So why the lion?
TLDR — While LTV is commonly thought of as long-term value or lifetime value our reason for using LTV runs deeper. LTV is about networks and building relationships with exceptional managers. LTV is more than simply helping our partners create value.
I’ve written about networks before, and I’ve written about building LTV before, but I haven’t explicitly written about the Venn diagram between the two and how they overlap. The fact is that LTV is all about networks. Our network includes exceptional founders and managers and we’re looking to work with great LPs who understand the value of building and supporting this ecosystem.
This philosophy is at the core of what Dario and I are building at LTV and it’s something that we’re keen on keeping as a central tenet to our entrepreneurial journey here. It’s also the real meaning and reason we’ve chosen LTV as our brand.
Sure, everyone knows the term LTV. If you’re in mortgages and thinking about Loan to value, that’s not the LTV we’re talking about. If you’re in digital technology and entrepreneurship, venture capital or investing in private assets, you’re probably thinking of lifetime or long-term value, you’re not wrong. You’re missing an alternative meaning at the core of our new partnership.
The name’s origin goes back to a coffee I had with a friend in December 2022. David had gone through a number of trials and tribulations over that year and had ended up building a significant portfolio of roles. I was contemplating the end of my tenure at my last firm and to say I was feeling uncertain would be an understatement.
What I did know, is that the most stimulating part of investing in early-stage companies and managers was the people element — these people were super smart, driven, creative and incredibly interesting. I spoke to David about orchestrating network connectivity and how my intention in building a fund of funds was to find, nurture, support, invest in and really be a part of their exceptional journeys. I shared how I felt my best when I was surrounded by people I was sure were smarter than me and who I could learn from — whether some of my closest friends from my last few years of high school, or at London Business School, Yahoo!, or in the world of start-ups and venture capital. I shared how I wanted my children to build relationships and be surrounded by a network of people they looked up to and who they wanted to aspire to be like. But also how I believed social networks (real connections not just tweets and likes) created meaningful change and direction in my life and that I deeply believe this would be important for my kids as well.
David nodded and then told me “It’s better to be the tail of a lion than the head of a fox”.
A few weeks later, I couldn’t get that phrase out of my head. The proverb had done what all good proverbs should do, it had gotten an idea so ingrained in my psyche that it was becoming all I could think about. I wanted to surround myself with Lions. The pack and the strength of the pack would ensure that we had success. Strong leaders, investors, managers, operators, and partners would encourage each other and together everyone would have a path to generating real value.
So while we’re okay with you, yes you, thinking that LTV means lifetime or long-term value and if all you see is value creation in our name that’s fine, the truth is that we’re building something beyond measurable value in quantifiable, commercial or economic terms. We’re building a pack, a squad, a tribe of like-minded, supportive, creative organisations who not only want to create commercial and economic success but who are really trying to create meaningful change.
If you’re interested in being part of our pack, you can find us at www.ltvcapital.co.
