Eric Bahn: Co-Founder & General Partner of Hustle Fund
with Eric Bahn — General Partner
Eric Bahn, Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, shares his journey from accidental EdTech founder to pioneering a new model for pre-seed investing. Learn how his definition of "hustle" shapes every investment decision.
5 Things You'll Learn from This Episode
- Distinguish between strategic acquisitions (which command higher value) and cash-cow acquisitions.
- Build a community-driven business by solving your own problem, as Eric did by blogging his GMAT study plan.
- Start angel investing by spreading small bets and offering your unique operational expertise as a service.
- Define 'hustle' as the combination of great execution and high velocity, the top indicator of founder success.
- Structure a pre-seed fund by writing many small checks, working with teams on growth, and then concentrating capital in the top performers.
About the Episode
Eric Bahn recounts his path from bootstrapping the community 'Beat the GMAT' and selling it to the Daily Mail, to becoming a prolific angel investor. He then details the founding of Hustle Fund, breaking down their unique thesis of identifying true 'hustlers' by working with them post-investment before concentrating capital.
Timestamps
- 0:00 — Introduction: Building the Hustle Fund Brand
- 1:15 — Eric's Journey: From Operator to VC
- 3:05 — The Origin Story of Beat the GMAT
- 5:40 — Strategic vs. Cash-Cow Acquisitions
- 10:10 — The Accidental Nine-Year Journey of a Startup
- 15:20 — The Mission to Democratize Education
- 21:00 — First Foray into Angel Investing with Webflow
- 26:30 — The Modern Angel as a Service Provider
- 31:45 — The Founding Thesis of Hustle Fund
- 35:00 — Defining Hustle: Execution Meets Velocity
- 38:15 — Hustle Fund's Unique Investment Strategy
- 44:00 — Why Fund Size Matters for Founders
- 49:10 — Founder Leverage in Global Markets
- 53:00 — The Shift in Power from VCs to Founders
About Eric Bahn
Eric Bahn is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a pre-seed venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. Before becoming a full-time investor, he was an operator who founded and ran the education media company Beat the GMAT, which he successfully sold to the Daily Mail.
Co-Founder & General Partner at Hustle Fund
About the Host
Nataraj Sindam is the creator of The Startup Project, a podcast featuring founders, investors, and operators building the future.
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