Investors Should Let the Entrepreneurs Do Their Job, This VC Learnt the Hard Way While speaking to Entrepreneur India, Motti Vaknin spoke about his India foray and how he looks at the change in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem from an outsider lens.

By Aashika Jain

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Entrepreneur India

Motti Vaknin, a partner at Cedar Fund, has been both an investor and a serial entrepreneur.

With deep knowledge of the US and Israeli enterprise software arena, Vaknin uses his expertise in the software area to focus on enterprise software, SaaS and Internet opportunities.

While speaking to Entrepreneur India, he spoke about his India foray and how he looks at the change in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem from an outsider lens.

Q) You have seen the India of 1990s closely. What has changed?

A) There were some connections where I was involved with initiative around bringing distance learning and bringing internet to remote places in India, which was a beautiful initiative. India has changed dramatically since then.

We were there at a time when Bangalore just started. Today, Bangalore is an empire. I remember the days Bangalore had a few satellite connections to the Silicon Valley and was mainly providing outsourcing to the Silicon Valley. Bangalore is an origin of innovation to itself today.

Q) From being an entrepreneur to a VC, what are the perks of being an entrepreneur first and VC later?

A) I was a three times CEO; I sold to companies I loved entrepreneurship. I like the creativity and innovation and so on. When my partner convinced me to join their fund, they told me listen you like funding companies one after another in a serial manner why will you not fund 7 companies. I joined and then I realized it was a mistake. At the beginning I was not an investor. I was sitting in the meeting and hearing about technology and imagining what I could do to that technology and how should I use that technology. At the end of the day, the most important element in investment is the entrepreneur. The more I graduated through this process the more I understood the focus is not on me, it is on the founders and I need to lean back and see that whether they are listening.

Q) Do start-ups today face the problem of being overexposed to acute pressure and giving up to investors' demand?

A) We have the saying in Israel – "If you want to build a company, you would have brought an American CEO."

That's a mistake. It is the entrepreneur you should invest in; the entrepreneur you should provide guidance to. You should provide them the help. My advice to them is talk to your investor. Whoever aligns with your vision is confident enough to allow you to make mistakes because we all make mistakes; even for investors, it is very easy to be back seat drivers and give advice. I think this mindset will change in India as well.

Aashika Jain

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Associate Editor, Entrepreneur India

Journalist in the making since 2006! My fastest fingers have worked for India's business news channel CNBC-TV18, global news wire Thomson Reuters, the digital arm of India’s biggest newspaper The Economic Times and Entrepreneur India as the Digital Head. 
Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Health & Wellness

Business Travel Can Wreck You—Here's What To Do About It

A human performance expert breaks down what's really going on in your body when you suffer from jet lag, and how to stay sharp on the road.

Science & Technology

The Hidden Dangers of Using Generative AI in Your Business

Rushing to adopt generative AI can derail your business. Here's what leaders need to know.

Leadership

Why the Most Powerful CEOs Today Lead With Authenticity, Not Silence

The most effective CEOs today build trust and brand value by leading with authenticity and personal conviction.

Side Hustle

7 Ways Ecommerce Is Helping People Rebuild Their Lives

Ecommerce is more than just a business model. For many, it's about finding stability, freedom and a way to feel in control.

Science & Technology

We Spent a Decade Building Virtual Worlds — What We Discovered Could Reshape the Future of Business

What we learned about scale, AI and ownership when we tried to connect thousands of people in real time.