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Phin Barnes

Co-Founder of The General Partnership in the San Francisco Bay Area

Phin Barnes is a prominent figure in the venture capital industry and the co-founder of The General Partnership, a venture capital firm. Here are some key details about his background and career:

Professional Experience

Current Role:

  • Co-Founder at The General Partnership since August 20212

Previous Positions:

  • Partner at First Round Capital (2012-2021)2
  • Principal at First Round Capital (2009-2012)2
  • Creative Director at AND 1 (1997-2003)2

Education

  • MBA from The Wharton School2
  • BA from Haverford College (1994-1998)2

Investment Philosophy and Approach

Phin Barnes views investing as a craft composed of two parts: interviewing and coaching. He focuses on maximizing one-on-one time with founders, both before and after investment, to help them move closer to their goals.4

At The General Partnership, Barnes and his team take a unique approach:

  • They invest both capital and "sweat equity" into their portfolio companies3
  • Their model involves embedding experienced builders into companies for extended periods (typically around nine months)3
  • They focus on "formation" (pre-seed and seed stage) and "breakout" companies3

Notable Achievements

During his time at First Round Capital, Barnes was responsible for over 60 investments, including successful companies like Blue Apron, Notion, Clover Health, Gauntlet, and Persona.1

Barnes is known for his perspective on venture capital as a product that founders buy with their equity, an idea he turned into a cultural mandate during his tenure at First Round Capital.4

Recent Developments

As of June 2024, Barnes announced The General Partnership's second fund of $300 million, expressing gratitude to Reid Hoffman for supporting their business.5

Highlights

Feb 11 · twitter

My early investment in Notion taught me how tools define workflows. My investment in Clay and Glide and Anomalo taught me that spreadsheets are the most widely used programing language in the world - and there is huge value to generate if you unlock new ways to interact with rows and columns in a relational database - now @thegp - working with @jhnling and the @MeridianAgent team, I'm learning how a system of intelligence will change Excel and the ways we model and manage our world - from finance to operations, marketing and research - so much valuable information lives in spreadsheets. Meridian leverages AI to unlock this value for end users and teams - incredibly high leverage and I'm really excited to see this next evolution of spreadsheet use take shape.

Happy to join this journey with @a16z, @kimberlywtan, @QEDInvestors - @VivaLaVZ, @FPVventures - @weschan and @_pegahe, @litquidityvc, and great angels @alexandr_wang, @summeryue0, @lindazgong, @zhichun_li, @vjkaruna and @Jon_Wilfong

Jan 12 · twitter

Always happy to see Philly lose. Even better when S.F. wins to make it happen.

Oct 2 · youtube.com
Phin Barnes: The Services Model of Venture Capital is ... - YouTube
Phin Barnes: The Services Model of Venture Capital is ... - YouTube
Aug 28 · The Information
Venture Capital's New Guard Goes Solo — The Information - The Information
The Funded: 8 Bay Area startups raise nearly $150M at week's end - Silicon Valley Business Journal

Related Questions

What inspired Phin Barnes to transition from the basketball industry to venture capital?
How does Phin Barnes' background in video game development influence his investment strategy?
What are some of the key differences between The General Partnership's model and traditional venture capital firms?
How did Phin Barnes' experience at First Round Capital shape his approach to investing?
What are Phin Barnes' thoughts on the current state of the venture capital industry?
Phin Barnes
Phin Barnes, photo 1
Phin Barnes, photo 2
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Experience

Co-Founder at The General Partnership (August 2021 - Present)
Partner at First Round Capital (2012 - 2021); Principal at First Round Capital (June 2009 - May 2012), Creative Director at AND 1 (May 1997 - September 2003); Chief Marketing Officer / Founder at responDESIGN (May 2003 - May 2006); Founder at Loki Concepts (2005 - 2007)

Education

MBA from The Wharton School (2007 - 2009); BA from Haverford College (1994 - 1998)

Location

San Francisco, California, United States