Quote: "Talent is everything for an early stage company and the people they hire early on define the trajectory of the company."

The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to the development of a vibrant and progressive black community.

In this episode, we chat with Yida Gao, Managing General Partner of Shima Capital, an early stage crypto and Web3 investment firm. Yida holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has worked in Wall Street for Morgan Stanley in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group.

Yida is passionate about investing in crypto and Web3 companies that chart new territory. Join us as Yida discusses his journey into crypto, Shima's investment thesis, and the criteria for investing in a founder.

Yida also shares insights on the fundraising process for Shima Capital, common misconceptions about venture capitalists, and the importance of recruiting and retaining talent. He also talks about the process of capital calls, the best guidance Shima offers for portfolio companies, and his first encounter with failure and the lessons learned.

Don't miss out on Yida's reading list, the hypothetical title of a book about his life, and his perspective on what it means to be Afropolitan.

Yida's Reading List:

1. Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney - https://amzn.to/3jfIPx0

Show Notes:

2:02 Exploring the world of cryptocurrency

4:10 Shima's investment philosophy and approach to supporting startups

6:09 Key factors for investing in a founder

8:34 Fundraising process and strategy for Shima Capital

10:50 Common misconceptions about venture capitalists

12:13 Inspirations for Shima's work as a VC

13:09 Hiring and retaining top talent

14:48 Navigating the fundraising landscape

17:25 Understanding the process of capital calls

20:20 Key advice and support offered by Shima to portfolio companies

23:47 Facing failure and learning from mistakes

26:25 Books that have profoundly impacted Yida’s life

28:14 Hypothetical title of a book about Yida’s life

29:28 Yida’s perspective on what it means to be Afropolitan

The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Connect with Afropolitan:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan

Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/

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