VC Corner Q&A: Talia Goldberg of Bessemer
Talia Goldberg joined Bessemer in 2012 and is a Principal in the San Francisco office where she focuses on consumer and software investments at the venture and growth stages.
Prior to joining Bessemer, Talia worked at foursquare, a location based mobile company in NYC as an early member of the business development team. She also interned for the finance and operations team at Simple Finance, a consumer facing mobile banking solution (acquired by BBVA). Through Parity Partners, Talia is a pod leader and mentor for rising female VCs and entrepreneurs.
— What is Bessemer’s mission?
We aim to support and partner with breakthrough founders and teams that are pushing the limits of what’s possible.
— What is one thing you’re excited about right now?
I’m excited by what we call the shift “from a system of record to a system of results.” Software and applications can go far beyond simply storing and repeating information or automating tasks, but can provide users/customers with suggestions that actually improves outputs.
— Who is one founder you think we should watch?
Keep an eye on SG Lee, the CEO of Toss. He’s completely disrupting the financial services industry in Korea.
— What are the top 3 qualities of every great leader?
- Intellectual honesty and integrity
- Persistence
- Ambition
— What was your very first investment? What struck you about them?
My first investment was in Dashlane, a consumer password manager and digital wallet that we initially backed in 2014. I was struck by the incredibly strong customer feedback and the way the product becomes so core and integral to a user’s everyday life and online activity.
— What’s one question you ask yourself before investing in a company?
You have to ask — is this the team I believe in and want to work with for the next 10+ years?
— What’s one thing every founder should ask themselves before walking into a meeting with a potential investor?
Founders should ask: “Is there a way I can gain value from this meeting, other than a check? What can I learn from this person outside of just funding?”
— What do you think should be in a CEO’s top 3 company priorities?
- Recruiting the best talent
- Retaining the best talent
- Resource allocation
— Favorite business book, blog, podcast?
My favorite business book is The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike.
— What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
Run and explore new cities
— Who is one leader you admire?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
— What’s one interesting thing most people don’t know about you?
I’ve never eaten meat or fish in my life. My parents raised me that way and I’m now a proud lifelong vegetarian!
— What’s one piece of advice you’d give every founder?
Focus. Focus. Focus.
— Anything else you’d like to share?
Yes! You can check out my TechCrunch article on the Payback Ratio here: https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/10/paybacks-a-gift/ and my slides on valuation here: https://www.slideshare.net/taliagold/valuation-presentation-blog-version.
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