In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Mercedes Bent about her journey from Goldman Sachs to venture capital, emphasizing the importance of sales and partnerships. They discuss strategies for customer retention in crypto, the globalization of pop culture, and how to overcome uncertainty in the venture capital industry. The conversation wraps up with key takeaways and Mercedes' advice for success in venture capital. Mercedes Bent is an investor and operator who lives and breathes startups. Currently, Mercedes serves as a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, however, Prior to Lightspeed, she was an early employee / General Manager at General Assembly (sold for $412mm 2018). In a short period of time Mercedes ultimately grew her division from $0 to $30mm+ in 2 years. Then, in 2016 she was named a 40 Under 40 for Tech Diversity in Silicon Valley. Mercedes is an investor in Forage, Stori, Flink, Outschool, Hawku, Fan Controlled Sports, Flockjay, Honeylove, House of LRC, and more. In addition, she co-leads Lightspeed's LATAM region and Scout Fund (angel fund). https://lsvp.com/about-us/mercedes-bent Twitter of Shamus Madan (Host): @mbitpodcast Twitter of Mercedes Bent (Guest): @mercebent *Disclaimer: Not investment or financial advice (0:00) Introduction and Background of Shamus Madan (1:25) Journey of Mercedes Bent: From Goldman Sachs to Venture Capital (5:07) Importance of Sales and Partnerships in Venture Capital (9:13) Encouraging Diversity in Venture Capital Funding (13:08) Strategies for Customer Retention and Community Building in Crypto Industry (14:15) Globalization of Pop Culture: Anime, DJan Cultures, and Global Artists (15:57) Overcoming Uncertainty in the Venture Capital Industry (17:27) Transition and Exploration: From EdTech to Fintech and Latin American Market (19:09) Key Takeaways: Investing in Pop Culture and Underrepresented Founders (20:20) Mercedes Bent's Advice for Success in Venture Capital