Episode Details

R. Adam Smith welcomes Ilya Strebulaev, tenured professor of finance and private equity at Stanford Graduate School of Business and founder/director of the Stanford GSB Venture Capital Initiative. Celebrating 20 years at Stanford, Strebulaev shares insights from his extensive research and teaching experience in venture capital and entrepreneurial finance. The conversation explores his recently published book "The Venture Mindset" and how its principles can be applied within the family business enterprise context. Strebulaev emphasizes the importance of flexibility over rigid commitment, the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the necessity of embracing failure while pursuing innovation. He provides valuable perspectives on portfolio construction for family wealth offices, fund manager selection strategies, and the unique position family investment offices hold in the venture capital ecosystem to capitalize on higher risk-adjusted returns through illiquid assets.