In the September episode of the Deal Talk, Moonfare’s CEO and founder Steffen Pauls hosted David Fialkow, co-founder of General Catalyst, one of the most prominent venture capital firms globally. 

In a lively discussion, Fialkow discussed a wide range of topics. Some of the highlights include: 

• Unique deal flows: “We don’t have a process in place where one or two people could derail a deal. On the other hand, one of the ways we make a lot of deals is by creating our own businesses. Many of our biggest wins are ideas we hatched.”
• Venture investing requires patience: “There will always be a market for companies that have high strategic value and scarcity of assets. But you just don’t know how long they’ll take to build. That’s why you need the ability to stick with the company for a longer period of time to create more value.” 
• Why now is time to invest in VC: “Firstly, there will be less money in the marketplace and valuations will justify a very good opportunity for returns. Secondly, firms that have scale like ours can double down and buy into our best companies at significantly lower prices.”

We invite you to watch the entire recording of the conversation in the video below, where Fialkow also talks about recent sky-high valuations in VC, new promising technologies and what advice he would give to his younger self. 

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Deal Talk events are regular fireside chats with leading global private equity dealmakers. For past episodes, visit our dedicated page. ‍

Important notice: This content is for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed by the interviewee are their own. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Moonfare. Moonfare does not provide investment advice. You should not construe any information or other material provided as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. If you are unsure about anything, you should seek financial advice from an authorised advisor. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. Private equity is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Subject to eligibility. Please see https://www.moonfare.com/disclaimers.