Jessy Wu is an Investment Manager and Head of Community at AfterWork Ventures. Afterwork is a community-powered VC, supported by a group of seasoned operators that help source startups and support portfolio companies.
Jessy studied Philosophy and English literature at ANU before joining Strategy& as a management consultant. She then jumped into the world of corporate VC at NAB Ventures before joining Afterwork full time in May 2021. I chatted with Jessy about how studying the humanities prepared her well for venture capital, how community is becoming a defensible business model and the importance of leaning into your strengths.
Timestamps:
[1:07]- Who Jessy wanted to be when she grew up
[3:02]- How studying the humanities prepared Jessy for the world of VC
[7:00]- Jessy’s role at AfterWork VC
[10:40]- Was Jessy ever scared about taking a leap and joining AfterWork?
[13:10]- Was there ever a specific point where Jessy made the decision to join AfterWork?
[17:10]- What makes AfterWork’s community-powered model special?
[18:45]- Is community a defensible business model for businesses outside of VC?
[20:21]- Is there a secret sauce for building an effective community?
[22:24]- Community as value creation rather than value capture
[22:53]- Why is community becoming so popular at this particular moment in time?
[24:49]- What kind of companies is Jessy excited to invest in at AfterWork?
[27:38]- An eye-opening experience relating to direct-to-consumer marketing
[30:37]- The importance of having agency in your career
[34:39]- How to think about failure
[37:20]- The importance of leaning into your strengths
Links to things we mentioned:
AfterWork website
Lyka Pet Food: Investment Notes
OnDeck Community Builders
Outlaw Soaps
The 20 Minute VC- Harry Stebbings
Podchaser is the ultimate destination for podcast data, search, and discovery. Learn More