Apr 18, 2018
Brian Caulfield is one of the most accomplished tech founders
and venture capitalists in all of Ireland. A serial entrepreneur
turned VC, he is Managing Partner at Draper Esprit, the leading
European venture capital firm. Brian gives back to his community by
acting as a private investor/advisor to a number of early stage
technology companies. He talks with Jim and Jan about the culture
of leadership in Europe, how it differs from the United States, the
role of AI and innovation in creating a more fruitful landscape for
leaders, the importance self awareness and ability to solve the
problem rather than the solution, and gives the traits he feels are
most important to becoming a strong and successful
leader.
Key Takeaways
[4:51] Good technology is only
small part of the success in any business. If you are going after
the wrong market opportunity or have the wrong team, that will be
more influential than the strength of your technology.
[6:48] By giving a deep
understanding of the problems and challenges to get more commitment
to the solution.
[11:06] Brian discusses the
issue of fragmentation with startups in Ireland, and how it affects
leadership. Ireland needs more organization and focus on their own
indigenous innovators to create an environment for early stage
companies.
[23:44] One of the key tenants
Brian teaches other emerging leaders is to develop their individual
decision making skills, and the importance of self
awareness.
[28:06] As a leader it is quite
important to give honest feedback with evidence about their
situation.
[31:21] The more examples people
have of others successfully making the leap of entrepreneurship,
the more apt they are to feel as though it’s possible for
themselves.
[42:54] Brian cites Shay Garvey
as one of his biggest mentors and inspirations as a leader. He
fostered Brian both personally and professionally, and gave him a
positive view of building a great business.
[46:03] The 5 traits to spot a
leader: market knowledge, focus and drive, passion and conviction,
ability to listen and charisma and compelling.
LinkedIn @BrianCaulfield
Website: DraperEsprit.com
Twitter:
@BrianCVC
Quotable Quotes
- Sell
the problem, not the solution
- The
best businesses are built by people that have a passion for the
problem they are solving.
- People must think through and fully understand
the problems by themselves.
- Great
leaders come up with their own pros and cons about a
situation.
- Talent is universal. Opportunity is not so
evenly spread around different locations around the
world.
Bio
Brian Caulfield is an
entrepreneur & venture capitalist. He is Managing Partner at
Draper Esprit, the leading European venture capital firm, and based
in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining Draper Esprit, Brian was a
partner at Trinity Venture Capital where he sat on the boards of or
led investments in AePONA ChangingWorlds, CR2, SteelTrace & APT.
Previously, Brian co-founded both Exceptis Technologies - sold to
Trintech Group, November 2000 & Similarity Systems, a business
focused data quality management software company that was acquired
by Informatica, January 2006. Brian’s Draper Esprit investments
include Movidius, Datahug, RhodeCode, Mobile Travel Technologies &
Clavis Insight. He also sits on the board of the Irish Times,
Ireland’s leading daily newspaper. He is a private
investor/advisor to a number of early stage technology companies.
Brian is a Computer Engineering graduate of Trinity College Dublin.
He was the 2007 recipient of the Irish Software Association
"Technology Person of the Year" award and has been inducted into
the Irish Internet Association’s Hall of Fame. In 2010 he also
received the Halo Business Angel Network’s͞ Business Angel of the
Year award. Brian is a former Chairman of the Irish Venture
Capital
Association.
Books Mentioned in this Episode
Labor 2030: The Collision of
Demographics, Automation and Inequality