Finding the Right Problems: How Sutter Hill Ventures’ Mike Speiser Creates Great Companies

In this episode of Goldman Sachs Exchanges, Ken Hirsch interviews Mike Speiser, a managing director at Sutter Hill Ventures, about his career as a venture capitalist and builder. Speiser discusses his early career, his decision to join Sutter Hill, and his philosophy of being a builder rather than just an investor. He emphasizes the importance of integrity, intellectual honesty, and focusing on solving technical problems. Speiser highlights Sutter Hill's unique evergreen fund structure and its concentrated LP base, which allows for long-term investments. He also shares insights into his role as founding CEO of companies like Pure Storage and Snowflake, discussing the factors he considers when taking on such roles and the importance of defining the right problem. The conversation touches on the magic of Silicon Valley, the impact of AI, and Speiser's approach to continuous learning and iteration in product development.