The VC Investing in Founders Before They're Founders — How He Spots Them
Summary
*Recorded at StartWell - Toronto's best place for corporate events/meetings/podcasts: https://startwell.co
Karim Gillani has had a front-row seat to some of the most important shifts in technology and finance over the past two decades. From early days in mobile payments to leading M&A at companies like Xoom and PayPal, and now as a partner at Luge Capital, his perspective on venture capital is shaped by real operational experience.
In this conversation, Karim breaks down how the rules of building and investing in startups are changing - fast.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro 01:30 Karim’s journey from engineering to venture capital 05:00 BlackBerry, M&A and Silicon Valley experience 09:30 Xoom, PayPal and major fintech deals 14:00 Why he moved into venture capital 18:30 Building Luge Capital and raising the first fund 24:00 How AI changed startup building 30:30 Why speed is no longer a competitive advantage 36:00 What makes a startup defensible today 42:30 How VCs evaluate founders now 48:00 The future of fintech and venture investing