Aydin Senkut – Tenacious Sourcing and Founder Support at Felicis, Venture is Eating the Investment World 6 (Capital Allocators, EP.234)

Unique Approaches

Aydin Senkut's investment strategies at Felicis Ventures are characterized by their unconventional nature, defying traditional venture capital norms. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging unique strengths and building trust with founders, rather than focusing solely on capital or ownership percentages. Aydin's approach involves identifying and supporting the world's best founders, regardless of geographic location or industry, and turning conventional venture rules on their head 1.

If you want outliers, you need to have an outlier strategy and you need to have outlier thinking.

--- Aydin Senkut

This broad strategy allows Felicis to target a wide array of sectors and stages, increasing the likelihood of success by expanding the universe of potential investments 2 3.

   

Proactive Sourcing

Proactive sourcing is a cornerstone of Aydin's investment philosophy, where the focus is on actively seeking out promising companies rather than waiting for them to approach. His experience at Google taught him the importance of identifying key players early and doing whatever it takes to become an investor in those companies 4. This approach led to successful investments in companies like Shopify and Rovio, where Felicis identified potential leaders in critical markets and pursued them relentlessly.

Our job was to find the companies that matter... and do whatever it takes to be an investor in that company.

--- Aydin Senkut

Aydin's method involves listening for unique insights during due diligence, looking beyond numbers to understand the innovative strategies that set companies apart 5.

   

Strategic Investments

Strategic decision-making in investment sizes and roles is crucial for maximizing returns at Felicis Ventures. Aydin maintains that being part of the best companies is more important than the size of the stake, allowing for flexibility in investment roles 6. This strategy has led to significant successes, even with smaller initial stakes, as seen with companies like Canva and Shopify.

It's about like just get into the right company and if you do the right thing, you'll have opportunity to grow your stake over time.

--- Aydin Senkut

The firm's growth in capital capacity enables it to participate in larger rounds, ensuring they can support companies through later stages and maintain a competitive edge in the venture capital landscape 7.