Episode #3: Ed Barker- Empowering exceptional founders at Square Peg, the industries of the future, and how to think about your career

Launch Codes

English - June 17, 2021 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB
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Previous Episode: Episode #2: Sam Koslowski- building the future of media at the Daily Aus, when to take the leap on a startup, and how to bounce back during tough times

Next Episode: Episode #4: Brent Liang - founding no-code startups, working on mental health and building The Quest podcast with Justin Kan

Ed Barker is a senior associate at Square Peg Capital. Square Peg is Australia’s largest VC fund, with over $1.4b of funds under management. We chatted with Ed about his investment process, the industries that excite him the most and his advice for students at the start of their career.

Timestamps:

· 1:04: Who Ed wanted to be when he grew up

· 2:05: What Ed studied at university

· 3:45: Landing a role at Square Peg Capital

· 5:40: The importance of reaching out to people and having conversations

· 6:00: The role of a VC investor

· 7:50: How the investment process works: team, thematic and timing

· 9:10: The impact of COVID-19

· 10:30: Moving to Singapore

· 12:40: The rise of Grab in South East Asia

· 13:15: How a background in consulting helped

· 14:00: The industries that Ed is excited about

· 15:50: The rise of social commerce

· 18:10: Surprising things about VC

· 19:35: Qualities that make a great founder

· 21:35: Books, podcasts and articles that informed Ed’s thought process

· 24:45: How has failure set Ed up for success in the future?

· 28:10: Ed’s advice for uni students