The {Closed} Session Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, super{set}

(Part II of a two-part Episode)
Arthur Patterson, the founder of venture capital firm Accel, sits down for a fireside chat with super{set} founding partner Tom Chavez as part of our biweekly super{set} Community Call.

Tom and Vivek sit back and review the tape - analyzing Arthur’s insight into company building across the dimensions of identifying the right talent, doing experiments, what the common thread is across the hits and misses, and a first-hand perspective on the demonic energy that helped keep Tom from being fired as CEO of his first venture.

Arthur Patterson, the founder of venture capital firm Accel, sits down for a fireside chat with super{set} founding partner Tom Chavez as part of our biweekly super{set} Community Call.

Tom and Vivek sit back and review the tape - analyzing Arthur’s insight into the early days of venture capital, where venture stands today, how venture capitalists view long time horizons, and what he is most proud of from his long career.

What does a startup’s board do? Who is on the board? What happens at a quarterly board meeting? What should the board meeting deck look like? How does the conversation change as a company grows from the seed stage to the later stage? How do you get the most out of your board? What is a “closed session” anyways?

Tom and Vivek have come full circle: in this episode they’re talking about closed session board meetings in The {Closed} Session. They discuss their experience in board meetings - even some tense ones - as serial founders and how they approach board meetings today as both co-founders and seed investors of the companies coming out of the super{set} startup studio.

When should an entrepreneur raise money? What does the money do? How is a Series A round different from a seed round? How is a Series A today different from 1999? What makes a good VC?

Tom and Vivek describe the lessons learned from fundraising at Rapt in 1999 - the height of the first internet bubble - through their experience at Krux - amid the most recent tech bubble. After sharing war stories, they describe how super{set} melds funding with hands-on entrepreneurship to set the soil conditions for long-term success.

What’s a “fuck-it list?” Why does every VC need a time-consuming hobby other than investing? Are there any benefits to in-person collaboration, or should we all move to Zuck’s metaverse? Does more wealth beget more assholery?

Tom and Vivek jump on the pod for a special bonus episode to call B******T on VCs, CEOs, the “categorical shit,” and more. So strap yourselves in because the takes are HOT.

Why does the super{set} Studio Model bring on an outside CEO after a company has been founded? How is that CEO different from early product leadership? What are the qualities we look for in CEO talent to level our company up?

Tom and Vivek describe what the ideal CEO looks like in the early stage, why great product people aren’t necessarily going to make great CEOs, and what the division of labor looks like between the CEO and the rest of the early team. They then bring on special guest Dane E. Holmes from super{set} company Eskalera to hear about his decision to join a super{set} company and his lessons for early-stage leadership.