Episode #6: Jessy Wu- building a new generation of VC at AfterWork Ventures, community as a moat for businesses, and why you should lean into your strengths

Jessy Wu is an Investment Manager and Head of Community at AfterWork Ventures. Afterwork is a community-powered VC, supported by a group of seasoned operators that help source startups and support portfolio companies.

Jessy studied Philosophy and English literature at ANU before joining Strategy& as a management consultant. She then jumped into the world of corporate VC at NAB Ventures before joining Afterwork full time in May 2021. I chatted with Jessy about how studying the humanities prepared her well for venture capital, how community is becoming a defensible business model and the importance of leaning into your strengths.

Timestamps:

[1:07]- Who Jessy wanted to be when she grew up

[3:02]- How studying the humanities prepared Jessy for the world of VC

[7:00]- Jessy’s role at AfterWork VC

[10:40]- Was Jessy ever scared about taking a leap and joining AfterWork?

[13:10]- Was there ever a specific point where Jessy made the decision to join AfterWork?

[17:10]- What makes AfterWork’s community-powered model special?

[18:45]- Is community a defensible business model for businesses outside of VC?

[20:21]- Is there a secret sauce for building an effective community?

[22:24]- Community as value creation rather than value capture

[22:53]- Why is community becoming so popular at this particular moment in time?

[24:49]- What kind of companies is Jessy excited to invest in at AfterWork?

[27:38]- An eye-opening experience relating to direct-to-consumer marketing

[30:37]- The importance of having agency in your career

[34:39]- How to think about failure

[37:20]- The importance of leaning into your strengths

Links to things we mentioned:

AfterWork website

Lyka Pet Food: Investment Notes

OnDeck Community Builders

Outlaw Soaps

The 20 Minute VC- Harry Stebbings