From VC-backed Founder to Angel to Institutional Investor with Jack Altman

Origins - Inside Venture Capital, Hosted by a GP and an LP

Jack Altman of Alt Capital has led quite a life in Silicon Valley. He’s gone from angel investing to founding a venture-backed company (HR platform Lattice), back to angel investing today, taking on outside capital as an institutional investor at Alt Capital. Jack sits down with Nick Chirls, GP at Asylum Ventures & Beezer Clarkson, LP at Sapphire Partners, to discuss learnings from his impressive career arc, including how to build a reputation by avoiding zero sum games, making decisions quickly as a founder, the differences in investing your own money and someone else’s, how to build a track record as an angel, and being a generalist both inside and out of the office. Plus, having just welcomed his third child into the family, Jack discusses the importance of ruthless prioritization - how to say no to the low value-add dinners and meetings if it means you get to be home for bedtime.

Learn more about Sapphire Partners: https://sapphireventures.com/sapphire-partners/

Learn more about OpenLP: https://openlp.sapphireventures.com/

Learn more about Asylum Ventures: asylum.vc

Learn more about Alt Capital: https://www.altcap.com/

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CHAPTERS:

00:00-Introduction

02:59-Nick’s new fund, Asylum Ventures, is Live!

07:22-The Burning Question

11:02-Jack Altman Introduction

12:55-Ruthless prioritization: Balancing Work & Family

16:40-The Best Idea You Say No To

19:21-Working with a Wide Scope of Founders

22:07-Building a Reputation in Venture

25:03-Venture is Noisy: Speak Softly but Carry a Big Stick

27:52-The Other Altman

30:42-From Founder to Angel to Institutional Investor

38:11-Fundraising Strategy

42:10-Investing Your Own Money vs LP Capital

45:52-Outro