Capital Gains - Capitalism.com

We all hear stories of highly lucrative angel and venture capital investments. But without an existing portfolio and a Rolodex full of Silicon Valley contacts it can be hard to identify the right opportunities. So what are the telltale signs of a founder or company that is destined to succeed? Or the warning signals of one that isn’t? And how do you meet them in the first place? To find out we spoke to Tristan Pollock who, after successful exits from his two previous companies -- Social Earth and Storefront -- has made the move into the venture capital world. Tristan is the entrepreneur in residence and venture partner at 500 Startups. 500 Startups is the world’s most active venture firm based in San Francisco with nodes and investments across the globe, with nearly 2,000 investments in their portfolio since starting out six years ago. In this episode we talk about Tristan’s successful exits from his two companies, Social Wealth and Storefront; his transition to venture capitalist and advisor to startup busin