In today’s episode of the EUVC Podcast, Andreas talks with Juliet Bailin, Partner at General Catalyst, to explore the firm’s expansion in Europe, investment philosophy, and unique approach to venture capital. General Catalyst, known for backing companies like Stripe, Samsara, Livongo, and Mistral, operates with a global mindset while maintaining a deep commitment to early-stage investing.
Juliet, who focuses on infrastructure and applied AI, shares how her history background shapes her perspective on venture, why truth-seeking is fundamental to being a great investor, and how General Catalyst’s collaborative culture enables them to operate as one unified firm across geographies. She also dives into the firm’s recent rebrand and refreshed core values, including playing the long game, serving others, and shaping ambiguity.
In the second part of the conversation, we tackle an honest discussion on why venture needs a self-awareness reset. Juliet calls out common bad investor behaviors, from ghosting founders to exploding term sheets, and explains why overvaluing companies for ego reasons ultimately hurts founders the most. She also shares how General Catalyst ensures transparency in decision-making and why long-term relationships—not just transactional networks—are key to success.
Watch it here or add it to your episodes on Apple or Spotify 🎧 chapters for easy navigation available on the Spotify/Apple episode.
EUVC Founding Partners Trek | March 6 - 9 | Only 1 spot left
We’ll trek the most breathtaking sections of the GR 221 trail, known as the Dry Stone Route. This will take us through a 1,000-meter ascent, revealing stunning landscapes set against refreshing ocean breezes.
As night falls, a private chef will delight us with exquisite dinners, followed by evenings filled with relaxed activities, a selection of fine drinks, and an array of delights to cap off each day in true style.
✍️ Show notes
Deep Dive: General Catalyst activity in Europe
Opened the office in Spring 2021 and doubled down by joining forces with La Famiglia last year
Not a separate fund - full buy in and incentive for the global team to help our european founders build transformational companies worldwide
Particularly focused on early stage by being on the ground, actively partnering with other investors and happy to co-lead
Thematically, particularly focused on areas where being in Europe is as advantage. Areas like European resilience and security and privacy-centric AI enablers.
Deep Dive: VC Behavior to Watch out for and why we need a self-awareness reset in VC
Ive said this before and it’s not a unique view, which is that there is an information asymmetry between VCs and founders. And it should come as no surprise that the best VCs are those that aim to dismantle that as much as possible. We are selling a commodity which is capital, so the best founders have endless choice. They will choose you as a person, at the end of the day.
Now of course, venture capital has a mixed reputation because of the mixed reputations of Venture investors. So I hope this conversation we’re having both validates the experience of many founders, and also serves as a bit of a wake up call for investors that as an industry, we should (and can!) be better.
Let’s start simply.
Level 1. Ghosting. Completely unnecessary now. Superhuman AI will write the pass email for you. Founders hold out hope — don’t let that hope languish. Cut it cleanly.
Another level 1 - exploding term sheets. To me this is lazy. If an investor believes they can only win if you sign under duress, that’s unimpressive.
Now for level 2 - not making time for your founders after investing, ignoring their emails, or not listening to them during meetings. Our partnership starts when the money is wired and doesn’t end until exit. Quality over quantity — you don’t need to text daily! — but you now own a piece of their business. That’s a privilege.
Another level 2 - elbowing out an investor that introduced you to a deal. One of our core values at GC is to play the long game. This includes within the VCS ecosystem. When a solo gp or even another fund introduces us to a founder we’ve never met, and we get conviction in the deal, we make it clear that we want to do the deal with them. Those relationships are everything to us.
And level 3 - which I think is wholeheartedly unacceptable - keeping the board of a successful company when a woman returns from maternity leave. Unless a founder explicitly asks for a different set of hands, welcome your partner back with open arms.
Another level 3 - overvaluing a business for ego. I know many stories where investors double valuations because they cannot stand to lose. But here’s what the founders don’t realise—if they need to raise a downround because earning that valuation much less a mark up is almost impossible with the capital they have raised—the investors are protected. Weighted antidilution. Founders are not protected.
A look at the person behind - Who is Juliet Bailin?
History shaped my path into VC – My background in history deeply influences how I think about venture and investing. The patterns of the past often provide the best lens for understanding and shaping the future.
Curiosity over judgment (Ted Lasso meets Carl Jung) – I believe in a truth-seeking approach that prioritizes understanding over assumption. The best investors are those who ask questions, challenge biases, and remain open to changing their perspectives.
