VC10X - How Defy Owns 17% of Their Best Companies Without Following On Every Round

Most VCs talk about ownership. Few actually build it. Neil Sequeira, Co-Founder and General Partner at Defy, breaks down the unconventional strategies his firm uses to average 17 percent ownership across their seven highest marked portfolio companies — and why that number puts them up against any early stage manager in the country.Neil spent 12 years at General Catalyst before co-founding Defy a decade ago. In this conversation, he gets into why 75 percent of their deal flow never goes to market, how they made their biggest capital call on April 1st 2020 when venture investment was down 80 percent industry-wide, and why the most contentious deal at the partner meeting is usually the one that ends up doing the best.This is a masterclass in early stage conviction, portfolio construction, and what it actually means to partner with a founder for the long term.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comWe talk about -- Why Defy keeps their partnership small on purpose, and how that directly drives better early stage returns- The April 1st 2020 capital call: how they deployed 20% of Fund 2 in the quarter venture fell 80% industry-wide- The three-bucket framework for evaluating investments, and why the founder bucket outweighs market knowledge and hard work combined- How Defy averages 17% ownership across their seven highest marked companies using strategies most VCs never think to use- The one early signal that has predicted every failed investment in their portfolio, and why they no longer rationalize past it---Timestamps:(00:00) - Preview(00:28) - Introduction to Neil Sequeira and Defy(02:05) - How Decision-Making Quality Changes as VC Firms Scale(05:54) - The Speed of Conviction in Large vs. Small Firms(07:20) - The Power of Proprietary Deals(08:52) - Neil's Most Formative Investment Decisions(13:25) - Why the "Person" is the Most Critical Investment Factor(16:39) - Case Study: When an Investment Thesis Evolves Significantly(20:40) - Evolving Portfolio Construction Across Different Funds(22:30) - The Impact of AI on Investment Strategy and Check Size(24:10) - Building Company-Creation Platforms (US Defense, Crypto)(25:25) - How LPs React to Evolving Fund Strategies(28:20) - A Contrarian Approach: Investing When the Market Goes Dark(32:39) - Initial Bets vs. Doubling Down on Winners(34:35) - How Defy Owns 17% of Their Best Companies(37:34) - Patterns in Failed Investments: Lessons from Hindsight(38:25) - The Red Flag of Founder Integrity Issues(40:15) - The Danger of Market Noise and Not Controlling Your Destiny(44:03) - Start of Rapid Fire Round(44:19) - Sectors and Regions of Investment(44:53) - Typical Stage of Investment(45:47) - Leading Investment Rounds(46:28) - Typical Check Size and Ownership Goals(47:38) - How to Connect with Neil and Defy(48:45) - ConclusionLinks:Defy - https://defy.vc/Connect with Neil Sequeira - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-sequeira-76739a40/Connect with Prashant: https://linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - ⁠https://vc10x.beehiiv.com⁠Subscribe on YouTube - ⁠https://youtube.com/@VC10X ⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986⁠Subscribe on Spotify - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQ⁠VC10X website - ⁠https://vc10x.com#VentureCapital #EarlyStageInvesting #StartupFunding #VC10X #NeilSequeira #Defy #PortfolioConstruction #FounderAdvice #VCPodcast #StartupInvesting