If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest?
Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology.
Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs.
On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’
Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to.
Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold.
Topics Covered
Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20
- Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high school
- Got into Hopkins prep school on scholarship
How Maryanna got into venture capital
- Worked for early-stage company out of college
- Job offer from Daimler to figure out driverless cars
- Introduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus
The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VC
- Trust your intuition
- Don’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance
How Maryanna defines deep tech
- ‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’
- Index on novelty at Future Ventures
What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right away
- Asks what she must believe about reality for YES to hold
- Discussion with partner to temper her excitement
Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in venture
- Ideal for its efficiency and intellectual honesty
- Never puts someone in tie-breaker position
Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investor
- Confident in ability to assess tech on first principles
- Know how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech
What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer to
- Structure of open AI
- Deep seabed mining, recycling battery technology
Maryanna’s definition of success
- Feel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted
- ‘Everything I could give to this, I did’
Connect with Maryanna Saenko
Future Ventures https://future.ventures/
Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVC
Future on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/
Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/
Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/
Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko
Resources
Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/
DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles
Airbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlab
Beeflow https://www.beeflow.com/
Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311
Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/
Connect with Boost VC
Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
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