By Kendall Fisher(opens in new tab), executive producer at Grow Wire
Ann Winblad is a former entrepreneur turned legendary venture capitalist(opens in new tab), heading up Hummer-Winblad Venture Partners—a leading firm focused on software(opens in new tab) investing—as a co-founder and managing director.
On this episode of “The Grow Wire Podcast,(opens in new tab)” Jason Maynard sat down with Winblad who takes us on her journey from founding her own software company at the age of 24 to partnering with John Hummer and starting the first venture firm focused on software in 1989.
Winblad recalls her first trip into what she describes as a “valley of defeat.” She heard 133 noes when searching for limited partners to get her VC up and running, only to get a yes that would change her career forever on her 134th meeting. She reveals why she kept going and what she’s most proud of today, 29 years later.
Winblad discusses her investment criteria, the one quality she looks for in a CEO as well as some of the biggest mistakes she’s seen startups make. She also reveals her thoughts on AI(opens in new tab), the future of the software market and where she’s placing her bets.
For all of this and more, listen to the full podcast episode on Apple Podcasts(opens in new tab), SoundCloud(opens in new tab) and YouTube(opens in new tab), and as always, don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe.
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