ML123: Niko Bonatsos on Maximising Serendipity, Finding Learning Machines and Silicon Valley Venture Investing
Discover the characteristics of the best founders, how the tone of the conversation in the Valley has changed since the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal and the differences between the tech ecosystems in Europe and the US.
Niko Bonatsos is the Managing Director at General Catalyst Partners an early stage venture capital fund specialising in (Series A/B) tech startups.
Niko’s passion is working with first-time technology founders with strong product instincts and he’s been part of a number of high profile deals, most notably with Snapchat which IPOd with a $28 billion initial valuation back in 2017.
A keen learner with a curious mind, Niko has been a student in multiple countries, getting his Bachelors in Engineering and Computer Science in Athens before graduating from Stanford with a Masters in Management Science and Engineering and getting an MPhil from Cambridge. He also worked in Tokyo at the R&D headquarters for Yokogawa Electric Corporation and attributes this random walk through the world as a key asset in his role as a venture investor.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Niko wants the founder he invests in to be learning animals and how he identifies this
- How the tone of the conversation in the Valley has changed since the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal
- The differences between the tech ecosystems in Europe and the US
We also discuss Niko’s experiences as a founder and student and the possibilities of tech driving forward a recovery in my home country of Greece. This was a great episode packed full of useful insights about all things tech - Niko is a brilliantly curious mind and was a pleasure to chat to.
Show Notes
- Introducing Niko [00:33]
- What was school like for Niko? [02:31]
- Niko on the people that inspired him during multiple stages of his life [04:27]
- How valuable is education in Niko’s perspective? How does that reflect on the way he looks at founders? [08:32]
- How was Niko’s experience in Japan? What did Niko learn from that time? [12:37]
- What was it like for Niko to start his own company right after Stanford? [16:02]
- What does Niko look for in founders during an assessment or conversation? [18:29]
- How does Niko decide on the investments he chooses? Is he guided by a specific thesis or view of the world? [21:44]
- How did the deal with Snapchat come about? What did he see in those early stages that excited him? [25:24]
- How does Niko view the tech ecosystem, especially since he is right in the middle of it? [29:39]
- How has the tone of conversation in the Valley changed since the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal? [33:45]
- What are the major differences between the tech ecosystems in Europe and the US? [35:50]
- Niko on the possibility of Greece’s tech industry as a force for growth and means to restore the country’s economy [38:49]
- Why is Niko choosing to invest in more European companies this time? [40:42]
- What current tech trends are Niko keeping an eye on? [42:04]
- Closing remarks [44:31]