In a conversation with our mentor Vijay, Sanil shares his life journey and how his diverse experiences and habits are shaping his professional life. He beautifully explains how they evaluate startups, manage their portfolios, the support they receive from their LPs, and their investment thesis. Sanil’s curiosity, keen listening skills, hunger for knowledge, and versatility set him apart and make him one of the best VCs in the industry.
A book that profoundly influenced me was Screw It, Let’s Do It by Sir Richard Branson. Despite being a thin book, it was one of the best I’ve ever read. It taught me that if someone gives you an opportunity, always take it—after all, what’s the worst that could happen? This mindset has been instrumental in my journey and continues to guide my approach to business and investing. You’re going to face failure and discomfort, but there’s a line that has really stuck with me. I’ve always enjoyed saying yes to social events and meeting people.
-Sanil Sachar
The art of being a good listener and absorbing things is incredibly important. I was fortunate that, in my early twenties, I started to focus on this, which allowed me to learn about what others were building in areas like social commerce, coffee, and media. That’s when I began allocating whatever capital I could, according to my risk appetite, to invest in their journeys. My purpose for investing, which may not be entirely correct, was personal—it was to learn and to enable them in any way I could. I believe the best way to support a business is through business development, whether that’s sales, product reach, marketing, or simply being a fan and voice for their work. As I continued doing this, I gained more insights into how to make better investments for myself and, ultimately, for all the investors who now trust us.
Watch the full podcast to listen to the full conversation!
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