The Death of Traditional VC: Why Platform Shifts Demand People-First Investors, with Katelin Holloway of Seven Seven Six

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Katelin Holloway, Founding Partner of Seven Seven Six. Katelin argues HR professionals possess essential early-stage investing skills, and advocates their transition from support roles to decision-making positions through founder relationship-building strategies.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: [email protected] coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can’t live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH KATELIN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINKatelin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelinholloway/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS: Seven Seven Six: http://sevensevensix.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:27) How HR "Found" Katelin: The Accidental Career Path(02:02) Pixar University: Learning from World-Class People Operations(03:16) Meeting Alexis Ohanian: The Reddit Turnaround Story(04:12) When Employees Refused to Wear Company Swag(04:43) Why Hard Challenges Build Deeper Professional Bonds(05:42) From Boardroom to Back Room: The VC Industry Problem(07:24) Why Early-Stage Investing IS People Work(08:52) The "Talent Partner" Problem: Wasted Potential in VC(09:40) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(12:03) The Marc Andreessen Challenge: Selection vs. Support(13:23) Platform Shifts Are Disrupting Venture Capital(14:07) Product and People First: 776's Different Approach(15:30) The Tactical Playbook: How to Break Into Venture(15:49) Build Founder Relationships, Not VC Relationships(16:22) The "How Can I Help?" Problem: Why Most VCs Fail Founders(17:39) From Advisor to Angel: Getting Equity Without Cash(18:28) The Golden Rule: Genuine Help Must Come First(20:06) Ed Catmull's 5-Year Rule: Knowing When to Leap(21:57) Why the Smartest People Never "Figure It Out"(22:26) Closing: Building the Future of Venture Capital This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com