Welcome to What The Tech from Boast AI, where we talk with some of the brilliant minds behind new and exciting tech initiatives to learn what it takes to tackle “technological uncertainty” and, eventually, change the world.
Today we welcome VentureX Principal Sydney Wong onto the show! Sydney is an exited tech founder turned early-stage investor with 10+ years of experience in venture capital, startups, and management consulting. She currently leads investments at VentureX Capital and built their venture studio from the ground up as a first hire. Her expertise spans deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio support, with a track record in PreSeed to Series A.
On top of all that, Sydney is passionate about building high-impact startups and fostering a strong VC community as Chapter Lead for Women in VC. It’s an incredible mission, and we pick her brain on her experiences to date in the startup space, what’s on deck for the rest of 2024, and her take on the tech and startup ecosystem heading into 2025.
The Golden Age and Battleground of Tech Startups
It’s both the easiest time to build a tech startup, as well as the most competitive. While artificial intelligence has leveled the playing field in some ways when it comes to ideating and starting a business, it’s introduced more risk than ever that the investor community is keeping eyes on as they target the best funding and growth opportunities.
You should never build a business just to attract an investor or funding in today’s startup ecosystem. Customers or prospective users need to always be your North Star to ensure that your product actually has a growth trajectory that will keep your venture capital partners excited about supporting your vision.
Founders can’t put blinders on when they are building solutions. Solving acute, personal issues are one way to envision a new solution or business, but for investment teams need to be sure they’re actually addressing a market—not executing product development in a vacuum.
Stream the full interview with Sydney on Boast’s YouTube channel here.
To learn more about how to turn your R&D into a source of growth, talk to an expert at Boast today.
