All successful founders, entrepreneurs, or business people have two things in common: integrity and persistence in always getting better at what they’re doing - and these are two traits that most angel investors look at when they’re considering to financially support a startup.

That’s exactly what our guest today focuses on – finding people that he knows he could trust and that are willing to go the extra mile for their business. Jeff Vinik is a man wearing many hats and throughout his professional career, he’s managed to switch from being a successful Wall Street investor to then being a hedge fund guy, to joining the real estate industry, to owning a sports team – the Tampa Bay Lightning – and on top of that, to being an early-stage tech investor.

Being in Jeff’s shoes is not an easy ride, and it takes a certain discipline in doing your due diligence and learning as much as you can about the industry you’re in or you’re thinking of joining. Today, we discuss his professional journey, why he wanted to switch gears and be part of multiple areas, as well as the types of people that he aims at surrounding himself with.

If you’re curious to learn more about Jeff and his early-stage investing, then tune in, and enjoy the show!

Some questions I ask:

How did you go from hedge fund to real estate? (02:19)
How has COVID affected your business? (07:42)
How did you get into early-stage technology investing? (12:20)
Do you have any stories there about a deal that you invested in that you’d never do again? (16:34)
What do you look for in founders? (17:44)
What do you do in your spare time? (29:38)

In this episode, you will learn:

The role Bill Gates plays in Jeff’s real estate ventures. (06:35)
Jeff’s thoughts on how the Tampa Bay area is going to evolve post-COVID. (04:40)
The four Ds of angel investing. (15:29)
Jeff’s experience with investing in eSports. (21:11)
The story of Embarc Collective. (24:37)

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