“Do you know where we are?” asked Milo.

“Certainly,” he replied, “we’re right here on this very spot. Besides, being lost is never a matter of not knowing where you are; it's a matter of not knowing where you aren't – and I don’t care at all about where I’m not."

A Startup for Startups

I’m reminded constantly that Penny Black is very much a startup - that happens to be in the business of investing in startups.  We launched on a shoe-string budget, we work all hours of the day and night, and are very, very passionate about offering the best “service” we can, to both our entrepreneurs, and our investors.

I certainly have the entrepreneurial bug, and the constant fear that things might not go as planned, which serves to make me work harder to ensure that we’re making the right investments, and that we’re supporting our CEOs in every way possible.  Venture capital is a fun and very rewarding space to be creating a company within, though it is definitely not any easier just because we’re “the ones with the capital.” Of course this isn’t the case for every VC, but given our age and relative experience - the need to prove ourselves - the startup analogy fits perfectly.

And I believe that it works to the benefit of our startup teams as well. We’re in the trenches with them, and are willing to put in that extra effort - burning the candle at both ends - to make sure they’re a success.      

comments.

Juventas Fugit  is designed and written by Justin Wohlstadter, who, when not writing in the third person, can be found in a coffee shop talking about startups, thinking about the future of education, and generally procrastinating something important.

  • Passions: startups that positively affect the world, education innovation, good design, learning, and meeting those with an equally insatiable curiosity.
  • Play: director of product design at Enterproid and partner at BOLDstart Ventures.
  • Previously: built the early-stage venture arm of Penny Black. And many other crazy, less successful ventures involving fire extinguishers, measuring philanthropic impact, and creative spaces.
  • Pedantry: most of the important stuff I taught myself or learned from friends, but I’m fortunate to have (barely received) degrees from Harvard and Oxford. At Oxford I wrote my dissertation on how internet innovation will disrupt access to higher education.
  • Procrastination: can be found on Twitter, Linkedin, AngelList and other web spaces, and be reached via email at my first name at this domain.
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