Ep 039 - Charley Ma, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Pathlight Ventures

This is the hidden truth about product growth & venture capital!

Episodes like this are why I started the show. Charley Ma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Pathlight Ventures, is a true master of product growth. From being the first business hire at Plaid to the Head of growth at Ramp and Alloy, Charley has helped scale some of the best companies of this generation! Charley has a sharp eye for finding great teams and products early. Learn how he does it on episode 039 of New to Venture!

My key takeaways:

1️⃣ VCs often say "Keep us updated as you continue to build" to maintain optionality. The best way to respect each other's time is by providing honest feedback.

2️⃣ Optimize your career by surrounding yourself with great people. It not only makes each day more enjoyable but also unlocks hidden exponential growth. Find a way to work alongside the smartest, most brilliant minds you can.

3️⃣ Raising venture capital is the easiest and fastest way to kill your company! The vast majority of companies should not be venture backed. VC backed companies have a unique set of expectations from their investors to grow rapidly. In the grand scheme of business, it is an unnatural way of building and scaling companies.

4️⃣ Charley looks for the following traits in founders: Hyper intelligence, extreme ambition, high resilience, and strong storytelling abilities.

5️⃣ There is something truly special about being a founder's first "yes." Being a first believer in someone's idea is a strong foundation for a deep relationship.

6️⃣ Refine your understanding of your gut instincts, both their strengths and weaknesses. Use rational frameworks to make sense of your subconscious feelings.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introductions

(02:08) - Japanese anime + Fansubbing!

(04:33) - The rebel alliance

(06:59) - Getting pitched live with an audience

(09:17) - Origin stories

(15:27) - Growing product

(21:16) - What does great look like?

(24:33) - Angel investing

(27:31) - Deciding to raise a fund

(30:14) - Value-add VCs

(32:48) - Branding as a VC firm

(36:29) - Hiring top talent

(38:33) - Highlights and lowlights

(42:38) - Ceremonial final Qs