E160: How a SpaceX Rocket Engineer Became a Top Deep Tech VC
Jamie Gull is the GP/Founder of Wave Function Ventures, a deep tech seed fund, and an engineer turned investor who previously worked at SpaceX during its early, intense years of scaling. In this episode, Jamie and I discuss the high-responsibility culture at SpaceX, how it shaped Jamie’s approach to company building and investing, and what makes a deep tech founder stand out. We also explore why fast iteration matters more than perfect planning, how techno-economics drive investment decisions, and why deep tech’s reputation for being overly capital-intensive is becoming outdated.
Jamie shares firsthand stories from his time working under Elon Musk, his angel investments in companies like Boom Supersonic and K2 Space, and the founding principles behind Wave Function Ventures. If you're interested in the future of deep tech investing, how to identify category-defining founders, or how hardware startups can scale efficiently, this is a must-listen.
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41:26
E159:How a 24-Year-Old VC Landed Cendana Capital as a Limited Partner w/Paige Doherty
Paige Finn Doherty, Founding Partner of Behind Genius Ventures, joins the How I Invest podcast to share how she built one of the most distinctive brands in early-stage venture capital — all before turning 25. Paige talks about the power of content and community, how her engineering background shaped her investing style, and why being deliberate about media strategy can transform access to top founders and LPs. She also breaks down her investment thesis around AI in overlooked industries, the importance of institutional-grade operations from day one, and what it really takes to build a lasting venture firm.
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35:21
E158: How to Find the Right LPs for Your Next Fund w/Meghan Reynolds
Meghan Reynolds, Partner and Head of Capital Formation & Talent at Altimeter, has spent over 20 years at the intersection of GPs and LPs, helping some of the largest firms in the world raise capital, navigate investor relationships, and scale their strategies. In this episode, she breaks down what it takes to be a best-in-class capital raiser—how to expand into new strategies, find the right investors (not just any capital), and build enduring partnerships in a hypercompetitive environment.
We also talk about what’s changed in the last 20 years, how the best GPs handle crisis communication, and why building a brand as an investor matters more than ever.
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57:04
E157: DA Wallach: Spotting Genius in Elon & Zuck's Early Days
D.A. Wallach’s journey is one of the most unconventional paths in venture capital. He went from fronting a rock band discovered by Kanye West and Pharrell, to investing in Spotify, SpaceX, and founding a biotech VC firm reshaping human medicine. In this episode, we dive into his evolution—from artist to investor—and what he’s learned from being in the room with Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Ron Burkle.
D.A. shares why great investing is an act of taste, how he earned his first big break with Ron Burkle at Inevitable Ventures, and why he believes biotech is the most exciting place to invest over the next decade. We also discuss how aesthetic intuition applies to investing, how to think in second and third order effects, and what it really means to be contrarian when contrarianism has gone mainstream.
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49:11
E156: Inside the Mind of a $1.7B Endowment CIO w/Jim Bethea
Jim Bethea oversees $1.7 billion at the University of Iowa’s endowment—and he does it with a team of just five people. In this episode, we cover how Jim thinks about asset allocation, governance, manager selection, and why Iowa has decided to specialize in certain asset classes like lower middle market private equity. This conversation is full of nuance, clarity, and hard-earned lessons that every allocator, GP, and fund manager will benefit from.
Jim pulls back the curtain on how small teams can still invest in niche, high-performing funds, how to manage investment committee dynamics, and why more isn't always better when it comes to diversification.
How I Invest with David Weisburd is a podcast that interviews the world's leading institutional investors. Previous guests include The Ford Foundation, Northwestern University Endowment, CalPERS, Stepstone, and other top limited partners.
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