a16z from the very corporate worlds of Microsoft, Google, Netflix and LinkedIn?
2.) What were Zal's 3 biggest learnings from seeing the internal processes and scaling of a16z? How does a16z use NPS in such a compelling way that it automatically improves founder treatment and interaction within the firm? What was it about a16z that led Zal to believe being insanely curious is the biggest skill of an investor?
3.) What are the signs and leading indicators that a scientist has the mental plasticity and ability to translate into a CEO and business leader? What are the biggest challenges as a VC in assessing whether this plasticity is present? Why does David believe that the very best founders are looking to solve "fundamental human problems"?
4.) Over the last few years we have seen an explosion of deep tech capital, Elad Gil suggested this reminded him of the 2007 cleantech days, does Zal agree with this suggestion? How does Zal think about the common concern of having to carry companies for longer given the extended milestones to prove progress?
5.) Zal has said before his goal is "to build a seed firm to last among the 100s of others", what does Zal believe is crucial to this sustainability of fund and brand? How does Zal evaluate the insanely crowded seed market today?
Items Mentioned In Today’s Show:
Zal’s Fave Book: Seveneves
Zal’s Most Recent Investment: Solugen
As always you can follow Harry, The Twenty Minute VC and Zal on Twitter here!
Likewise, you can follow Harry on Instagram here for mojito madness and all things 20VC.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the 20-minute VC, the podcast that brings you 20 minutes with some of the world's best venture capitalists. |
| 0:05.7 | With me, Harry Stebbings, and you can find me and see all things behind the scenes on Instagram at H. Stebbings, 1996 with two bees. |
| 0:13.0 | It'd be great to see you there, where you can also submit questions for future guests on the show. And to the show today, and I'm thrilled to welcome Zal Bilomoria, founding partner at Refactor Capital, |
| 0:22.0 | one of Silicon Valley's newest entrance to the early stage scene, with a $50 million fund looking |
| 0:26.8 | to back founders solving fundamental human problems. Prior to co-founding Refactor, Zau was a partner |
| 0:32.1 | at Andresen Horrors, where he co-led investments in the likes of Omada Health, Branch.com, |
| 0:37.0 | alt-school,, Honor and more, |
| 0:38.7 | while also helping to launch the firm's bio fund. And before becoming an investor, Zal spent 10 years |
| 0:43.7 | as a PM at Microsoft, Google, Netflix and LinkedIn. He worked on emerging markets for Windows, |
| 0:49.1 | became one of the first monetization team members at YouTube, and then became the first head of mobile |
| 0:53.5 | at Netflix and helped start the sales head of mobile at Netflix and helped |
| 0:54.7 | start the sales solutions business at LinkedIn. I'd also want to say a big thank you to David Lee, |
| 0:59.3 | Zal's partner or a factor. For the intro to Zal today, I really do so appreciate that. |
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| 1:24.2 | And now Ring has a great new product called Ring Floodlight Cam. Just like Ring's |
| 1:28.2 | amazing doorbell, floodlight cam is a motion-activated camera and floodlight with HD video and |
| 1:33.2 | two-way audio that lets you know the moment anyone steps onto your property and you can see and speak |
| 1:38.2 | to visitors even set off a built-in alarm right from your phone. So for me spending my life in the studio, |
... |
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