Ugly Startups, Beautiful Returns | Nick Moran, New Stack Ventures - Unlocking Moves Ep. 49

"Don't be an order taker... be a VALUE DRIVER"Join us for this week's episode of Unlocking Moves, the show that dives into the pivotal moments in a leader's journey that unlocked their true potential! Many leaders only like to talk about their "glory" stories - but host Kurt Wilkin is a firm believer that we learn more from our stumbles and mistakes, our "gory" stories. On this episode, Kurt talks with Nick Moran, General Partner at New Stack Ventures - a VC firm that is shaking up the venture capital industry by investing in "outsiders" who don't fit the mold of a traditional tech target. Nick's story is full of unlocking moves - from being willing to call attention to problems in his first job, to remaking himself after a "meets expectations" performance review, and from realizing he had no network, to starting the first VC-centered podcast over a decade ago. Nick also sheds light on the VC industry and how decisions are traditionally made - either based on resume (did you go to Stanford and work for Google?!) or on traction (how much money have you already made?!). New Stack Ventures does things differently, looking for KILLERS with earned insights who have what it takes to run a great company. For any entrepreneur thinking about raising a VC round, this is a can't miss conversation!About Nick Moran - Nick is the Founder and General Partner of New Stack Ventures. A former M&A and Product Management professional for Danaher, Nick began angel investing full-time in 2013. In 2014, he launched the first Venture Capital podcast, The Full Ratchet, growing it into one of the largest media brands in venture and the top 0.5% of most listened to podcasts globally. The networks and dealflow generated from the show led to the founding of New Stack Ventures, which focuses on mission-driven founders outside the Bay Area. New Stack has fast become one of the leading seed funds between the coasts. They recently fully deployed their second fund ($42.6M) and launched fund 3, a $100M fund in Q3 of 2024.About Kurt Wilkin - Kurt is a connector - of dots, ideas, and people. For the past 30 years, he has advised high-growth companies, starting his career with Ernst & Young, and today in his roles as chairman of HireBetter and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital. He's a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits and has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEOs build their companies. (00:00:00) Intro – Welcome to Unlocking Moves(00:00:19) Nick Moran’s Journey from Corporate to Angel Investor(00:09:48) Building a Venture Firm Without Silicon Valley(00:12:56) Sponsor – HireBetter: Your Strategic Talent Partner(00:13:06) How Nick Picks Winning Founders(00:24:15) The Importance of Market Timing(00:39:40) Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs(00:48:16) Do You Wanna Know Who's Your Mike? Take the Quiz Here