40 Minute Mentor VC Feature: “The common trait we see amongst successful entrepreneurs is that they’re sacrificing a lot of life into this journey but they want to do it for something that matters”, with Felix Capital’s Antoine Nussenbaum
Jul 20, 2022
Antoine Nussenbaum, co-founder of Felix Capital and investor in brands like Farfetch and Deliveroo, shares his journey into digital lifestyle investing. He discusses why Felix focuses on creativity plus tech. He explores how downturns create opportunities, the traits Felix backs in founders, hiring for conviction, and balancing intense work with life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Downturns Breed Stronger Entrepreneurship
- Economic downturns often spark the best entrepreneurship because capital is scarcer and creativity must replace easy funding.
- Antoine cites 2009-era companies as examples where constrained environments produced category-defining founders.
Prioritise Retention Over Acquisition Now
- Do focus on retention, repeat usage and clear signs of customer love rather than solely on acquisition during tougher times.
- Antoine says this tradeoff helps you build a "real business" that endures beyond cheap capital cycles.
Show Authentic Mission And Relentless Commitment
- Do demonstrate mission authenticity and willingness to sacrifice for something meaningful when fundraising.
- Antoine looks for founders who show they will devote life energy to build a global category-defining company.