This article discusses an interview with Rebecca Bellan of TechCrunch, where she talks about her conversation with Rachel Holt, the general partner at Founders Fund who led the investment in AtoB, a fintech company that provides financial services to fleets. The article highlights several key points from their conversation:
- Investing in large industries: Holt emphasizes the importance of investing in massive categories like transportation and payments. She sees AtoB as a multibillion-dollar company in a bull case scenario.
- Fintech cannot be a side project: Holt stresses that fintech is not something that can be done on the side, but rather it requires expertise and attention to detail. Amazon’s use of Stripe for payments processing is cited as an example.
- Context switching and hiring: Holt notes that early-stage startups often wear multiple hats, but when context switching becomes too frequent, it’s time to hire more staff. She suggests setting a high bar for new hires and being patient in the process.
- Investing in people over businesses: Holt shares her experience of investing in Rachel Holt (no relation), which highlights the importance of investing in individuals with expertise and networks.
The article also includes additional information from Rebecca Bellan’s conversation, including:
- Duolingo saw a 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid the TikTok ban
- Tesla will split a $100M award for an electric truck charging corridor in Illinois
- Colossal Biosciences raises $200M at a $10.2B valuation to bring back woolly mammoths
The article is part of TechCrunch’s live podcast series, where top founders and investors share their insights and experiences.