Ted Graham

Head of Open Innovation and VC @ GM. ex-McKinsey, PwC, former mag publisher, Angel, keynote speaker and author of The Uber of Everything. Opinions my own.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

50,000 views, a book and 200 speeches later...This was the TEDx talk that launched it all: Three things I learned about disruptive innovation as an UberX driver | ... https://t.co/Smq9jjsaL5 via @YouTube

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@NeilPasricha Your books X 5 (between Erin and I)
and The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak (my 9 year is now saying he wants to gift that book to his kids)

[Boris Wertz @bwertz]

We’re looking for our 3rd partner at Version One

At @VersionOneVC, we are strong believers that early-stage investing is best done by small teams that are aligned around a differentiated investment thesis and are investing with high conviction. The partnership is currently @angelatytran and myself. We’re on our 4th fund and 2nd opportunity fund, and we are looking to add a third partner over the course of the next year or so.

We like to invest at the edges, not in the mainstream. We like to lead, not follow. We are comfortable betting on founders without (obvious) pedigree. We like to back mission-driven founders that are early in new areas. We love investing in people, not necessarily in existing traction and numbers. And we’re happy to back first-time entrepreneurs that nobody has ever backed.

We’ve got a strong conviction in the type of founders we like to invest in…and we’re just as clear as to the type of partner we are looking for as our 3rd partner:

- You have some investing experience, either as a solo GP, junior member of a larger firm and/or frequent angel investor.
- You are a generalist, but you are more interested in the edges of technology markets (crypto, climate, AI, syn bio, deep tech, AR/VR) than the mainstream.
- You want to be a great partner to founders, asking good questions but not always shouting out the answers.
- You’re an independent thinker and always look for the contrarian angle to the mainstream opinion.
- You’re in the flow connecting with people – either online or in person. You learn from others, and they learn from you, which makes your network sticky.
- You’re hungry and want to make your mark on the VC business, acknowledging that this is a decade+ long endeavor.

What does not matter:
- Your degrees
- Your location (but a larger tech ecosystem is a plus)

What we’re not looking for:
- Transactional people: we thrive to have meaningful connections with both our founders and between ourselves and want to keep it this way.
- Candidates that see this position as a springboard to joining a larger fund (if that is your goal, you should apply at such a fund right now).
- Candidates that rely on a playbook (there isn’t one in early-stage investing!)

There is no formal application process for this role. Please find us on the Internet and reach out in the most meaningful way that reflects what we are looking for. We look forward to meeting you.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

Seems like sensible advice https://t.co/rLDhjKGm9a

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@markmacleod_ Agreed. This is a great team.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@MarkCohon I’ll always remember my flight back to Toronto from Athens where I had been covering the 2004 Olympics and your dad sat next to me. I didn’t fully realize who he was and he was just genuinely curious about my new twins and shared his pride in you. He was a mensch.

[Adam Grant @AdamMGrant]

My all-time favorite Venn diagram 😆

[The Logic @the_logic]

The people to watch in Canadian auto tech: Here are the investors, executives and policy shapers who are driving the industry forward.
https://t.co/TASoM96O2P

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@WilsonKM2 Came “back from away” for COVID related reasons but then stayed for promising economic growth and potential for a vibrant, livable city.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@mattybcohen Well done! Don’t forget about us out here in the east though…

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

How our day has been going in NS #NSStorm

[Matt Dagley @mattdagley]

Morning.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@WandererDerek Derek: You and I know each other through VC and world tour volleyball. Send me a DM.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@WandererDerek Any reason why fans would have prevented from leaving the venue during the second half yesterday? My son and I (plus numerous others) were told we weren't allowed to leave any gate at that particular juncture.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@WandererDerek It’s an admirable strategy but wasn’t communicated to us by security staff (maybe that’s intentional). I can’t imagine a mall trying something similar given legal guidelines re involuntary confinement.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

I’ve been in Michigan this week and I’ve been defending our country on a daily basis.

[Alex Kantrowitz @Kantrowitz]

I think we’re all under appreciating “EH!POCALYPSE NOW” which is Pulitzer-worthy in my opinion

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@LisaWallaceKPL @MISAOntario Thanks! Great to meet other volleyball lovers who know a thing or two about tech.

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@andruyeung 👍🏎️🚗🛻🚚

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@ckneumann @cvca @NonCocktail @bwertz @PanacheVC @VersionOneVC @PrashantMatta @BrandonWaselnuk Great idea! I was thinking of trying to gather a few VC brethren to bike around Stanley Park early tomorrow am

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@TechTO @dennispilarinos @notionport Looking forward to attending tonight and seeing @notionport speaking on his home turf. Hoping to meet funders and founders in mobility or the electrification ecosystem world!

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@WilsonKM2 Wilson’s Razor: “Most hilarious outcome is the most likely”

[Ted Graham @tedgraham]

@alexandernorman @techvancouver @dennispilarinos @gmunro123 @notionport CDL super session!