Episode Details

What if the greatest edge in venture capital isn't having the biggest fund—but building the strongest relationships? In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth Weil, Founder and Managing Partner of Scribble Ventures, to discuss how emerging venture firms can outperform by staying focused, collaborative, and relentlessly founder-centric. Elizabeth shares how she built Scribble into a $280 million venture platform by backing exceptional founders at the earliest stages, why venture is fundamentally a network effects business, and why staying authentic has become one of her greatest competitive advantages.

Highlights:

• Why venture capital is ultimately a network effects business
• How Scribble Ventures raised an oversubscribed fund in one of the toughest fundraising environments
• Why relationships compound more than almost anything else in investing
• Elizabeth's framework for identifying exceptional founders before consensus forms
• The importance of staying authentic with founders, LPs, and partners
• Why smaller venture funds can outperform larger platforms
• How Scribble approaches ownership, fund sizing, and portfolio construction differently
• The value of saying no—to both founders and LPs—when the fit isn't right
• Why breakout investing extends beyond simply finding companies at seed
• Lessons from Twitter's hypergrowth years and Andreessen Horowitz's rise
• The role of curiosity, consistency, and daily habits in long-term investing success
• Why every career ultimately compounds through relationships

Guest Bio:

Elizabeth Weil is the Founder and Managing Partner of Scribble Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm managing approximately $280 million in assets focused on partnering with exceptional founders at the pre-seed, seed, and breakout stages. Over more than two decades in venture capital and technology, she has invested in more than 60 technology companies including SpaceX, Slack, Coinbase, Whatnot, Gusto, Grab, Calm, Envoy, Hipcamp, and Daily.co.

Are you interested in sponsoring the How I Invest Podcast? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com.

We’d like to thank AlphaSense for sponsoring this episode!

Sponsor:

AlphaSense is the AI-powered market intelligence platform trusted by 85% of the S&P 100, helping investment professionals make faster, more confident, data-driven decisions. Built for hedge funds, asset allocators, private venture capital firms, and investment bankers, AlphaSense uses advanced AI and powerful search across premium proprietary content to surface the insights that matter most—before the market moves. Elevate your research and stay ahead of the competition. Visit https://www.alpha-sense.com/howiinvest/ to learn more.

Stay Connected with David Weisburd:

X/Twitter: @dweisburd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Weisburd Pierce: https://www.weisburdcapital.com/

Stay Connected with Elizabeth Weil:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethweil/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to participate in any investment strategy. All opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the views of Weisburd Pierce. Participants may hold positions or have fin