VentureSpur Entrepreneurial Interview – William Paiva

by Kraettli Lawrence Epperson in Startup Philosophy

Here’s the entrepreneurial interview that VentureSpur did with Bill Paiva. Bill is probably the most senior venture capital investor based in Oklahoma, and he’s a partner in one of the nation’s most storied and accomplished VC firms, Sevin Rosen Funds. It really is an extraordinary opportunity to get to interact with and learn from Bill at VentureSpur, and we’re certainly looking forward to what he’s going to say to our startups.

William Paiva, Partner at Sevin Rosen Funds, shares his views on how an accelerator can benefit a startup company and impact business in Oklahoma.  Check out his interview below to learn more about his experiences.

Read more about William Paiva on our mentor page.

What was the most important thing a mentor ever did for you?

The most important thing a mentor did for me was to provide guidance, wisdom, and encouragement in tough times.  Being able to learn from their mistakes and hopefully not repeat them is key. In addition, good mentors are willing to connect you with other business leaders and experts from their rolodex.

What do you think an accelerator can do for Oklahoma?

An accelerator can help identify and develop the most promising ventures in Oklahoma, speeding up the growth of these companies and the state’s economy.  In addition a great accelerator is the nexus for entrepreneurs, so they can work together, share ideas, and develop new ideas together.  Often the magic happens at the intersection of two entrepreneurs from two different disciplines.

What do you think a mentor can do for a startup? How can a mentor help?

Mentors help startups by making their learning curve less steep. The hard-earned lessons of entrepreneurship can be taught rather than struggled through, hastening the startups progress and success.

What kind of technologies and companies do you currently find interesting?

Life science technologies are some of the most interesting, as they are addressing one of the most important, high-growth industries in our economy.  In addition, opportunities that exist at the intersection of life sciences and information technology are particularly exciting.

What is the most important part of a company’s application when applying to an accelerator?

The most important part of the application is having a management team that is capable, coachable, and motivated to succeed; no matter how great the idea is, there will be bumps in the road and having a team that can adapt and accept guidance is vital.

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Kraettli Lawrence Epperson

Managing Director at JumpPhase Ventures
This blog is dedicated to providing advice, tools and encouragement from one entrepreneur to another. I want to keep this practical and accessible for the new entrepreneur while also providing enough sophistication and depth to prove useful to the successful serial entrepreneur. My target rests somewhere between the garage and the board room, where the work gets done and the hockey stick emerges.