20VC: Why Growth Investors Ruined the Venture Market, Why Marketing in Venture Has No Substance, Why Follow-On Investing Can Damage Returns and The Mistakes VCs Made in the Last 18 Months with Ophelia Brown, Founder @ Blossom Capital

Ophelia Brown is the Founder of Blossom Capital, one of Europe’s newest but leading early-stage venture firms. Ophelia and the Blossom team have invested in stand-outs including Checkout, Duffel, Tines, and Moonpay. Prior to Blossom, Ophelia was a GP at LocalGlobe and a Principal at Index Ventures where her investments included Robinhood and Typeform.

In Today’s Episode with Ophelia Brown We Discuss:

1.) From Restaurant-Owning DJ to Leading European VC:

• How Ophelia made her way into the world of venture and came to found Blossom?

• What does Ophelia know now that she wishes she had known when she entered venture?

• What does Ophelia feel she is running away from?

2.) Venture Capital: The Market:

• Why does Ophelia believe the best venture firms focus either by stage/theme/geography?

• Why does Ophelia believe that marketing in venture has no substance? How can founders determine between what is real and what is false?

• Why does Ophelia believe that growth investors have ruined the venture market?

• When does Ophelia believe VCs will realise that FOMO investing is not a good strategy?

3.) Ophelia Brown: The Investor and Fund Manager:

• What has been Ophelia’s biggest investing mistake? How did it change her mindset and approach?

• In a world where everyone does seed investing, why does Ophelia not?

• How was raising the first Blossom fund? What were some of her biggest lessons?

• Why does Ophelia believe that follow-on investing can damage returns?

• How does Ophelia reflect on her own relationship to price? When has she paid up and it worked? When has she paid up and it not worked?

• Does Ophelia think it is fair that many find her curt and abrasive to work with?

4.) Europe: Is Now Really The Right Time?

• What would Ophelia like to see change in the way European VCs act?

• If Ophelia could invest in one seed firm, one Series A firm and one growth firm in Europe, what would they be? Why?

• What are 1-2 of the biggest barriers Europe must overcome in the next 5 years?