NYC’s Early Stage Venture Evolution with Lerer Hippeau Managing Partner Ben Lerer | Ep 89

Today, I am joined by Ben Lerer, the Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early stage venture firm based in New York that invests in iconic companies that rattle the status quo. Ben shares insights into his journey from founding digital media company Group Nine Media, including the creation of Thrillist, to transitioning into full-time investing after selling his business. Ben highlights how his background in media and operating companies influences his approach to venture capital, emphasizing the excitement, challenges, and rewards of being on the investor side of the table. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children"s book for adults. Connect with Paige 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn 00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Ben Lerer 02:02 becoming a full-time investor 04:40 challenges with a growing company 06:25 investing more into fund l 08:22 intuition changing from qualitative to quantitative 10:28 the trick of this market 12:32 Ben’s founder process 15:28 delineating a good design from a great design 18:37 lessons learned from Bob Pittman 22:37 what Ben been learning recently Show notes: Ben Lerer | https://twitter.com/benjlerer?lang=en Lerer Hippeau | https://www.lererhippeau.com/ Group Nine Media | https://twitter.com/groupninemedia?lang=en Thrillist | https://www.thrillist.com/ Bob Pittman | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-pittman/ POPSUGAR | https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment Brian Sugar | https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansugar/ Sugar Capital | https://sugarcap.com/ Support the show