Many VC firms hire former operators for their expertise, but success isn't guaranteed. The best operator-VCs avoid the urge to "backseat drive" the companies they fund. Instead, they leverage their experience with extraordinary humility, acting as a supportive advisor rather than a replacement CEO.
The most significant companies are often founded long before their sector becomes a "hot" investment theme. For example, OpenAI was founded in 2015, years before AI became a dominant VC trend. Early-stage investors should actively resist popular memes and cycles, as they are typically trailing indicators of innovation.
Rather than abandoning an investment category after a failure, some VCs intentionally fund the same idea again in a new company. This strategy is not about repeating mistakes, but a high-conviction bet that the core idea was simply ahead of its time and that a change in timing or underlying technology will enable its success.
In fast-moving sectors, the investable options can seem to improve every few days, creating a dilemma for VCs: invest now or wait for a better team? The solution is to assume dozens of teams are working on any rational idea and focus on choosing the best one you can find now, rather than waiting indefinitely.