#14: Paul Singh on Growing Startups and Investing Outside of Silicon Valley

Paul Singh is embracing the changing nature of the venture capital—or VC—game. Formerly a partner at 500 Startups, an international VC seed fund and startup accelerator, Singh noticed that high-growth tech companies were starting to pop up all across the U.S. If he wanted to invest in the very best startups in the country, then waiting for founders to fly out to Silicon Valley and come to him wasn’t the best method anymore. Singh decided he had to go to them. He founded Results Junkies with his wife and started road-tripping across the country in a pickup truck and custom Airstream trailer, hosting events for entrepreneurs, meeting investors and visiting incubators and coworking spaces. Last year, he stopped in 42 cities and met with 20,000 entrepreneurs and 1,200 early stage startups, seeking out the very best talent to invest in. And he’s doing it even bigger this year. I’m so grateful Paul took some time to chat with me about the lessons he learned working in his hometown of Ashburn, Virginia as well as San Francisco, the role he believes venture capitalists should play in improving cities and towns across the nation, and what drives him to keep achieving better things (it’s fear!). He also has insightful advice for anyone looking to build a company or create a startup community outside of the big coastal cities. The good news for entrepreneurs outside of Silicon Valley is that technology really is a great equalizer. Keep an eye on ResultsJunkies.com for more of Paul’s thoughts on starting up outside the Valley and to follow the progress of his traveling VC firm. If you want to get in touch, you can find him on Twitter @paulsingh and on Facebook. In this episode with Paul Singh, you’ll learn: — Why it's so important to be able to sell yourself (and how to do it) — What the most powerful motivating force is for Paul, and how he uses it — His plans for Results Junkies in 2017 — How technology gives you freedom to do what you want — How company building and community building are related — Ways to spread a business idea outside of the Valley Please enjoy this episode with Paul Singh! -- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes