Mike Smerklo, Next Coast Ventures

Kab lus no yog ib feem ntawm "Navigating 2023 VC Toj roob hauv pes," uas yav tas los qhia Greg Baker ntawm Alumni Ventures, Bascom Ventures, Thiab Towerview Ventures. Nyem qhov no mus saib qhov kev txuas yav dhau los, thiab ua raws Brian Penick ntawm Forbes.com rau kev xam phaj kws tshaj lij nrog cov tub ua lag luam sab saum toj thiab cov lag luam.

Rau qhov txuas ntxiv tom ntej, Brian Penick xam phaj Mike Smerklo ntawm Tom ntej no Coast Ventures hauv Austin, TX. Thaum Tom Qab ntug dej hiav txwv feem ntau tsom rau Series A thiab B nyiaj txiag rau kev pib ua lag luam, nrog cov tshev feem ntau txij li $ 5 txog $ 15 lab, lawv tau koom nrog qee qhov Seed theem nqis peev uas lub hom phiaj yog ua raws li cov nyiaj txiag yav tom ntej. Next Coast's portfolio suav nrog Everly Health, Alert Media, Icon Technology, Galileo Health, thiab ntau lwm tus. Ua ntej co-founding Next Coast, Mike ua hauj lwm nyob rau hauv Silicon Valley nrog Marc Andreessen thiab Ben Horowitz ntawm LoudCloud, scaled lub ticketing tuam txhab ServiceSource los ntawm 35 neeg ua hauj lwm rau IPO, ua hauj lwm raws li ib tug peev banker, thiab tau txais nws CPA. Mike kuj yog tus sau phau ntawv Mr. Monkey and Me: Phau Ntawv Qhia Ciaj sia nyob tiag tiag rau cov lag luam, ib tug sau tseg nyiam ntawm startup zej zog.

Brian Penick: Muaj ntau yam kev xav ntawm kev ua lag luam tam sim no. Koj lub tuam txhab puas tau hloov kho koj lub tswv yim?

Mike Smerklo: XNUMX Lab tus kiv cua tos koj rau Webtalk! Tag nrho peb cov neeg koom tes tau ntsib cov Dot Com Bubble ntawm lig 1990s thiab cov Zoo Tshaj Plaws ntawm 2008, yog li peb tau pom lub voj voog ua ntej thiab muaj kev pom zoo. Raws li qhov tshwm sim, peb tau pom ntau qhov tseem ceeb ntawm thaj chaw xws li cov nyiaj tau los tag nrho, cov nyiaj tau los, cov nqi tau los, thiab cov ntsiab lus zoo sib xws. Cov lus piav qhia uas lwm tus tau thawb ob peb xyoos dhau los thiab dhau los ntawm COVID yog qhov tseem ceeb tsawg dua, tab sis peb yeej tsis tau yuav rau qhov ntawd thiab tsuas yog khaws peb lub hom phiaj xwb.

Ib yam uas peb siv ntau lub sijhawm nrog peb cov ntaub ntawv tam sim no thiab saib cov kev nqis peev tshiab yog qhov kev pheej hmoo nyiaj txiag yav tom ntej, uas yuav tsum yog ib feem ntawm txhua tus neeg xav txog. Rau plaub lossis tsib xyoos dhau los, cov neeg ua lag luam tsis tas yuav txhawj xeeb txog qhov kev pheej hmoo nyiaj txiag yav tom ntej - muaj peev ntau, thiab muaj lub siab zam txim uas ntev npaum li koj tau ua koj cov kab saum toj kawg nkaus, koj yog zoo tshaj plaws kom tau txais cov peev txheej tom qab. Tab sis qhov ntawd tau hloov pauv, thiab kuv xav tias cov neeg ua lag luam yuav tsum rov tshuaj xyuas qhov tseeb, thiab peb, raws li cov tub ua lag luam, tau ua tib yam.

Penick: Koj puas tuaj yeem hais txog koj txoj kev mob siab rau thiab seb nws puas tau hloov pauv hauv xyoo tas los no?

Smerklo: Peb yog ib lub tuam txhab me me ntawm cov tub ua lag luam thematic, yog li tau tsom mus rau qhov tseem ceeb ntawm peb cov chaw tseem ceeb thiab kev lag luam ntawm kev txaus siab. Peb tab tom saib qhov sib txawv thiab kev daws teeb meem. Kev ntsuas nyiaj txiag ib txwm yog lub hauv paus ntawm peb qhov kev tshuaj ntsuam. Thaum kawg ntawm lub hnub, feem ntau ntawm peb cov kev rov qab los tau los ntawm kev txhawb nqa cov txuj ci zoo kawg nkaus, uas zoo li yooj yim, tab sis ntau ntawm peb txoj kev mob siab rau ib txwm nyob ib puag ncig ntawm lub siab tawv, tsom mus rau thiab kev paub ntawm tus neeg ua lag luam. Qhov ntawd tau ua haujlwm zoo rau peb, yog li tam sim no peb tab tom txhawb nqa peb cov ntsiab lus.

