Investor Connect - Episode 319 - Jyri Engestrom of Yes VC

In this episode, Hall welcomes Jyri Engestrom of Yes VC, a small seed-stage fund focusing on community-driven startups. Jyri started out as an entrepreneur and uses his experiences with successful startup exits to inform his investing philosophy.

Jyri advises investors to look for startups that are part of a larger social movement. Startups that can turn a small community into a global movement are the ones to look for. As Jyri puts it, an idea gets traction when people "realize that it's something that is better for the world and it also works as a business". Jyri talks about his partner, Caterina Fake, and her experience as an early investor with Etsy. Jyri also talks about the partnership dynamic between cofounders, and how important it is to have effective mediation strategies in place in the event of a disagreement at a critical juncture.

Jyri explains Yes VC's strategy of smaller, early-stage investments in companies that show potential for organic growth without requiring huge injections of capital. He highlights a few of the startups they've invested in, and why. Finally, Jyri talks about the importance of attribution in marketing, as well as some of the sectors he finds especially promising.