We all have multiple authentic selves – Venture is not about fitting into a rigid mold. It’s about embracing complexity, both in people and in markets. The best founders and investors recognize that different contexts demand different strengths and ways of thinking.
Serving others is at the core of my approach – Whether it’s founders, co-investors, or my own team, I focus on long-term relationships, not just transactional networks.
Three biggest learnings in venture
Have conviction in your own judgement - 10 yr game, others can also be wrong
Tenure is both an advantage and a disadvantage - something to gain vs. something to lose
Founders have to see the future - be careful not to project onto them
Some things are made for platforms - music, cabs & pizzas. But fund solutions aren’t one of them. Their individual client focus and regulation-first approach is your guarantee for flexible solutions accommodative to a broad range of deal and client specifics. The kicker? Prices that match any of the shelf-products in the market.
🤗 Join the EUVC Community
Looking for niche, high-quality experiences that prioritize depth over breadth? Consider joining our community focused on delivering content tailored to the experienced VC. Here’s what you can look forward to as a member:
Exclusive Access & Discounts: Priority access to masterclasses with leading GPs & LPs, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Interactive AMAs: Engage directly with top GPs and LPs in exclusive small group sessions — entirely free for community members.
💬 Community event | LP AMA with Christian Hjort Pedersen
Join us for an exclusive AMA session with Christian Hjort Pedersen, formerly VC Fund Investor at IIP Denmark.
Having allocated more than 600 M USD to top decile early-stage VC funds in US and Europe within tech and life sciences, Christian brings an understanding of the global venture markets and what it takes to build a true franchise better than most others.
This AMA is part of our ongoing series of small-group sessions designed to foster deep, meaningful discussions within the VC community. Reserve your spot now to ensure you don’t miss this opportunity.
⏰ Feb. 18 | 💻 Online | THIS EVENT IS FOR EUVC COMMUNITY MEMBERS ONLY.
✍🏻 Masterclass | VC Fund Finance: Essential Tools, Strategies and Applications
Join us for an in-depth session on VC Fund Finance: Essential Tools, Strategies and Applications. Fund finance has become an essential consideration for fund managers navigating the complexities of venture capital. Offering tools such as Subscription Lines (also called Capital Call lines), NAV financing, and GP Support/Co-invest financing, fund finance provides structured solutions to manage liquidity, bridge capital needs, and align investment strategies with long-term goals.
This masterclass provides a comprehensive overview of fund finance, its origins, and its application across the lifecycle of a fund. Designed for fund managers at varying stages, the session balances conceptual frameworks with actionable insights, making it particularly valuable for second-time or larger fund GPs, while also addressing the needs of emerging managers exploring fund finance for the first time.
⏰ Feb. 26 | 💻 Online | Trusted and praised by industry leaders and fund managers. Here’s what some of them had to say about working with James.
✍🏻 EUVC Masterclass | Marketing Foundations for Fund Managers
Join us for an engaging workshop tailored for fund managers looking to institutionalise their marketing approach and craft a category-defining investment brand.
This masterclass is designed to go beyond traditional marketing advice on tactics to help you create lasting brand equity, ensuring your fund stands out in a competitive landscape.
This session will provide actionable insights into fund positioning, LP communications, and crafting compelling narratives - all while maximising time for Q&A to address your specific challenges.
⏰ March 13 | 💻 Online |
✍🏻 EUVC Masterclass | Setting up and Structuring a VC Fund
Emerging fund managers face countless challenges when setting up and structuring their first VC fund. The process is complex, daunting, and full of pitfalls, from navigating legal frameworks to engaging with the right service providers, the foundations you lay now will shape your growth trajectory.
That’s why we’re planning an exclusive 3-hour masterclass designed to equip emerging managers with the insights, strategies, and tools needed to tackle these challenges head-on.
⏰ Jun. 02 | 🇩🇪 Berlin | This masterclass is a side-event taking place during SuperVenture & SuperReturn.
🗓️ The VC Conferences You Can’t Miss
There are some events that just have to be on the calendar. Here’s our list, hit us up if you’re going, we’d love to meet!
Investors Summit Bilbao 2025 | 📆 11 - 12 February 2025 | 🇪🇸 Bilbao, Spain
0100 DACH 2025 | 📆 18 - 20 Feb 2025 | 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
Venture in Eastern Europe 2024 Report | 📆 19 February | 🇬🇧 London, UK
0100 Europe 2025 | 📆 02 - 04 April 2025 | 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
0100 Emerging Europe 2025 | 📆 14-16 May 2025 | 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary
GITEX Europe 2025 | 📆 23 - 25 May 2025 | 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany
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