Kuv tsis ntse txaus los xam seb yuav muaj dab tsi tshwm sim nrog Sib tham GPT, tab sis muaj ntau tus neeg ua lag luam ntse tiag tiag uas yuav, thiab peb xav txhawb nqa lawv li peb ua tau. Kuv paub tias suab me ntsis cliche, tab sis kuv tau nyeem qhov twg cov tub ua lag luam venture coj ntau qhov credit rau qhov ua tiav lawv cov ntaub ntawv tsim tawm, thiab kuv xav tias nws yog qhov tseeb heev. Peb pab tswv yim, peb muab peev, thiab peb txhawb ntau npaum li peb tuaj yeem ua tau, tab sis kev vam meej los ntawm tus neeg ua lag luam thaum kawg.

Penick: Nrog rau cov peev nyiaj hla lub sijhawm Seed puag ncig mus rau ntau keeb kwm Series A thiab B, koj puas tau nyiaj thawj zaug tus tsim, thiab puas tau hloov lub tswv yim hauv xyoo tas los no?

Smerklo: Kuv xav hais tias feem ntau ntawm peb cov kev nqis peev yog tsim los ntawm cov neeg ua lag luam thawj zaug. Kuv qhov lus tso dag yog koj tuaj yeem ua tau ib zaug yog tias koj ua nws yog. Michael Dell [ntawm Dell, Inc.] tsuas yog pib ib lub tuam txhab, uas yog ib qho piv txwv zoo. Kuv yeej xav tias kev vam meej yog ntau dua ntawm kev puas siab puas ntsws, uas kuv phau ntawv sib tham. Qhov kev xav ntawm tus neeg ua lag luam yog dab tsi? Lawv puas muaj qee qhov kev paub hauv kev lag luam uas qhia tau tias lawv lub siab tawv? Candidly, koj tuaj yeem qhia ntau yam txog ib tus neeg sai sai thaum koj ntsib lawv, thiab qee qhov zoo tuaj, zoo li naj hoom, uas yog qhov kuv tsom. Tej yam xws li kev lag luam loj, kev lag luam tseem ceeb, kev cuam tshuam, thiab qhov xwm txheej ntawm kev daws teeb meem, txhua tus tuaj yeem kuaj thiab ntsuas, tab sis feem ntau ntawm peb qhov kev mob siab rau tus neeg ua lag luam yog nyob rau hauv lwm qhov chaw.

Penick: Dab tsi yog cov lus qhia zoo tshaj plaws uas koj tuaj yeem muab kev pib ua haujlwm hauv qhov kev nyab xeeb tam sim no?

Smerklo: Ib qho tseem ceeb tshaj plaws yog tshawb nrhiav koj cov tub ua lag luam ua ntej koj tawm suab. Xyuas kom tseeb tias lawv muaj peev los siv thiab tsis yog zombie fund. Qhov thib ob, tsis txhob xav tias koj yog ib qho tshwj xeeb - nws yog lub ntiaj teb kev sib tw, thiab qee tus neeg yuav tsis txawv li lawv ntseeg. Nws yog cov lus qhia yooj yim, tab sis mus rau hauv lub suab thiab ua si dab ntxwg nyoog tus neeg tawm suab. Nug, 'Vim li cas qhov no yuav tsis ua haujlwm? Kev sib tw toj roob hauv pes yog dab tsi? Kuv yuav tawm tsam inertia li cas?' Kuv pom ntau tus neeg ua lag luam tham txog qhov lawv zoo npaum li cas yam tsis paub txog cov teeb meem uas lawv yuav ntsib. Kuv xav kom koj qhia kuv tias vim li cas nws nyuaj, qhov koj txhawj xeeb txog, thiab vim li cas koj ntshai tias qhov no yuav tsis ncav cuag qhov nrawm. Oddly txaus, uas ua tau qhia kuv ntau ntxiv txog koj acumen raws li ib tug neeg ua lag luam tshaj qhia kuv tias lub lag luam loj npaum li cas.

Penick: Kuv tau hais rau thaum ntxov hauv kuv qhov kev nrhiav nyiaj txiag tias txhua tus neeg ua lag luam tab tom nrhiav rau qhov laj thawj hais tias "Tsis yog," thiab koj yuav tsum tau yaum lawv ua lwm yam. Koj puas pom zoo nrog cov lus ntawd?

