Flybridge Partners General Partner and Mastering the VC Game author Jeff Bussgang will deliver the keynote speech at the Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference on April 24. He answered some questions we posed about Boston’s VC/PE legal scene, and gave us a preview of his remarks.
There are still open spots at the conference! Be sure to register to claim your spot soon.
Q: What makes Boston a unique environment for venture capital?
Boston attracts some of the world’s smartest people who enjoy tackling some of the world’s most ambitious problems. The confluence of top academic institutions and a long history of entrepreneurship make Boston one of the top 5 cities in the world for venture capital and startups despite its relatively small size (#10 metro area in the US and #92 in the world).
Q: Attorneys in this space need to help clients avoid risk and stay in compliance – in your opinion, how can counsel accomplish this while still adding value to a deal? Is it a challenging balance?
A:The best lawyers have an understanding of the business objectives at hand and are pragmatic about shaping the legal framework and direction to mitigate risk and ensure compliance. It is challenging in gray areas like crypto / blockchain.
Q: With Mastering the VC Game, you offered your story to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists as someone who has been on both sides. What does “mastering the VC game” look like for attorneys? What additional questions must they consider?
A: Attorneys need to understand the point of view of both entrepreneurs and VCs in every transaction: what are their incentives? What is their frame of reference? That perspective will enable attorneys to help steer their clients to more effective outcomes.
Q: Without spoiling your speech, is there anything else you can tell us about what conference attendees can expect to take away?
A: My talk will be focused on the future of work as a result of the powerful, disruptive twin forces of demography (looking at you, Millennials) and automation (the robots ARE taking over). It should be a lively discussion!