At the EUVC Summit, Bernard Dalle (formerly of Index Ventures) and Thomas Kristensen (LGT Capital Partners) shared candid reflections on how to build a venture firm from the inside out. Instead of fixating on star hires and grand strategies, their talk emphasized the compounding power of cultural alignment, junior talent development, and early operational investment.
Drawing on first-hand experience, they unpack what it takes to build enduring institutions—where team, trust, and time matter more than titles.
Whether you're raising your first fund or scaling your platform team, this conversation offers timeless lessons from one of Europe’s most respected firms.
Here’s what’s covered:
- 00:45 Betting on People: Why hiring for cultural fit beats chasing CVs
- 02:20 Long-Term Talent Playbooks: Junior hires, long runway, big impact
- 03:50 Under-hiring on Purpose: Why Index rarely hired GPs straight out
- 05:10 The Operations Edge: Building support teams early pays dividends
- 07:00 The Index Blueprint: Early days with David, Pascal, and a deep ops bench
- 08:30 Institutional Memory: Capturing partner insights across the portfolio