Iden Senkut, founder of Felicis Ventures and Google’s first product manager, shares insights on overcoming adversity and achieving success in technology and venture capital. The central theme revolves around resilience: viewing setbacks and external doubts not as barriers, but as “jet fuel” for motivation, emphasizing the importance of controlling one’s own destiny rather than letting others define limits.
Key lessons stem from his time at Google, particularly Larry Page’s principles: intense focus on a few critical goals (saying “no” often), setting “uncomfortable” 10X goals (striving for 10x better, cheaper, or faster solutions), and empowering smart people to tackle challenges regardless of prior experience. This “10X principle” became a core philosophy for Senkut, applied to product development, market selection, and overall ambition.
In venture capital, Felicis prioritizes investing in large or potentially large, high-growth markets first, believing market dynamics often dictate success. Identifying founders who can scale is the next crucial step, requiring a deep understanding of people – a skill Senkut considers his “superpower” in VC, more critical than pure financial analysis. The success of portfolio companies like Shopify illustrates these principles: strategic product decisions, innovative channel partnerships, and strong internal data measurement.
For founders, Senkut highlights the necessity of:
- Focus: Concentrating limited resources on the few things that truly matter.
- Persistence: Embracing the non-linear path of startups, using setbacks as motivation, and consistently compounding small wins.
- Measurement: Knowing what to measure and tracking it rigorously, akin to F1 racing, using data for optimization.
- Storytelling: The ability to articulate a compelling vision and mission is non-negotiable for attracting talent, customers, and capital; it requires understanding the audience and relentless practice (citing 107 revisions of his own pitch deck).
Ultimately, Senkut advocates for building impactful companies that solve significant problems, aiming for a future where technology not only creates value but also contributes positively to human well-being and happiness.
Source: From Google’s First PM to Backing 50 Unicorns — The 10X Principle | Feli…
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