Andrew Sheffield from Playfair Capital on the importance of alignment between founders and VCs

In this podcast episode, Andrew Sheffield discusses his background as a poker player and his transition into venture capital. Andrew talks about online poker websites and his preference for playing in casinos. He then delves into the investment strategies of Playfair Venture Capital, including the number of investments they make per year and their assessment process for portfolio companies. He also discusses the role of VCs in connecting founders to the venture ecosystem offering advice for founders raising rounds in 2023, and much more!Timestamps[00:00:22] Andrew Sheffield explains his background as a poker player and his transition into venture capital.[00:01:49] Andrew Sheffield discusses the similarities between playing poker and working in startups and venture capital.[00:03:15] Andrew Sheffield talks about online poker websites and the challenges of playing poker online during the COVID-19 pandemic.[00:08:36] Andrew Sheffield discusses the number of companies they invest in per year and the range of check sizes.[00:09:09] Andrew Sheffield talks about the distribution of their investments across the UK, Israel, and the rest of Europe. [00:10:24] Andrew Sheffield explains the importance of reserving funds for follow-on investments and their approach to allocating capital based on company performance.[00:18:27] VCs connecting founders to the venture ecosystem is crucial for success.[00:18:53] Startups can build defensibility through processes, people, brands, and execution, especially as AI becomes more prevalent.[00:20:17] Having a compelling story and a beautiful deck is important for early-stage founders, and traction adds validation to the story.[00:28:28] Andrew Sheffield discusses the similarities between playing poker and working in startups and venture capital.[00:29:51] Andrew Sheffield talks about the energy transition being the biggest problem the human race faces and the need to move towards sustainable energy.Andrew’s LinksLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/an....drew-sheffield-26436 - https://playfair.vc/Female founder office hour events in Europe - https://playfair.vc/community.phpMy Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  lifeselfmastery Twitter: rohitmal