NYC’s Early Stage Venture Evolution with Lerer Hippeau Managing Partner Ben Lerer | Ep 89

Seed to Harvest

Today, I am joined by Ben Lerer, the Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early stage venture firm based in New York that invests in iconic companies that rattle the status quo. Ben shares insights into his journey from founding digital media company Group Nine Media, including the creation of Thrillist, to transitioning into full-time investing after selling his business. Ben highlights how his background in media and operating companies influences his approach to venture capital, emphasizing the excitement, challenges, and rewards of being on the investor side of the table.
Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.
Connect with Paige 🌱💜
Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/
Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/
Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn
00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Ben Lerer
02:02 becoming a full-time investor
04:40 challenges with a growing company
06:25 investing more into fund l
08:22 intuition changing from qualitative to quantitative
10:28 the trick of this market
12:32 Ben’s founder process
15:28 delineating a good design from a great design
18:37 lessons learned from Bob Pittman
22:37 what Ben been learning recently
Show notes:
Ben Lerer | https://twitter.com/benjlerer?lang=en
Lerer Hippeau | https://www.lererhippeau.com/
Group Nine Media | https://twitter.com/groupninemedia?lang=en
Thrillist | https://www.thrillist.com/
Bob Pittman | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-pittman/
POPSUGAR | https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment
Brian Sugar | https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansugar/
Sugar Capital | https://sugarcap.com/