Today, I'm sharing two articles. This article is from a vertical content creator, Paul Smalera, who has been employed by top venture capital firms as a ghost-writer. He has some unique observations about how investment institutions operate their media and content strategies, similar to the compound interest concept in finance, content also has a compounding effect. Traditionally, venture capital was a business about access (channels and relationships), now it's a business of attention (attention and influence), but in the long term, it's a business of attitude (attitude and belief), and the latter two are the secrets to how a modern media company shapes its brand and succeeds commercially.
Since a16z, a new-generation venture capital firm from Silicon Valley, quietly learned from CAA, a versatile Hollywood talent agency, the investment industry has been increasingly turning towards sophisticated media-driven strategies, which is no longer just an option but has become the core of competition. Although the voices in the media field are becoming saturated today, unique insights and personal styles are still scarce, and new tools are beginning to mature - artificial intelligence and agents, personalized hardware devices and robotic arms, etc., making the media creation toolbox increasingly rich. With the cost and barriers of media having been lowered, what does this mean for modern investment companies and financial institutions? Where should they start experimenting and building?
I hope this article inspires you today.
The Next Great VC Firm Will Be Built Like a Media Company From Day One
The Next Great VC Firm Will Be Built Like a Media Company From Day One
Founders Don't Just Pick Capital—They Pick the Stories They Want to Belong To
Author: Paul Smalera
Editor: Fan Yang
Publication Date: April 10, 2025
[The rest of the translation continues in the same manner, preserving the original structure and translating the text to English while keeping the <> tags intact.]Invest time in building vertical industry resource libraries, founder practical manuals, and micro-networking communities—this is not marketing, but letting the right people actively choose you.
5. Create Longing-Term, Cross-Format Assets
You Think in Multi-Format, Evergreen Assets
Media companies do not rely on a single channel.
Top institutions will create foundational content (research, methodologies, tools) with continuous Longing-term value.
Example:
Instead of chasing hot topics, publish an industry benchmark report or technical recruitment guide that founders will cite year after year.
Who's Already Doing It?
The most forward-looking investors are not just participating in media—they're treating it as a foundational part of firm-building.
Harry Stebbings built The Twenty Minute VC into the most influential media brand in venture capital before establishing his own fund.
Homebrew's Hunter Walk has long viewed blogging as core to institutional building, attracting founders with aligned philosophies through public writing.
Tom Tunguz of Theory Ventures has spent ten years producing data-driven content, defining the entire SaaS industry's understanding of growth.
Even before establishing an institution, emerging voices like Molly O'Shea have accumulated attention and trust through media-first personal branding.
Why This Approach Wins
Attention Compounds
Institutions investing in media-grade content today are building advantages that will only widen over time:
In Deal Flow: Founders will proactively find you before fundraising.
In LP Relationships: Differentiated narrative capabilities make fundraising more efficient.
In Strategic Influence: You'll shape how entire markets are understood, not just which startups get funded.
In an era where capital is commoditized, those who control the narrative control the future.
Looking Forward
If you were to establish a new venture capital firm today, how would you operate like a media company from day one?
What storytelling investments would you prioritize first?
Reply to this email—I'd love to hear your thoughts, and your perspective might appear in the next content.
Because in this new era, betting on the next great startup is far from enough.
You must tell a story that makes great founders eager to join.