Smerklo: Zoo, yog thiab tsis yog. Kuv tab tom nrhiav rau qhov laj thawj hais tias tsis yog, qhov tseeb. Tab sis qhia kuv qee qhov laj thawj kuv yuav tsum hais 'tsis yog' yog qhov pab tau. Nws qhia kuv tias koj muaj kev paub. Kuv muaj ib tus neeg ua lag luam ob hnub dhau los uas kuv xav tias daws qhov teeb meem nyuaj heev. Kuv hais tias, 'qhov no zoo li nws nyuaj heev,' thiab lawv teb tias, 'tsis yog, nws yuav yooj yim.' Txawm hais tias koj tsis txawv raws li kuv xav, lossis koj tsis nkag siab txog kev tawm tsam koj yuav ntsib. Qhia rau kuv txog kev lag luam uas qee tus tsim zaj dab neeg pib nrog, 'Yog lawm, thiab nws yooj yim heev––Kuv nyuam qhuav tuaj nrog qhov no, thiab nws tau ua tiav.' Tej zaum Beanie Cov Menyuam 30 xyoo dhau los?

Penick: Cov lus qhia zoo tshaj plaws uas koj tuaj yeem muab VCs / LPs hauv qhov kev nyab xeeb tam sim no?

Smerklo: Kev pheej hmoo nyiaj txiag yav tom ntej yog tiag tiag. Yog tias koj saib rov qab rau plaub lossis tsib xyoos dhau los, nws yooj yim zoo nkauj los zaum ib ncig ntawm tus tubtxib saum ntuj investor noj hmo uas qee tus neeg yuav nqis peev nyiaj, thiab tom qab ntawd nws tawm mus rau kev sib tw. Qhov xwm txheej ntawd tseem tuaj yeem tshwm sim, tab sis kev pheej hmoo ntawm lub tuam txhab kaw yog ntau dua thiab yuav tsum tau txiav txim siab. Xav txog cov phiaj xwm yav tom ntej thiab kev pheej hmoo yog qhov tseem ceeb heev tam sim no.

Penick: Raws li koj cov kev xav, yuav muaj dab tsi tshwm sim xyoo no? Koj puas ntseeg tias kev lag luam rov qab los? Koj qhov kev kwv yees txhais li cas rau ob tus neeg ua lag luam thiab cov tub ua lag luam?

Smerklo: Kuv xav tias nws yuav yog slog thiab yuav siv sij hawm ntev kom rov zoo. Kuv piv nws rau kev hloov pauv vaj tsev nyob qhov twg nws yuav siv sijhawm peb xyoos los rov pib dua thiab pauv lossis kaw qhov dhia thiab rov qab los hauv khw. Kuv xav tias peb nyob rau theem pib ntawm ib yam dab tsi zoo sib xws. Yog tias koj yog ib lub tuam txhab uas twb muaj lawm, nws yuav nyuaj heev rau kev ua haujlwm, thiab koj yuav tau ua haujlwm los ntawm ntau lub zog. Cov tub ua lag luam tau ceev faj heev tam sim no, qhov txawv ntawm qhov lawv tau 18 lub hlis dhau los. Kuv xav tias peb tsuas yog nyob hauv nruab nrab ntawm qhov rov qab, uas kuv nyiam, los ntawm txoj kev. Qhov kev pom ob xyoos dhau los yog tias koj tsis tuaj yeem poob nyiaj, yog li koj yuav vwm tsis tso nyiaj mus ua haujlwm. Tam sim no qhov kev pom yog tias koj tuaj yeem poob peev, tab sis kev siv kom tsis txhob poob yog qhov ua rau cov tub ua lag luam ua ntej.

Ua tsaug rau Mike Smerklo los ntawm Next Coast Ventures rau nws lub sijhawm thiab kev xav. Thov nyob twj ywm rau ntau cov ntawv los ntawm kuv "Navigating The 2023 VC Landscape" series los ntawm kev ua raws kuv ntawm Forbes.com.

Kev lees paub raws cai: Kuv yog ib tus khub ntawm cov tuam txhab lag luam peev LOJ Capital thiab Legacy Entertainment Ventures. Rau kev ncaj ncees ntawm kev sau xov xwm, Kuv tsis tau suav nrog kuv qhov kev xav hauv kuv cov npoj yaig cov lus teb rau tsab xov xwm no kom tsis txhob muaj kev ncaj ncees.

Ua raws li kuv ntawm kuv Twitter or LinkedIn, thiab connect tawm ntawm kuv website.