What does an investment management firm look like, if you redesign it based on first principles and based on the true “jobs to be done” of an investment manager? That’s what we’re working on building at Versatile VC. We outline below the five characteristics that will differentiate the winning investment management firm of the future:...
[Continue Reading]What Are the “Jobs To Be Done” of an Investment Manager?
Most money managers think their main job is generating alpha, but they are wrong. We discuss the real “job to be done” of an investment manager. If you ever studied disruptive innovation formally, you know the pattern. In many industries, low-end disruptors take hold at the bottom of the market and then work up to...
[Continue Reading]The Macro Trends Forcing Change on the Investment Management Industry
Power in the investment management industry is shifting to Money Holders from Money Managers, driven by several major economic, social, and political trends. Collectively, these are an irresistible force meeting a moveable object: the traditional asset management industry structure. We highlight below five key trends impacting our industry: 1. As women and millennials become key allocators,...
[Continue Reading]Asset Management Is a Peculiar Industry Ripe for Disruption
“One summer day, probably in the 1870s, friends of a major short-seller got together on the shores of Newport, Rhode Island, where they admired the enormous yachts of New York’s richest brokers. After gazing long and thoughtfully at the beautiful boats, the short seller asked wryly, ‘Where are the customers’ yachts?’” Jason Zweig, in his...
[Continue Reading]What is the Best CRM and Marketing Tech Platform for a New Private Equity/Venture Capital Fund?
One of the first decisions we had to make in setting up our new VC fund, Versatile Venture Capital, was our CRM and marketing technology infrastructure. I’m very interested in the tech stack of private equity/VC firms, both to improve the efficiency of Versatile VC and also as a focus area for our investing. I...
[Continue Reading]5 Innovative Fundraising Methods for Emerging Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds
How do you raise money for your venture capital or private equity fund from family offices and high net worths? I see five innovative new methods for raising capital which emerging managers such as Versatile VC are using, which I’ve ranked in roughly descending order of popularity: Join the online communities and virtual conferences where...
[Continue Reading]How do you attract family offices and other large investors to your direct investing platform?
One of the best business models ever is creating a marketplace between investors and investment opportunities. However, the challenge with this two-sided market is: how do you get the investors to show up? It’s hard enough to get the retail investors, but the family offices and other large check writers are even more challenging. I’ve...
[Continue Reading]11 Ideas to Organize an Event Family Offices Want to Attend
Lots of event planners and anyone raising capital want to attract family offices. But how? I’ve identified a range of best practices that I’ve seen other organizations use in serving the family office community, in roughly declining order of impact: 1. Advertise that the event is strictly gated to family offices, and detail how you...
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