Tim Draper: On Startups, Bitcoin & Space Exploration | E111

This week on the EU-Startups Podcast, Marcin Lewandowski sits down with Tim Draper, a legendary billionaire venture capitalist. Tim founded Draper Associates, DFJ and the Draper Venture Network, a global network of venture capital funds. He funded Baidu, Tesla, Skype, SpaceX, Twitch, Hotmail, Focus Media, Robinhood, Athenahealth, Box, Cruise Automation, Carta, Planet, PTC and 15 other unicorns at the seed stage. He is a supporter and global thought leader for entrepreneurs everywhere, and is a leading spokesperson for Bitcoin, Blockchain, ICOs and cryptocurrencies. In 2014, Tim bought 30,000 Bitcoin and since then he invested in over 50 crypto companies, and led investments in Coinbase, Ledger, Tezos, and Bancor, among others.

Tim created viral marketing, a marketing method for exponentially spreading an electronic service from customer to customer, instrumental to the successes of Hotmail and Skype and other applications, particularly effective for mail and communications applications. Arguably, social media, crowdsourcing and growth hacking are all outgrowths of viral marketing.

He has received various awards and honors including the World Entrepreneurship Forum’s “Entrepreneur of the World,” and is listed as one of the top 100 most powerful people in finance by Worth Magazine, the top 20 most influential people in Crypto by CryptoWeekly, #1 most networked VC by AlwaysOn, #7 on the Forbes Midas List, and #48 most influential Harvard Alum. Global Guru listed Tim as one of the top 30 Startup Gurus in the world.

In promoting entrepreneurship, he created Draper University of Heroes, a residential and online school based in San Mateo, Ca to help extraordinary people accomplish their life missions. The school has trained 1200 entrepreneurs, from 84 different countries, who have built 400 companies including NVision, and crypto leaders, QTUM, Spacecash, and DataWallet. He started Innovate Your State, a non-profit dedicated to crowdsource innovation in government, and BizWorld, a non-profit that teaches young children how business and entrepreneurship work. And he wrote the book, “How to be The Startup Hero.”

In this episode, Tim shares insights on his childhood beliefs, the evolution of Bitcoin, and his predictions for the future, including advancements in space travel. He discusses the common traits of successful entrepreneurs, his missed investment opportunities, and the impact of Draper University in cultivating fearless entrepreneurs. Tim also reveals his bucket list aspirations, including a desire to walk on the moon.

Takeaways

1.The future belongs to the bold – If you’re not taking risks, you’re already behind.
2.Skepticism is a sign you’re onto something big – If everyone agrees with your idea, it’s probably too late.
3.Decentralization will change everything – Money and business will never be the same.
4.Your craziest idea might be your best one – If it excites you and scares others, keep going.
5.Life’s too short to play it safe – Whether it’s investing in Bitcoin or walking on the moon, dream bigger.

#startup #venturecapital #investing #founders #entrepreneurship

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tim Draper and His Ventures
03:14 The Evolution of Bitcoin and Its Impact
05:50 Future Predictions
08:59 The Common Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
12:05 Missed Opportunities and Lessons Learned
14:58 Draper University: Cultivating Fearless Entrepreneurs
17:46 Tim Draper's Bucket List and Future Aspirations

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