Business
Welcome to another episode of Antifragile. I am joined by Jason Mendelson – general partner and co-founder of Foundry Group. Jason is going to talk about the awesome story of Foundry Group and the interesting ecosystem of boards, investors and founders. The thing that a great functioning board can do is be the CEO's partner Tired of dysfunctional boards and overbearing investors? It is time to turn those “bored” meetings into productive board meetings. In this episode, Jason share powerful insights about the ideal board structure and agenda. We are also going into details about the ecosystem of boards and investors, and share solutions to the problems that exists within the team. Furthermore, Jason talks about emotional intelligence and why it is a critical factor in achieving success. Episode Quotes "When you think you’ve lost everything is actually when you’re the most powerful" "It is when there’s something still left to lose that we are constrained" "There is nothing better than having clients that trust you with their lives and support you" "It is not just about leverage. It is about selecting the people who can make you better" "The lack of humility is the #1 cancer that venture capitalists have" "The thing that a great functioning board can do is be the CEO's partner" "The main reason why startups fail is that the team doesn't execute correctly and doesn't work well together" "If you have tremendous emotional intelligence and can make teams work better, you have a much better chance to success" "I always keep an open mind for everybody. I make a quick decision, act on it, but I always keep my mind open." Listen to Learn 00:34 Getting to know Jason Mendelson - career journey 05:07 Jason's core building skill 06:11 Make-it-or-break-it moment - the Foundry Group story 09:11 Jason's turning point and realizations 15:02 Importance of partner selection 18:24 Why most boards are dysfunctional and how to make them functional 21:03 The #1 cancer that investors or venture capitalists have 22:44 What is an ideal board structure and agenda? 25:48 What does a great functioning board looks like? 27:40 Emotional Intelligence - a critical factor in achieving success 33:08 Non-Rapid Fire Questions 40:48 End notes, website and social media links