How 8VC Builds Billion-Dollar Companies | Palantir, Addepar, Saronic

With $6B+ in AUM, 8VC has taken a different approach to venture capital: instead of just funding startups, they also build them.Founding Partner Drew Oetting joins Sourcery to unpack 8VC’s infamous “Build” Program, where nearly 30% of the fund’s capital goes into companies they co-found. With a track record of creating 28 companies—including Affinity, Saronic, Epirus, and Resilience—alongside massive outcomes like Palantir ($370B), Addepar (Managing $7T+), and OpenGov ($1.8B acquisition), 8VC’s DNA is centered around building (*ehem Joe Lonsdale*).In this episode, we dive into:• How 8VC identifies opportunities worth building in-house• Why structuring incentives and culture is key to balancing venture + company creation• Case studies from OpenGov, Saronic, and Resilience• 8VC’s perspective on biotech, AI, defense, and reindustrialization• The role of public & private collaboration, startups, and capital in rebuilding AmericaConnect with us:1. Drew Oetting: https://x.com/andrewoetting2. Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠3. Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc⁠Brought to you by:• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, and travel. As a Sourcery Listener you get: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on Brex card(s), white-glove onboarding, $5,000 in AWS credits, $2,500 in OpenAI credits, & access to $180k+ in SaaS discounts. On top of $500 toward Brex travel, $300 in cashback, plus exclusive perks (like billboards..) visit → https://brex.com/sourcery• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. Visit: https://turing.com/sourcery• Kalshi—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: https://kalshi.com/sourcery• Fourthwall—The #1 way to sell merch online — Fourthwall is the easiest way to launch a fully branded merch store—used by big brands like MKBHD, Acquired, & even the Smithsonian. 100+ products. No upfront cost. Visit Fourthwall to start today: https://fourthwall.com/Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!https://www.sourcery.vc/(00:00) Intro: Drew Oetting, Founding Partner 8VC(03:33) Origins Of 8VC & Lessons From Joe Lonsdale’s Founder DNA(05:48) Early Experiments In Building Companies Inside 8VC(07:03) Formalizing The Build Program (30% Of Capital)(08:33) How 8VC Works With EIRs To Co-Found Startups(10:33) Why Most VC Firms Fail At In-House Company Building(13:03) Portfolio Highlights: OpenGov, Saronic, Epirus, Affinity(17:03) Case Study: Resilience & Biotech Manufacturing(27:03) American Reindustrialization, Policy, & Capital Allocation(39:03) The Future Of AGI & Its Real-World Impacts(45:33) Rapid-Fire Round: Recession Odds, National Debt, Aliens(54:03) Closing Thoughts On Building America’s Future