Arkady Kulik is a founding partner of rpv, a deep tech venture fund that aims to “*drive tangible advancements in the well-being of humankind*” by focusing on early, scientifically intensive ventures. He has over 15 years of experience in the IT sector as a C-level executive, a master’s degree in physics, and an MBA from INSEAD.
Arkady joins the show to discuss how to evaluate a deep tech deal, why more scientists don’t become entrepreneurs, the ultimate goal of science, the two types of human motivation, and MUCH more!
Important Links:
- rpv’s Website - https://rpv.global
- rpv’s Substack - https://rpvglobal.substack.com
- Arkady’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/checkpoint/challengesV2/AQF19v1cB_id5gAAAYxDe012qoWzGzNUosWA9ChxD2n-3vcCzKn00lSsSt5-LJWlUtrJtpHQrinL-VM4Hwh9b3mwOY3BhHcrTw
- Arkady’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/arkady_kulik
Show Notes:
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:16 Main podcast
0:02:34 Judging Investments by Their Technology Readiness Level
0:03:51 Bringing Scientific Expertise Into Venture Capital
0:09:21 Scorecards & Dealbreakers: How rpv Analyzes a Deep Tech Opportunity
0:14:07 Spotting the Early Red Flags
0:20:47 How rpv Deploys Scientific Due Diligence
0:24:42 Providing Feedback & Educating the Industry
0:28:38 Self-Censorship, Ideology & the Scientific Method
0:34:37 Why Don’t More Scientists Become Entrepreneurs?
0:38:56 The Ideal Composition of a Deep Tech Founding Team
0:42:48 Science’s Ultimate Goal
0:48:36 Taking Progress for Granted
0:53:05 The Two Types of Human Motivation
0:55:46 How Neurotech Can Benefit Humanity
1:01:21 Why Arkady is Less Bullish on Quantum Computing
1:05:16 Incoming Deep Tech Developments
Books Mentioned:
- Survive & Thrive: Entrepreneurship Frameworks That Work; by Paul Kewene-Hite
- The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves; by W. Brian Arthur
- One Summer: America 1927; by Bill Bryson
