Founder Storiez

In this interview, we speak with Suresh Shanmugham Managing partner @ Saama Capital Prashanth has a great story. He has been in the VC business since 1994 and has seen a lot. In this interview, you will learn about the venture business and how far it has come since 1994. Suresh, shares incredible lessons on entrepreneurship, what he looks for in a startup and what he's learned from 1994. Enjoy

0:00 - 1:45 Welcoming notes. 1:46 - 6:50 Where he's from / What his upbringing like / Lived in 15 different cities /the First job at Microsoft / MBA at Stanford / Traveling creates open-mindedness. 6:51 - 10:34 Where did he passion for entrepreneurship come from / How he made it to Silicon Valley / He found himself taking classes on entrepreneurship / Being an apprentice to Marc Andreessen / Went to FaceBook ski cabin in Tahoe in the 2nd year of existence. 10:35 - 16:46 The final push that got him to start his startup / First startup he worked for / Leaving to start his own company / Company Failure / Second venture / Sold to Paypal. 16:47 - 22:30 Emotional resilience / How to build up your self-confidence and personal arsenal / Always push the boundaries / Startups are very unpredictable. 22:31 - 23:41 Falling down. 23:42 - 28:20 The lessons he learned from his first failure / Have a clear mission and rally people towards the mission. 28:22 - 31:17 Hard times / Overcoming hard times. 31:18 - 34:51 How can you become a better leader / Learning mindset / Humility and put your ego aside / You need to become an enabler. 34:55 - 40:10 Culture. 40:13 - 42:18 His mentors. 42:19 - 44:29 What message would you tell your younger self. 44:30 - 47:11 Mistakes entrepreneurs should avoid making. 47:12 - 48:07 Closing notes.