In the latest episode of 10X Capital Podcast, we had an insightful discussion with Hunter Somerville of StepStone. His perspective on the importance of reputation in venture capital is worth pondering. Somerville emphasizes being a good partner post-investment, leveraging a solid corporate network, and maintaining integrity to make a difference.
StepStone boasts a dedicated portfolio impact team, which solely focuses on customer introductions. Their strategy is to act like Switzerland - impartial and beneficial to all. They introduce the best companies from their corporate network to founders, aiding their growth journey. But that's not all.
Somerville also underscores that StepStone's reputation is vetted by early-stage seed and series A investors who have worked with them and can vouch for their integrity. When a founder is deciding who to add to their team, StepStone can convincingly argue that they will contribute to the top line and won't cause disruption. Why? Because those who have worked with them already know and trust them.
This brings us to a critical question - what does integrity look like in venture capital? And how can it distinguish one firm from another? Somerville's response to this question is thought-provoking and might challenge your existing perceptions.
