Insights & Perspectives
Value Creation, Value Realization, Exit: Why MENA Founders Need to Know the Difference
"We just hit unicorn status!" the founder announced proudly at the Dubai Angel Network event. Congratulations flowed. Champagne corks popped. LinkedIn lit up. But here's the uncomfortable question nobody asked: How are you actually going to turn that into cash?...
10 Steps to Delivering a Winning Scale Up! Session
Over the years, we have run more than 200 unique Scale Up! sessions globally. From 3-hour discovery sessions to 4-week investment readiness programs and everything in between. We've had thousands of founders, investors, ecosystem builders, government officials, and...
How to Set Up a National Fund-of-Funds: A Strategic Blueprint for Ecosystem Builders
How to Set Up a National Fund-of-Funds: A Strategic Blueprint for Ecosystem Builders I just got out of a really interesting lunch conversation on how to set up a national fund-of-funds. Here are my notes, sketched out over lunch and expanded into a practical guide for...
Ten Books That Will Save You From Costly Cap Table Mistakes: A Reading List for Founders, advisors & expert facilitators
By: Christian Rangen & Rick Rasmussen Over the past 15+ years of working with startup ecosystems across the globe, we’ve watched countless founders make the same expensive mistakes. They give away too much equity too early. They accept SAFE terms they don't...
The Growth and Evolution of Fund Administration and Fund Management Industry in Mauritius: From Colonial Trading Hub to Global Financial Powerhouse
Preface Leading up to the 2025 VC Fund Manager Masterclass in Mauritius, we explore the history and current ecosystem for venture financing in Mauritius. The country is already well-established as a financial services hub, with a thriving industry and large number of...
From Classroom to Boardroom: How Transform! Turns Leaders into Transformation Legends
Want to see grown executives sweat? Put them in charge of a $50B transformation challenge. Then watch the magic happen. Here's the brutal truth: Most leaders talk a good game about transformation, but when crisis hits, they crumble faster than a house of cards in a...
Can Intel Transform?
A high-level analysis using the 10 Principles of Transformation By: Chris Rangen & Claude. Gearing up for multiple, upcoming C-level programs on leading transformation, we explore some of the most visible, ongoing transformation cases out there. First out: Intel....
10 lessons from running 50+ fund manager masterclasses
Since we launched Fund Manager 4,5 years ago, more than 50 Masterclasses and programs have been delivered around the world. From Singapore to Toronto, London to Cape Town, 1.200 people have experienced building a new VC firm in just days, scaling it from idea to...
Building Your Fund Strategy: Why Most Emerging Managers Skip The Most Important Step
Over the past six years working with 250+ emerging fund managers across every continent, I've noticed a troubling pattern. Most aspiring GPs can articulate their investment thesis in vivid detail. They know their target sectors, geographies, and check sizes. They've...