How Government Policy Shapes VC-Backed Startups: Lessons from Softbank | Bruce Andrews

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When choosing to invest in a company, there are a lot of elements for VCs to consider—and government policy is no exception. Today on High Stakes, we explore the role of government policy in venture capital and its impact on the industry. Joining Paige Soya to break it all down is Bruce Andrews, who has spent the last 30+ years at the intersection of business, public policy, and politics. Over his career, he’s occupied a range of consequential roles, both in government and commerce, from Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Commerce to Vice President for Global Public Policy at SoftBank. Bruce unpacks the ways government policies affect VCs, how a change in administration can impact startups, and what companies should do to prepare. He sheds light on his time at SoftBank and what it taught him about the VC industry before expanding on how the company helped startups by giving them access to government affairs experts. We also hear Bruce’s reflections on failure and success, his advice to listeners, and more. Join us for a fascinating exploration of government policy and its impact on the industry of venture capital!

Key Points From This Episode:

Bruce’s background in government and commerce and his time at SoftBank.
How American policies compare with regulatory approaches in other countries, like China.
Challenges SoftBank successfully navigated when working with the US government.
Predictions for the new administration: potential regulatory changes and their effects.
How SoftBank helped companies by giving them access to a government affairs team.
What Bruce considers his biggest failure in the VC industry and what he learned from it.
Final thoughts from Bruce and the best advice he has ever gotten: “Be nice to everyone.”

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: