20VC: Why Signalling Risk is Real, What Founders Need to Know About Taking Multi-Stage Money vs Seed Fund Money, Lessons Scaling to $600M AUM, The Secret to Hiring in VC; Hire People with No VC Experience & How Venture Will Be Disrupted with Rob Lacher

Rob Lacher founded Visionaries Club in 2019, in just 3 years he has scaled the firm to $600M AUM and backed some of Europe’s best including Xentral, Personio, Miro, and Ledgy. Prior to Visionaries, Rob founded the fashion platform AMAZE in 2014 which he sold to Zalando, and founded the European seed and growth stage venture capital fund La Famiglia in 2016.

In Today’s Episode with Rob Lacher We Discuss:

1.) From Novice Tennis Player to Leading European Investor:

• When Rob realized beating Federer wasn’t an option, how did he make his way into the world of venture capital?

• When did Rob know he wanted to be a VC?

• What did Rob learn about himself after leaving La Famiglia?

• What characteristics make business partners compatible?

2.) The Secret to Building a Fund? Hire People With No Experience:

• What does Rob think is the hardest element of building a firm?

• What advice would Rob give to emerging managers when starting their firms?

• What is the single biggest mistake that Rob sees fund managers make?

• Why does Rob prefer to hire people with no VC experience?

3.) The Red Ocean of European Venture:

• Does Rob think the Series A product in Europe is any good?

• How would Rob advise founders debating a US multi-stage fund or a European offer?

• If Rob could choose one European board member, who would it be and why?

• In Rob’s dream, what would the Europe venture ecosystem look like in 2028?

• How does Rob think Europe’s family institutions can become Europe’s Google?

4.) Lessons on Investing From a Pro:

• Where does Rob think VCs, founders, and boards are misaligned? 

• When Rob invests, how central of a role does price actually pay? 

• What is Rob’s single biggest investing mistake? How did it impact his mindset and approach?

• What are the three ways reserve management strategy has changed?

• What does Rob absolutely hate about VC?