Founder vs. Investor: Which Role is Actually Harder? (Mike Lazerow)

Which is harder: being a founder or being an investor? Mike Lazerow has done both, building and selling companies for nearly $1 billion and now running a $400M VC fund and a PE firm. His answer might surprise you. In this interview, Mike unpacks the "existential dread" of entrepreneurship versus the challenges of deploying capital. He shares why he's most excited about AI transforming "boring" businesses , the reality of feeling lost and purposeless after a massive exit, and the single most important lesson he's learned: your network is your net worth. Check out the company: https://velvetseavc.com----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📚 NETWORK BEFORE YOU NEED IT (6 LESSONS THAT MADE SEAN $15M)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------▶ Get my eBook free - https://welivetobuild.com/network-----------------------------------📈 WORK WITH ME-----------------------------------▶ Buy 300 Lessons From 300 Founders: https://welivetobuild.com/300-lessons-ebook▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://welivetobuild.com/book-a-call▶ Startup Fundraising: https://welivetobuild.com/fundraising▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/sponsorship---------------------------------------------👀 CONNECT WITH SEAN---------------------------------------------▶ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrot▶ Inquiries: [email protected]🕒 CHAPTERS---------------------------00:00 - Founder vs. Investor: Which is Harder?01:19 - Why I Still Prefer Being an Entrepreneur02:04 - Scratching Both Itches: VC vs. PE05:49 - The Best Part of Being an Investor07:23 - Why AI Will Revolutionize "Boring" Businesses12:03 - The Post-Exit Depression No One Talks About14:30 - Feeling Lost After Selling for $1 Billion16:01 - Why We're the Luckiest People in the World19:57 - Why I Keep My Anonymity23:36 - Money Buys Security, Health & Freedom27:30 - Why Idle Brains Go Dark31:41 - Your Network IS Your Net Worth38:45 - Giving GaryVee His First Office Space40:40 - The #1 Rule in Life & BusinessLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.