Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? The podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by James Wilson and Matt Sinclair, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a meaningful career in tech.
In this episode, we speak with Danielle Ullner, a veteran venture builder with extensive experience in the US VC space as an operator and executor and, more recently, with BCG Digital Ventures and BCG X in London and North America. She helps us, as engineers, understand how to work with one of the most critical segments of the digital venture building workforce: VCs.
In this episode, we cover:
- Understanding the VC and PE ecosystem
- How software engineers can effectively work with venture capitalists
- The role of desirability, viability, and feasibility in venture building
- Navigating career transitions into venture-backed startups
- Building relationships with investors and stakeholders
⏱️ Chapters
- 0:00 Intro: what VCs and PEs actually look for in startups
- 1:33 Meet Danielle Ullner: BCG X, operating partner, a decade in VC and PE
- 3:36 Why startups fail: product market fit, not the tech
- 5:01 The DVF framework: desirability and feasibility, with the Field app example
- 8:12 Viability: the numbers, TAM and why VCs need a home run
- 9:55 Founder scale vs VC scale: explore every route, and who writes the check
- 13:51 Bridging the business gap: be the trusted partner and bring solutions
- 17:03 Everyone should know how the business makes money
- 18:56 The creative engineer: add possibility to feasibility
- 22:03 Hiring for curiosity: the take-home test with a deliberate mistake
- 25:23 Managing global teams: invest in face time and relationships
- 27:15 Team norming: Slack or Teams, boundaries, and the engineer who went silent
- 30:12 The care and feeding document, and speaking the language of your audience
- 31:44 A regret and a non-regret: leave a bad fit early, say yes to the big role
- 34:59 Don't negotiate against yourself: imposter syndrome as misplaced humility
- 37:36 How long before enough was enough? Over a year, and when to stick it out
- 40:20 The magic telephone: enjoy the ride, it's a marathon not a sprint
- 42:03 Wrap-up: careers are squiggly lines, not straight ones
🔗 Links
🗒️ Show Notes
🗣️ Guest
- Danielle Ullner — https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-blumberg-ullner/
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