The Kauffman Fellows Dividend
Long-term personal and professional returns from a two-year investment.
Last month marked a milestone in my career as I graduated from the Kauffman Fellows program as part of their 27th class. For those unfamiliar, this two-year, non-residential fellowship focuses on helping mid-career professionals in venture capital (VC) accelerate their impact and career trajectory. Our diverse cohort of 59 fellows, representing 18 countries, now joins a global network of 940 fellows, each dedicated to driving innovation in the VC.
As the founder of Deciens, I have spent the past eight years laser-focused on building a premier venture capital organization concentrated exclusively on early-stage financial services opportunities. My life revolves around Deciens; it’s my first thought in the morning, my last thought at night, and frequently the subject of my dreams. Building Deciens has been the privilege of my lifetime.
Yet, like many leaders, I found the day-to-day responsibilities of scaling and running Deciens consuming much of my energy – especially my creative energy. There was little room left to focus on the bigger picture, long-term opportunities, or ideate where I want Deciens to be ten years from now, at the end of its second decade.
The Kauffman Fellows program provided the mental and physical space I needed. During my two years as a fellow, I was able to rediscover many of the fundamental “whys” behind Deciens: why did I start the firm, why am I so devoted to it and its success, why am I so passionate about the work, why do I find the people in our community so energizing? The “whys” are the founder's lifelines, especially because the “hows” change more frequently than most care to admit. Being part of a cohort asking similar questions – the big “whys” around our personal and professional lives – is a vital part of helping find the answers to these very personal questions. I truly believe that no two people’s “whys” are the same.
Class 27 of Kauffman Fellows began our two-year journey in June 2022 in the mountains of Santa Cruz, California.
We entered the program as strangers – I had met only one or two of my class members before becoming a fellow. But this shared journey, with its inherent vulnerability, forged connections that I believe will endure a lifetime. Today, I have a global network of friends that I can call up whenever I find myself headed in their direction. More importantly, I’m part of a community of people spanning 27 graduated cohorts united by a shared set of experiences, values, commitment to the process, and mutual support. That is simply invaluable. This network transcends professional value; it enriches my life as a whole.
The biggest takeaway from the experience is that there are seemingly many ways to be a great venture capitalist. Being great at the craft is necessary, but it is not sufficient. A firm has to be truly differentiated in order to have a chance at reaching the upper echelon. To be that distinctive requires having comfort standing out in the crowd. The essential ingredients include having a unique strategy, possessing the necessary resources and abilities, maintaining the tenacity to execute, and cultivating the fortitude to embrace nonconformity. Success requires a level of comfort in being uncomfortable that is unusual and only comes through growing self-awareness and possessing a missionary’s zeal.
The Kauffman Fellows experience has been transformative, providing value far beyond the realm of venture capital and into every aspect of my personal and professional growth.
