Friday, November 12, 2021

Investing directly in People vs backing projects




How do you unlock  the equity that young people have  in the form of their future sweat and ingenuity? 


Currently, old people with large balance sheets have the power !

 Why??? 

Because what one can manage one can measure 


Some relevant questions…..

  • Why does  a balance sheet not account for the equity or value of its people…. And yet the value of an organisation is all about its people? 
  • Why does a bank not look at an organisation’s biggest asset when giving a loan? 
  • How do you value the value of a person ?
  • How do you value the culture of an organisation that has the ability to recruit , train and retain the right people ?

Imagine being able to  back a future “superstar”early in their careers in return for a percentage of future earnings?


The model 

Sam Lessin’s Slow Ventures is looking to back stars - not the projects - giving the stars a balance sheet to leverage their skillset s to become superstars ! 


In return for an investment, you get a percentage of all of the money the  star makes annually for 50 years and a percentage of the  IP and property that is created or invested in .


Similar  to the VC model…. Backers will take a portfolio approach where  the superstars will carry the cost of capital for everyone.


I suppose it’s like an investor backing a “fund” vs a “project” 


The stars that are investable will be

  1. Those that have a clear vision, mission and plan 
  2. Those that have the  CD ability to communicate that plan 
  3. Those that ate passionate about their success
  4. Those that are trustworthy 

Issues to work out

  • How to you value a stars ⭐️ future income?
  • How can you enforce the payment ?
  • Can the investment be done in a blockchain?


What do you think of the concept ? 



Inspired By Sam Lessin a General Partner at Slow Ventures and an intern at The Information


Photo: Art by Mike Sullivan 


https://www.theinformation.com/articles/investing-directly-in-people-is-the-future-of-vc-heres-how-to-do-it


Thanks Niki Skevak for the share 

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