In this episode of Breaking Precedent, host Leah Solivan is joined by a successful venture capitalist and co-founder of Floodgate, Ann Miura-Ko. Leah and Ann dive into the world of technology, what Ann seeks in founding teams, thoughts on the challenges with the Venture Capital industry, and Ann’s perspective on the opportunities AI presents for mass cognition. Drawing from her upbringing in a Japanese immigrant family and experiences in Silicon Valley, Ann dives deep into her journey of embracing her individuality and pushing boundaries in both her personal life and her professional career.
Guest Bio and Links:
Ann Miura-Ko is a co-founding partner at Floodgate, a seed-stage venture capital firm with notable investments in companies including Lyft, Twitter, Twitch, and Okta. Known for her inception stage investments that range from marketplaces to highly technical companies, Ms. Miura-Ko's investments have earned her repeat appearances on the Forbes Midas List and The New York Times list of top twenty venture capitalists worldwide.
Show Notes:
- (0:00) Intro
- (0:30) Leah introduces guest, Ann Miura-Ko
- (3:00) Growing up: family and cultural influences
- (5:00) Breaking with tradition - Ann’s mother’s influence on her independence
- (7:30) The legacy of precedent breaking women
- (10:00) Ann’s experience on the debate team
- (13:30) “Sometime’s in order to win you have to go in for the kill.”
- (15:00) Transition to Venture Capital
- (17:15) The unconventional interview
- (22:30) The origin of TaskRabbit and early-stage investment
- (25:00) The personal side of fundraising
- (28:30) Shaping the future of work
- (31:30) Investing in Zimride
- (35:00) Lyft breaking legal precedents
- (37:45) Factors and philosophies that go into investing
- (43:30) The future of self-driving enterprises
- (50:00) The ownership model of Venture Capital
- (53:30) The value of listening to your gut
- (54:30) Precedents yet to be broken
- (56:00) “Sometimes I think as we criticize things. We need to first learn how to love them.”
- (58:30) Closing thoughts - reflections on success and happiness
- (1:02:00) To stay inspired and informed, be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to Breaking Precedent for more insightful conversations with trailblazers like Ann Miura-Ko
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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.
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What is Breaking Precedent?
Welcome to Breaking Precedent, the podcast that dives deep into the stories of trailblazers, innovators, and game-changers who are redefining societal precedents. Join us as we sit down with extraordinary individuals who are pushing the boundaries of social norms, challenging precedents, and setting new ones in their fields. Whether it’s in technology, art, social justice, or beyond, Breaking Precedent is your source of inspiration for understanding how precedents are broken and new paths are forged.