VCs Help Startups Recruit Great Candidates and Catch Liars

Oren Zeev, Founding Partner at Zeev Ventures, shares his one-man VC experience, and lessons from investing in so many successful companies. Oren reveals the secrets behind his renowned Silicon Valley builder-investor approach. He also gives his perspectives on the dynamic role of a VC in supporting founders, as well as his thoughts on trends shaping the venture capital industry.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[4:20] The essence of being a VC lies not in having strong opinions, but in serving as the strongest support system for founders.

[6:30] Why great VCs refrain from saying: "Let me know how I can help you."

[12:06] Ultimately, a startup’s success depends on the compelling nature of its product(s).

[16:30] Don’t rely solely on a candidate's provided references when recruiting.

[20:25] For founders, unsolicited advice is unnecessary.

[25:57] Venture capital is not broken!

The non-profit organization that Oren is passionate about: ICON

About Oren Zeev

Oren Zeev is the founder of Zeev Ventures, a one-man VC firm that invests in growth-stage companies. He also serves as a board member at Houzz, HomeLight, Tipalti, TripActions, Next Insurance, among others. Oren is a former board of Audible (went public and then acquired by AMZN) and of Chegg, (NYSE: CHGG) where he was the main investor and one of the two main early backers respectively, a former board member of RedKix (acquired by Facegook) and a former chairman of Loop Commerce (acquired by Synchrony Bank). Prior to that, he was a general partner at Apax Partners from 1995 to 2007.

About Zeev Ventures

Zeev Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based early-stage venture fund that invests in technology, financial, e-commerce, and consumer service sectors. Its portfolio companies include: Trustmi, Sentra, Caramel, ShipIn, groundcover, GrowthSpace, HomeLight among others.

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