Jeff Bussgang is General Partner and Co-Founder at Flybridge Capital Partners, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, and the author of Entering StartUpLand and Mastering the VC Game
Flybridge has so many promising technology companies in its existing portfolio, what general advice are you giving them during these unprecedented times?
- Change your mindset to transform these obstacles into opportunities for your business.
- Over-communicate with your employees, partners, and customers. They should be sick of hearing from you.
- Prepare for the long haul. The pandemic and its ripple effect are going to be with us for a long, long time. 12-18 more months at least.
You’ve been an entrepreneur yourself and you also advise countless startups on their launches—what do you want to say to a new team getting started in this environment?
- Outstanding talent has never been more readily available – take advantage of it in a creative fashion!
- Stay focused on customer discovery before you rush to build. Customers are willing to spend more time with you than ever before.
- Prepare for 12-18 months of cash runway. It’s going to be a long journey from here.
As an author and teacher, you must spend a fair amount of time reading—what 3 books are essential for entrepreneurs right now?
- The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holliday
- The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
