Meet Henry Mason, Principal at Dawn
Henry is a Principal at Dawn and covers data and security. Let’s meet him!
Why B2B software VC?
Software underpins every aspect of our lives today. My job is figuring out what’s coming next, and supporting the driven visionaries who are building it. Why wouldn’t someone want to do this?
Most exciting moment at Dawn?
The day we finally upgraded to a custom Zoom URL for the firm.
What do you think is the most interesting trend in the industry, and why?
Playbooks on how to scale startups are now essentially open source. The challenge for VCs is no longer to simply impart that knowledge, but rather to help founders put it into practice.
And the quick-fire round!
Netflix series you most recently binged on and would recommend
The Queen’s Gambit — a very satisfying series because (unusually) the chess board is correctly oriented in every scene (white square in the bottom right corner).
Favourite SaaS metric and why
In early-stage companies, growth forgives any and all wobbly SaaS metrics — if the company is growing then it will be able to build market share and attract more funding.
Best book for a much-needed holiday
I’m slowly working my way through Somerset Maugham’s vast oeuvre and finding it good going!
Best and worst thing to see in a deck
Best thing is a coherent and compelling narrative — investors need a good story as well as good numbers to get behind.
Worst thing is graphs with no scale (or even axis labels).
Recipe for the perfect evening/weekend?
Cycle round some country lanes, visit a National Trust, maybe even take in a cracking owl sanctuary.
If you could build one company right now, what would it be?
I don’t think that calendars and scheduling have really been nailed yet — there’s so much more we could still automate and improve here.
Best piece of advice you have given or received?
Don’t put on your tie until you’ve brushed your teeth.
