In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas is joined by Mike Reiner, General Partner at 432 Legacy, Fred Destin from Stride, and Rupda, a coach specializing in deep work retreats. The conversation explores the role of inner work in venture capital, highlighting its potential to improve founder-investor relationships, reduce burnout, and foster personal growth.
Mike shares how 432 Legacy integrates coaching and self-development into its seed-stage investment strategy. Fred discusses his focus on enhancing trust and presence in boardrooms, and Rupda explains the transformative power of group retreats for addressing stress and building resilience.
Watch it here or add it to your episodes on Apple or Spotify 🎧 chapters for easy navigation available on the Spotify/Apple episode.
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✍️ Show notes
Create a Safe Space for Founders’ Holistic Growth
Founders often face burnout or interpersonal conflicts that lead to startup failures. Providing opportunities for deep personal work helps founders become more resilient, grounded, and self-aware. This ultimately improves their ability to lead, make decisions, and navigate challenges in their businesses.
Around 20% of startups fail due to team and founder conflicts, highlighting the need for personal development alongside business growth.
Addressing personal struggles, such as divorce or family issues, has a direct positive impact on a founder’s business performance.
Helping founders navigate their own journeys, including dealing with unresolved trauma, reduces anxiety and increases their sense of purpose and happiness
Prioritize Presence and Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Effective leadership depends on the ability to build trust, navigate complex human dynamics, and stay emotionally present. By focusing on these skills, leaders can foster stronger relationships with their teams and improve the quality of their decision-making, particularly in high-stakes, fast-moving environments.
Leadership effectiveness is tied to emotional presence and the ability to manage complexity in relationships and organizations.
Presence allows leaders to listen deeply, understand emotional states, and focus without being overwhelmed by fear, anger, or guilt.
Developing these skills helps investors and board members create better founder relationships, improving trust and collaboration.
Harness the Unique Power of Group Retreats
Retreats offer a fully immersive environment, often disconnected from daily distractions, where participants can engage in somatic and emotional work. The collective energy of a group amplifies the experience, enabling individuals to process emotions more deeply and achieve personal breakthroughs faster than through traditional one-on-one therapy.
Group retreats create an environment of trust, enabling participants to share deeply personal experiences and explore their emotions.
Somatic work, such as addressing stored anger or tension, leads to profound physical and emotional releases, fostering personal transformation.
Participants often experience breakthroughs, such as new perceptions of self or a sense of empowerment, within just a few days.
Foster Deeper Collaboration in the Tech Ecosystem
Participating in personal development alongside peers in the tech and VC community strengthens professional bonds. Founders and investors gain a new level of trust and empathy, creating a foundation for more authentic and impactful collaboration within the ecosystem.
Shared personal growth within the tech and VC ecosystem enhances collaboration and trust among participants.
The vulnerability shared during retreats breaks down professional barriers and builds genuine empathy between founders and VCs.
Participants leave with a deeper understanding of their peers, improving long-term relationships within the ecosystem.
Build Lifelong Connections Through Shared Vulnerability
Retreat participants often form lasting connections, rooted in shared vulnerability and deep personal revelations. These relationships create a powerful network of support, where members feel seen and valued beyond their professional roles, fostering a sense of community that transcends business interests.
Retreat attendees often report feeling closer to group members after a few days than to some long-term friends.
The trust built in the group setting leads to lifelong relationships, where members actively support one another personally and professionally.
These bonds create a unique network of allies who prioritize shared growth and mutual respect over transactional interactions.
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🗓️ 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!
GoWest | 📆 28 - 30 January 2025 | 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Sweden
Investors Summit Bilbao 2025 | 📆 11 - 12 February 2025 | 🇪🇸 Bilbao, Spain
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