Michael Herlache

How to Build a Unicorn Michael Herlache

Buy-side. Sell-side. Build-Side? Buy-side (buying perpetuities) Sell-side (selling perpetuities) Build-side (building perpetuities) - combining Wall Street valuation with Silicon Valley platform building We have all heard about the buy side and the sell side of finance, but who is actually building the perpetuities. What if there was a third side of finance? What if there was a build-side, with individuals possessing IB/PE and platform development talents to use in building perpetuities? Shouldn't that be the logical course of events with individuals taking their knowledge of valuation and industries and putting them to use in building the next unicorns? So what would this look like? IB/PE professionals joining startup labs such as the one I run called Founders Ventures (www. VCFounders.com) to work on concepts that have a legitimate chance of being a unicorn. Rather than leaving one's job to join a questionable startup, join a startup lab and be directly involved in the build-side, even if it part-time. The work of the build-side is syndication. Shouldn't we all be working towards getting on the build-side?