David Su is a founding managing partner of Matrix Partners China. This collection gathers his own words from published interviews. — Telling founders what to do is a 'common mistake', says award-winning venture capitalist (The Business Times).

Infographic for "Lessons from David Su".

On Investment Philosophy & Strategy

  1. On early-stage failure rates: David Su: "We are early-stage investors. Fifty per cent to two-thirds of the companies don’t make it." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  2. On the two things to look for: David Su: "One being how inspirational the business idea is in tackling key needs for consumers and solving a particular problem, and the other being how well can you monetise the big idea." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  3. On backing Li Auto and XPeng early: David Su: "We are the only VC firm in China that backed Li Auto and XPeng in the early stage back in 2017." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  4. On good ideas that fail: David Su: "Even if the business idea is good, it may not necessarily work out." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).

Advice for Entrepreneurs

  1. On supporting founders: David Su: "What is really needed is to support the founders along their journey." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  2. On telling founders what to do: David Su: "Trying to tell founders what to do is a common mistake for young investors." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  3. On the front-seat passenger: David Su: "If operating a startup is like driving a car, 99 per cent of the time, (the) VC acts as a front-seat passenger." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  1. On the unsung hero in the background: David Su: "It is really amazing (that with) every phone you pick up, there is a key component produced by the unsung hero in the background." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  2. On an early opportunity in China: David Su: "We were fortunate to have this opportunity as there were not so many (VC firms) in China back then." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  3. On research that makes a difference: David Su: "If people are willing to use what you build, and even pay for it, that is often a sign the research is making a real difference." — NTU Singapore: A global investor's view on where technologies go next (Su quoted).

Career Learnings & Principles

  1. On a difficult period: David Su: "It was a difficult period, with almost no one investing." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).
  2. On favourite investments: David Su: "Asking a venture capitalist his favourite investment is like asking parents who their favourite child is." — The Business Times: Telling founders what to do is a common mistake (Su quoted).