The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen
Chris Van Dusen, Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, joins Gregory Shepard for Forbes Startup Science podcast in this two part series to share his entrepreneurial background, including founding and exiting several companies like a major CBD brand as well as starting a liquor distillery. Chris provides a fascinating inside look at Solyco’s differentiated model where the firm’s partners are former operators themselves who get deeply involved in helping portfolio companies execute and scale, almost like “fractional C-suite” services aligned with founder incentives. He discusses the range of industries they invest in, the firm’s criteria for evaluating opportunities, how they structure deals, and why their interests are so tightly aligned with the founders they back. The conversation dives into hard-earned lessons from Chris’s own startup experiences going through acquisition processes, navigating founder disagreements, focusing on the right verticals, and not over-promising during diligence.
Part One
In the second part of their conversation, Chris and Greg discuss investing in the post-COVID era, AI hype and opportunities, and evaluating today’s market.
Part Two
Gregory Shepard is CEO and founder of BOSS Capital Partners as well as a Serial Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, and Angel Venture Capital Investor with a legacy of building and running sustainable growth businesses. Driven by a transformational leadership style, Greg has spearheaded multiple company exits in the Biotech, TransitTech, AdTech, and MarTech space. The Startup Science Podcast, hosted by Gregory Shepard, and produced by ForbesBooks, focuses on conversations in the cross-section of foundership and investing and features best-selling authors. With a focus on the common mistakes founders make, perspectives from investors, and founder’s tools, tips, and tactics.
Apple – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part One)
Apple – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part Two)
Spotify – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part One)
Spotify – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part Two)
YouTube – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part One)
YouTube – The Operator Approach to Venture Capital with Chris Van Dusen (Part Two)