Barend van den Brande - Hummingbird Ventures

Venture capital success stems from prioritizing authentic founder relationships and "brutal honesty" over superficial appearances or polished elevator pitches. While data-driven metrics like CAC and LTV are standard, the most challenging aspects of building a business involve navigating intangible human elements, such as assessing co-founder compatibility and addressing organizational taboos. Hummingbird Ventures focuses on Series A investments where they can actively shape teams, as seen in their early support for Gram Games and Deliveroo. In the developing European ecosystem, maintaining a founder-first culture and resisting "strong-arm" tactics is vital for building a lasting reputation. By embracing vulnerability and transparency, investors can better support entrepreneurs through the long-term journey of scaling a company, ensuring that founders remain the primary drivers of success rather than professional managers.