The Power Law with Sebastian Mallaby

FEG Insight Bridge

This episode of the FEG Insight Bridge features Sebastian Mallaby, the Paul Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations and renowned journalist and author whose works include More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite and The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan, among others. The focus of this discussion is Sebastian’s most recent book, The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future. Sebastian also shares his thoughts on the unique nature of Silicon Valley, the enormous influence of key venture capitalists on the industry, and the art and responsibility of storytelling. Listen in on this fascinating conversation to better understand the mysteries of venture capitalism, the mindset of successful VCs, and why governance is crucial, even—or especially—for decacorns.

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Chapter

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Episode overview (00:00:36)

3. Sebastian’s motivation for writing about venture capital (00:02:22)

4. Sebastian’s research process (00:03:25)

5. How long it takes to write a book (00:08:27)

6. Strategies for telling an authentic and detailed story (00:10:05)

7. Silicon Valley and venture capital (00:13:41)

8. The unique success of Silicon Valley (00:16:47)

9. The Power Law (00:18:44)

10. How the VC model has changed over the years (00:23:24)

11. Google and the rise of angel investing (00:30:04)

12. Decacorns, governance, and diversity in VC (00:38:03)

13. Sebastian's favorite venture capital story (00:41:41)

14. What's next for Sebastian (00:44:29)