Movers & Shakers S2E1: Optimizing SaaS and Cloud Software Companies with Mary D’Onofrio of the Bessemer Venture Partners

We are kicking off our second entitlement of “Movers and Shakers” with a bang! 

In The Room with Mary D’Onofrio, partner and co-founder of the growth investment practice at Bessemer Venture Partners.

Topics this week include the very active investing climate of 2022 and how to be proactive when searching for businesses to partner with, how to find, obtain, and retain skilled, specialized new hires, and the difference between growth-stage and early-stage investing. 

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3:34 - Where did Mary grow up and how did this shape her view of the world?
5:05 - Did Mary always think her career would be in Venture?
7:28 - What lessons in “deal-making” did Mary learn during her time at Morgan Stanley?
8:15 - What initially brought Mary to Bessemer in 2018?
10:10 - What are some of the key characteristics you look for when searching for “the next big thing?”
11:52 - How did Mary level up in that way to be able to really effectively evaluate these technical businesses?
13:41 - How do you weigh valuing a company and its team versus the growth of the customer and the metric data?
15:58 - What will continue to evolve within the cloud ecosystem for enterprise SaaS and software companies?
17:34 - What is one company that is changing the way cloud is used or changing the technical ecosystem? 
19:02 - How does Mary work with businesses she invests in? 
21:10 - Is there a common stumbling block or something that is particularly tricky for new businesses? 
24:10 - What advice does Mary have for post-B-level businesses who are struggling to retain talent and hire?
25:50 - How is Mary thinking about 2022 and this current very accelerated pace of investing?
28:53 - What does the future hold for Mary?
29:32 - Who is a woman in Mary’s life that has had a profound impact on her career?

The Room Podcast is sponsored by our friends at Silicon Valley Bank and Cooley.

WX Productions