Hunter Walk, a prominent venture capitalist and former product leader at Google and YouTube, is known for his insightful and candid advice for entrepreneurs and tech professionals. Through his blog, interviews, and social media presence, he has shared a wealth of knowledge on startups, investing, product management, and career development.

On Investment Philosophy

  1. Have a clear investment thesis. Don't just invest in "good companies." Develop a specific point of view on the future and the types of companies that will thrive in it. [1]
  2. Focus on founder-market fit. Prioritize investing in founders who possess deep expertise and a genuine connection to the markets they are targeting. [1]
  3. Monetization matters from day one. While growth is important, a clear path to generating revenue should be a primary consideration for early-stage companies. [1]
  4. Invest in missionaries, not mercenaries. Back founders who are driven by a deep-seated passion to solve a problem, rather than those solely motivated by a quick financial exit. [1][2]
  5. Product intuition is a key founder trait. A founder's innate sense for their product and market is a valuable asset that can't be easily taught. [1]
  6. The best investors are genuinely helpful. The real value an investor can provide extends beyond capital to include strategic guidance on product, go-to-market, and hiring. [1]
  7. Embrace the "Bottom Up/Top Down" model. Look for products that individuals love and adopt organically, but that also have a clear path to enterprise-level sales. [1]
  8. Your portfolio is your real thesis. An investor's true strategy is reflected in the companies they fund, not just their blog posts or tweets. [3]
  9. Concentration is key in seed investing. In a market governed by the power law, a focused portfolio of high-conviction investments is more likely to yield significant returns. [3]
  10. Avoid "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) investing. A disciplined investment strategy means you are judged by the success of the investments you make, not the ones you pass on. [4]
  11. A 30-minute meeting can determine a lack of fit. While not enough time to commit to an investment, it is often sufficient to recognize when a partnership is not the right match. [4]
  12. Be a "partner of conviction." This means being the investor with significant skin in the game who founders can rely on, especially during challenging times. [5]
  13. Always ask "why." Understanding a founder's core motivation for starting their company is a critical piece of the investment puzzle. [5]
  14. Remember that founders are your customers. For a venture capitalist, the primary relationship to nurture is with the entrepreneurs they back. [2]
  15. Self-awareness is a critical investor trait. "Even if I could make money here, I'm not the person who's going to be the most useful to your company." Knowing which opportunities are the right fit for your expertise is crucial. [2]

For Founders and Startups

  1. Your company is your first product. Be as intentional about building your team and culture as you are about building your external product. [5][6]
  2. Commit to the long haul. "To be working on something that you can imagine doing for at least 10 years and to never compromise on the quality of people you work with." [7]
  3. Bad teams are a startup's downfall. "If something doesn't feel right about a person, or if they're not getting the job done, get rid of them. Nothing dooms new ventures faster than bad teams." [7]
  4. A personal "why" is essential. "The best businesses are being constructed by founders who have empathy for, or a connection to the problem they're solving." [6]
  5. Don't start a company for the sake of it. "Don't start a tech company just because you 'want to do a startup.' Startups are hard! You have to be mission-driven." [6]
  6. A seed round is more than just money. View it as an opportunity to gain valuable feedback and coaching from your investors. [5]
  7. Define the founder-investor relationship early. "When you clearly understand the terms of the relationship between founder and investor (rather than just the percent or the dollar amount on the check), there's less room for disappointment and more room for trust." [5]
  8. Build relationships with potential acquirers. "Identify the larger companies in your ecosystem that could be potential buyers and get to know the senior most people... Help them understand why you matter to their customers and their business." [8]
  9. Design your organization with intention. "One of the most powerful things you can do to accelerate your company's growth and reduce wasted energy is to design your org carefully including where you want the power to sit." [8]
  10. Keep compensation systems simple. A good compensation plan is one that is easily understood and managed by everyone on the team, including junior recruiters. [8]
  11. The team is the most important part of the equation. "Just because you write the check doesn't mean that you're the important person in the equation... It's the people who get up everyday and do the hard work." [4]
  12. Do your due diligence on investors. Speak with other founders in a VC's portfolio to learn about their experiences in both good times and bad. [9]
  13. Seek out investors who are true partners. Find financial backers who are invested in you as a founder, not just in your company as a financial asset. [9]
  14. Avoid being a "grinfucker." Hunter Walk's memorable term for people who are pleasant to your face but speak negatively behind your back. Authenticity and directness are paramount. [7]
  15. Your passion is infectious. "Because no one cares about your shit more than you do. So if you don't seem to care, i'm certainly not going to either." [10]

