Founding Homebrew & Projects at Martha Stewart to Founding A $52 Million Early-Stage Fund w/ Hunter Walk & Kate Shillo Beardsley

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with venture capitalists Hunter Walk and Kate Shillo Beardsley. They delve into their venture capital journeys, discuss the rise of new consumer products and fintech, and explore contrarian strategies. They also examine the evolution of the self-driving car market and government contractors, the significance of customer focus, and the transition from operations to venture capital. The conversation concludes with reflections on recognizing VC patterns, improving investment outcomes, and advice for founders on investor relationships.

So today, Shamus Madan sits down with two very special guests, Hunter Walk, the founding partner at Homebrew, and Kate Beardsley, the Founding Partner of Hannah Grey, an early-stage VC Fund revolving around investing in customer-centric founders.

Prior to Homebrew, Hunter led consumer product management at YouTube, starting when it was acquired by Google back in 2003. Hunter's first job in Silicon Valley was in Product Management for SecondLife or LindenLabs, an early version of the metaverse, which still exists today.

Prior to Hannah Grey Kate, lead Special Projects with Martha Stewart. After that position, Hannah became Chief of Staff at Huffington Post and a founding member of Lerer Hippeau.

Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcast

Twitter of Guests: @hunterwalk & @kshillo

(0:00) Introduction and background of Shamus Madan, Hunter Walk, and Kate Beardsley (1:16) Journey into Venture Capital: Hunter Walk and Kate Beardsley share their experiences (8:21) Discussion on the emergence of new consumer products and fintech (10:15) Contrarian strategy in venture capital and its impact on different industries (14:21) The rise of Shield, the self-driving car market, and the next generation of government contractors (18:42) The importance of customer feedback and staying focused on the customer (21:02) Reflections on transitioning from operations to venture capital (24:58) Understanding venture capital and the implications of choosing the right investors (33:57) Recognizing patterns in the VC space, resilience, grit, and the potential of markets with large problems (37:51) Improving investment outcomes and memorable pitches (43:43) Advice to founders on investor relationships and concluding remarks