#235 – Patrick Hunt | New Industry VC – Narrative Command & Operational Mastery

Patrick Hunt is a GP at New Industry VC. He joins to discuss the critical concepts of narrative command and operational mastery in the context of building deep tech hardware startups. He shares insights from his experience at Rivian and Our Next Energy, emphasizing the challenges of managing change, the importance of structured risk management, and the need for founders to effectively communicate their vision. The discussion highlights the complexities of startup dynamics and the essential qualities that venture capitalists look for in founders. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/buildingbetter/patrickhunt Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home\ linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ https://www.nivc.us/ https://www.nivc.us/blog/operational-mastery Takeaways Entrepreneurship is incredibly challenging and requires resilience. Narrative command is essential for startups to shape market understanding. Operational mastery involves managing change effectively as a company scales. Deep tech hardware startups face unique challenges compared to software startups. Change management is crucial to avoid becoming a 'company killer.' Phasing risks helps in systematically addressing startup challenges. Founders must embody their company's vision to achieve narrative command. Building a compelling narrative can attract investment and talent. Understanding the complexities of capital deployment is vital for hardware startups. Feedback and learning agility are key traits for successful founders. About Patrick Hunt Patrick Hunt is a GP at New Industry VC. He previously built Rivian for eight years, from employee #15 to 15,000, and led Manufacturing Strategy at a unicorn battery startup. About New Industry VC New Industry VC is a venture capital firm investing in Deep Tech hardware startups at the earliest stages. They seek founders with Narrative Command and Operational Mastery. Keywords Patrick Hunt, New Industry VC, deep tech, hardware startups, narrative command, operational mastery, venture capital, entrepreneurship, startup challenges, risk management Building Better Building Better with Brandon Bartneck is focused on the people, products, and companies that are creating a better tomorrow, often in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. This show was previously called the Future of Mobility podcast. I aim to have real, human conversations to explore what these leaders and innovators are doing, why and how they’re doing it, and what we can learn from their experiences. If you care about making an impact then this show might be for you. Topics include manufacturing, production, assembly, autonomous driving, electric vehicles, hydrogen and fuel cells, impact, leadership, and more. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.