Get Known podcast: Get inside the journalists’ mindset.
In this episode, we enjoyed talking with Leah Hodgson from PitchBook. We met Leah at Slush while she was digging into the stories behind the data that PitchBook gathers and publishes about the VCs and their activities.
PitchBook started in the US, but Leah is the longest-serving journalist for the European news team. Leah’s job is about completing the picture around the data, and she appreciates the freedom within this kind of press organization, where she can follow the pulse of the market and dig deep into the stories she thinks are most important.
These data-driven ideas include looking at the most recent dip in fundraising deals and determining why investment trends are happening. A good discussion was also had about series round labeling (pre-seed, seed, A round, B round) and what they mean.
This wasn’t fully solved in our discussion, but perhaps an understanding of the labeling and intention emerged from it.
Finally, of course, we also spoke about what makes a company interesting for the team to report on, including the basic investment levels PitchBook considers worth covering.
- Africa has been doing some amazing things and doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
- Rounds need to be 1 million to be covered by the PitchBook journalism team and above, but the amount is not the only thing that makes companies interesting.
- Think about what your company means for the market when you pitch.
- Billion-dollar IPOs seem to have disappeared in the last year, and she is digging into why.
- The VC market moves so fast that it is hard to determine what will be hot in 6 months.
- Reading the media is great, but companies also need to spend time talking to people.
- Open, honest opinions are welcome and encouraged. Please give them.
Listen to the newest episode of the Get Known podcast with Leah Hodgson to learn more!
