Han Kim & Altos Ventures, an overnight success while burning the midnight oil for decades
1/ One of the most valuable lessons I learned at Stanford University Graduate School of Business was learning business history/context.
2/ The first business leaders I studied were military veterans. I found also that many military business leaders were almost always willing to meet a transitioning veteran who was motivated/driven.
3/ One of these veteran business leaders was Steve Denning (US Navy veteran), the cofounder of General Atlantic, and also the “seed” investor to Service to School.
Steve is an incredible human being, and I’m grateful for his friendship and mentorship. Today there are countless veterans at our nation’s top schools because of his early belief in Service to School’s mission. But that story is for another day and time.
4/ In one of my finance classes, the late and great Professor Jack McDonald (an US Army veteran) taught me about Altos Ventures.
In 2012 they were not as well known, but I was intrigued because a United States Military Academy at West Point alum, US Army Corps of Engineers Soldier, and Stanford University Graduate School of Business grad cofounded the firm.
After the class, I invited Han to speak to the GSB Veterans Club about getting into technology, and he graciously accepted the invite.
Undoubtedly this Veterans Club session helped inspire my class of veterans at the GSB to elevate our goals/ambitions.
5/ Over the past two decades, Han and the Altos team have crushed it.
It would take a book to recount all of their successes, but I’ll try to do it in a few words: Roblox (largest investor when it IPOd), Coupang, & Woowa brothers, & countless consequential companies.
6/ Yesterday I had breakfast and then interviewed Han at JPMorgan Chase & Co. VetVC conference in front of veteran founders and VCs.
It would take a chapter in a book to recount everything I have learned from him in terms of studying his and Altos’s success through the years along with what he shared yesterday. Given the wisdom and insights he shared, I believe an entire generation of veteran founders and VCs now have elevated goals/ambitions.
7/ In the deepest of my hearts, I believe there will be many other veterans in the next few years to decades who will have smashing success like Han.
If you are a military veteran entrepreneur building a high-growth startup, then please contact us at leaders@contextvc.com or visit our website.
8/ Thank you, Benjamin Callon (our Context VC summer intern) for compiling existing notes along with new research. Read here for additional history/context on Han Kim and Altos Ventures: https://bit.ly/3qOzJLj
#veterans #military #startup #entrepreneur #business #technology #growth #learning #people #startups #founders #venturecapital #builders #venture #veteran #thankyou #leaders