On Product Management

  1. Product managers serve the product and the team. "Being a good PM is working in service of the product and in service of the people building that product." [11]
  2. Product management is collaborative, not dictatorial. "When you're a product manager, you have to come in with the mindset of – I'm responsible for a collaborative but not consensus project. Some decisions are mine, but a lot of those decisions aren't." [11]
  3. Don't be afraid to admit what you don't know. When dealing with technical complexities, it's better to ask for clarification than to pretend you understand. [7]
  4. The power of a good question. A product manager's role is often to frame decisions through insightful questions, empowering the engineering team to find the best solutions. [7]
  5. Visible passion is a leadership tool. "If you want to be a great leader, it's not enough to care on the inside, you need to show it. Broadcast it." [10]
  6. Focus on the value you create for others. Authentic enthusiasm for your product stems from a genuine belief in its ability to help users. [10]

Career and Life Learnings

  1. Productivity over busyness. "Don't fall into trap of confusing busy with productive. Step back periodically and figure out whether you're getting the important stuff done." [7]
  2. Cultivate multiple passions. "Life cannot be lived sustainably if you have only one passion. Even if you're in a period of work where it's all consuming, find a small way to take periodic breaks." [7]
  3. The value of "rocket ship" experience. Working at a rapidly growing, successful company exposes you to a network of talented individuals and provides a blueprint for success. [7]
  4. Find work that matters to you. "Work on projects that matter. If you find yourself treating your job like, well, a job, you should either figure out how to be more passionate about it, or find a new gig." [6]
  5. Evaluate career moves by the problems you'll solve. The nature of the challenge can be a more meaningful measure of a role's value than title or seniority. [11]
  6. Joy and purpose are essential for long-term success. These are the fuels that sustain a fulfilling and impactful career. [9]
  7. Don't settle for "good enough." Be willing to make bold career moves that align with your core values and ambitions. [9]
  8. The empathy of "shoveling shit." "If you've never had to shovel shit, not only do you lack empathy for those who do, but you also tend to create more shit for others to shovel." Experience with unglamorous work builds better leaders. [12]
  9. Understand "encore anxiety." This is the fear that you won't be able to replicate past successes, even if they were earned through skill. It's the flip side of impostor syndrome. [12]
  10. Leave your industry better than you found it. This forward-looking principle guides Hunter Walk's approach to investing and mentoring the next generation of investors. [3]
  11. Self-awareness is a superpower. A high degree of self-awareness is necessary to understand your own strengths and where you can be most effective. [2]
  12. Life is short. A simple but powerful reminder to focus on what truly matters. [6]
  13. Your character is how you treat everyone. True integrity is demonstrated in how you interact with people from all walks of life, not just those in positions of power. [6]
  14. Manage your information diet. "Don't read any content in realtime unless it helps you make a decision immediately... save them to Pocket and read them later." [7]

Learn more:

  1. How Hunter Walk Thinks About Investments (And What Early-Stage Investors Can Learn)
  2. Hunter Walk - The Framework Project
  3. Hunter Walk, Homebrew & Screendoor - YouTube
  4. Hunter Walk, Homebrew investment strategy: understanding what founders &situations that are good fit - YouTube
  5. The hustle of Hunter Walk (and his advice to seed stage founders) | Signals & Stories
  6. A Dozen Things I've Learned About Startups from Hunter Walk - 25iq
  7. Hunter Walk's Best Startup Advice | by Product Hunt
  8. hunterwalk | Hunter Walk
  9. How Hunter Walk Built Billion Dollar Products and a VC Firm called Homebrew with a Twist
  10. product management | Hunter Walk
  11. The Career Dilemma: Hunter Walk's advice to product managers | Signals & Stories
  12. Hunter Walk | Self-Aware Self-Promotion