#41 - Be Transparent; Assume Positive Intentions (feat. Arvind Purushotham, Head of Citi Ventures)

“Life’s too short to play games,” says Arvind Purushotham, Head of Citi Ventures, our guest in our latest episode of Investing in Integrity. Arvind traces an impressive career arc from engineering leadership at Intel to making high-stakes investment decisions and advising founders & business leaders at Citi, unpacking how strong technical and product knowledge can equip future investors to make smarter decisions. For those curious about different approaches to venture capital (e.g. the differences between Citi Ventures and firms like Sequoia), and the role finance can play in driving innovation, Arvind offers a first-hand perspective comparing and contrasting how different firms operate. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of transparency, ethics, and integrity in leadership positions, and doing right by the company, investors, and clients. And tempered with wisdom from working through the Dot-com Bubble, Arvind contextualizes present macroeconomic concerns and unpacks timeless qualities that investors should look for–from operational discipline to principled-decision making. Tune into this episode for advice on how to “face the music and be out there,” as Arvind muses, in making difficult decisions and navigating uncertainty, whether as a student, operator or investor. 00:00 - Intro/Career 06:11 - Values 08:43 - Keys to Success 11:19 - VC vs. CVC 16:13 - Value Proposition 23:31 - Principled Leadership 26:10 - Rapid Fire