Helicopter Parent

Amy Banse

09.15.20

Building a startup is hard - founders often hit a series of brick walls as they scale their companies. When they invest in companies, Comcast Ventures brings to bear an array of tools to help with growth. But Amy believes that venture is a lot like parenting. At the end of the day, the kids have to do things for themselves.

Helicopter Parent

Summary:

Building a startup is hard – founders often hit a series of brick walls as they scale their companies. When they invest in companies, Comcast Ventures brings to bear an array of tools to help with growth. But Amy believes that venture is a lot like parenting. At the end of the day, the kids have to do things for themselves.

Thuy

You now deal with a lot of startups and for founders and employees at start ups, life can be a grind, it's long hours and you have to really just believe in the mission and hope that at some point you'll get to successful business. So how do you inspire the teams at these young companies to keep going when they hit that brick wall?
Amy_Banse

Amy Banse

It's a really good question. And all young companies do hit brick walls, and sometimes it's a series of brick walls. That's where you just sort of play mom. You encourage. You support. You ask how you can help. You demonstrate that you are working hard to help.

In our case we look at our L.P., Comcast and try to figure out is there a way that we as a company can support their growth, whether or not through advertising or a commercial deal or a partnership of some sort? I mean, you stay upbeat and as encouraging as possible. But as I said, it's a little bit like being a parent to a child. At the end of the day, they've got to do it for themselves.
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