VCs Being Part of the Solution, Rather than the Problem
Jason Caplain, a venture partner with Raleigh-based VC, Southern Capitol Ventures has an interesting post this morning. In it, he discusses why raising capital in the southeast isn’t impossible. I applaud Jason for being part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. You don’t see many VC’s in the southeast blogging about their industry, and there are a few key reasons why (IMHO).
Blogging is part of the “new media” or “social media” movement.
- This new movement bucks “the established network.”
- Investors here (largely) don’t “get” (or don’t want to “get”) social media, web 2.0, blogging,
Recently, I pitched to a group of investors here in Atlanta. Some were VCs, some were local angels. Nice guys, all. But some of the comments that were made to me during (and after) the presentation left me in stunned disbelief. My favorite comment is below:
People in my generation would never use these types of tools to share information.
Luckily, for us, there was one VC in the room who was indeed from out-of-town, and who seemed to get what we’re doing. Time will tell, but I think this hearkens back to what Jason wrote about in his post this morning regarding how to attract (or get in front of) out-of-state investors. In any underserved market, you need to have a multi-pronged strategy that includes targeting out-of-state investors. As I’ve said before on this blog, the point of origin of your capital is not important – what is important is actually raising some to begin with.
Nevertheless, I wish more investors here in the southeast would take lessons from VC thought leaders like Jason Caplain, Matt McCall, Fred Wilson, and others. “Transparency” is quickly becoming an established trait within the venture community. This is evidenced by the growing trend of VCs openly posting the types of plays in which they are seeking to invest.
It is way past time for certain VCs to step up and be a part of the solution, rather than the ongoing/evolving/perceived problem.
My two cents!
Cheers.
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