Imperfect Leaders Embracing Imperfection - Greg Sands, Founder Costanoa Ventures
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Jul 20, 2023 
Greg Sands, founder and partner at Costanoa Ventures, built a founder-focused, operator-oriented VC firm. He talks about fear of failure, finding belonging, launching Costanoa, and why concentrated, hands-on investing works. He also describes building empathetic culture, developing founders’ sales and judgment, and leading authentically with humility and curiosity.
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Self-Transformation Through Deliberate Practice
- Greg Sands transformed himself from a blocking back to the primary ball carrier by deliberately training to become faster.
- He credits focused work and self-transformation for changing his role on the team.
Finding Belonging After Setbacks
- Greg found Harvard hockey didn't fit him and felt uncomfortable and lonely while exploring other paths.
- A later gap year in Europe and focused academic work helped him find confidence and acceptance.
A Market Gap Created By Cloud Economics
- The startup funding landscape changed after cloud computing lowered startup costs but many VC firms grew larger instead of specializing.
- That created a gap for concentrated, lifecycle enterprise-focused early-stage investors like Costanoa.