I’ve started and supported small companies with big ambitions my whole career. First as a founder, then as an investor for the last 15yrs. I’ve created my own investment firm and been a part of reshaping the venture capital world through new forms of investment first as an early seed investors and now as the primary instigator behind Indie.vc. I’ve funded a wide range of companies from early social services like Foursquare and Bitly to rocketships and robots. I get to live in the future by making the founders I work with visions for it a reality.
Where in the world are you right now? Where will you be next?
Home is Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ve tried living other places but our hearts are here forever. SLC to the death of me. An SLC homebase ensures that I’m on a plane most weeks. For the kinds of work I do and the companies we support that generally means en route to San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York City.
What does “education” mean to you? How would you define it?
Education, to me, means a general understanding of how the world is working and where culture is heading. That baseline is just so critical for understanding yourself and the values you want to take and contribute to the bigger picture. Specifically, it means going deep on a subject area that speaks to you and your sensibilities. Feeding that interest through formal education, through mentors, through making, through immersion in community and culture of that area of interest via all available channels. That’s the essence of education to me.
Where do you think education is headed? Where will it be in 10 years? 100?
I have 5 kids, one of which just finished her freshman year of college. This is an active conversation in my house. I have a degree in philosophy, yet I’ve built a career around funding and nurturing startup companies. Some might think that investment in a formal education was time wasted. But, the process of learning from the great thinkers of the past, breaking down and building arguments, collaborating with professors and students was invaluable for me- even if no philosophy firms were hiring when I graduated. I don’t presume, or pressure my kids to follow that same path. Online learning, virtual universities, Youtube tutorials for EVERYTHING did’t exist when I was in college. I encourage my kids, and others, to use all these resource (most of the free!) to explore areas of interest in hopes of discovering the one they can go deep on and contribute to.
Most frequently received (advice related) question?
Do I have a fundable idea/product/company/business?
Why did you join th-oughts?
I don’t think the next Jobs or Gates or Zuckerberg is going to come from inside the current tech echo chamber. I think they’re far more likely to be outsiders, on the fringes, participating in and shaping broader culture. They’ll use technology as a thing, not as THE thing, that changes everything. They may already be in this th-oughts community. We’d love to be a resource for them along their journey to the next iPhone, Windows98 or Facebook.
Connect with Bryce here.
