#01: Founder to Funder: How Dan Bowyer Builds and Backs High Growth Businesses for Exit

Dan Thompson welcomes Dan Bowyer, multi-exited founder turned VC and Partner at SuperSeed, to discuss the real mechanics of building and backing venture-scale businesses. With 4 exits and over 50 early-stage investments, Dan shares unfiltered insights into what makes companies scale, stall, or sell.From recognising when a founder shouldn’t be CEO, to avoiding energy burnout and co-founder implosions, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons for founders and the investors who back them. The conversation covers how the venture model works, why timing exits is critical, and the traits SuperSeed looks for when betting on technical teams. They also explore how AI is reshaping GTM strategy and what LPs should really expect from early-stage funds.Key Takeaways:Founder to CEO transitions are critical and often mishandled.Most failures stem from energy mismanagement, not capital shortfalls.Back obsessive problem-solvers, not just great technologists.Early exits can be smart, but don’t confuse them with success.AI is now core to every GTM strategy.Subscribe to the Next Exit podcast.Check out Dan’s Private Equity-Grade Forecasting software, Kluster, here: https://www.kluster.com/Send podcast guest pitches to: [email protected]