James Currier was born an entrepreneur. Before turning 18, he had launched 18 businesses. After years in corporate jobs, he fully embraced his entrepreneurial calling. He co-founded Tickle, one of the internet’s first successful user-generated platforms, which grew to 150 million users before being acquired by Monster.com for $110 million. Now, as a founding partner at NFX, he invests in high-growth startups leveraging network effects. In this episode, James joins Ilana to discuss the power of network effects in scaling businesses, the key traits of great founders, and how to spot technology windows for timely investments.

James Currier is a five-time founder, angel investor in DoorDash, Lyft, and Patreon, and a founding partner at NFX, an early-stage venture capital firm. He is an expert in building high-growth companies that leverage network effects. 

In this episode, Ilana and James will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:27) Embracing Entrepreneurship from a Young Age

(04:35) From Corporate Jobs to Building His First Startup

(08:45) Navigating Rejections and the Dot-Com Crash

(12:24) Understanding Viral vs. Network Effects

(19:12) The Reality of Running Multiple Startups 

(21:26) Why Attempting to Fix Healthcare Was a Mistake

(27:10) Building NFX into a Leading Venture Firm

(31:58) Balancing Optimism and Risk in Investing

(35:16) The Key Traits that Make a Great Founder

(37:45) What It Takes to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

(40:33) The Role of Technology Windows in Startup Success

James Currier is a five-time founder, angel investor in DoorDash, Lyft, and Patreon, and a founding partner at NFX, an early-stage venture capital firm. He co-founded Tickle, one of the internet’s first successful user-generated companies, which was acquired by Monster.com. James also co-founded Wonderhill (merged with Kabam), IronPearl (acquired by PayPal), and Jiff (merged with Castlight). He is an expert in building high-growth companies that leverage network effects. 

Connect with James:

James’s Website: nfx.com

James’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamescurrier 

Resources Mentioned:

NFX Article, Viral Effects Are Not Network Effects: https://www.nfx.com/post/viral-effects-vs-network-effects 

NFX Article, Technology Windows: The Unseen Force Driving Your Startup: https://www.nfx.com/post/technology-windows

NFX Article, How “Venture Capital 3.0” Impacts Founders in the AI Age: https://www.nfx.com/post/venture-capital-3