How Did Rob Vinall Start His Investment Fund?

TL;DR

Rob Vinall started his investment fund by initially investing his own money and learning during the dot com crash. Displeased with the lack of decision-making power at a family office, he launched his own fund in 2008 with seed financing from his first client. His approach focuses on building direct relationships with investors and maintaining control over investment decisions.

Transcript

curious how long have you been investing  for yourself but before the fund and uh   were you investing before your working  experience and how you approached changes from   investing for yourself from investing money from  other people yeah thank you for that question um   so that's really um how i learned to invest was  just simply investing my ow... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤑 Investing one's own money can be a great learning experience and enjoyable when making successful investment decisions.
• 🥺 Working for others in the investment industry may lead to a lack of control and decision-making authority.
• 👻 Starting one's own investment company allows for independent decision-making and the avoidance of industry mistakes.
• 🥺 Allowing the right investors to find the fund can lead to a better investor base, although it may take longer to attract assets.
• 🤑 Building direct relationships with investors who manage their own money is preferred over working with intermediaries.
• 🥡 Regret can arise from taking meetings with intermediaries who may have ulterior motives.
• 🔇 The speaker has not regretted accepting any investors into their fund and maintains positive relationships with all investors.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker transition from investing their own money to managing money for others?

The speaker initially enjoyed investing their own money but disliked the lack of control working for a family office, leading them to start their own company. Their first client provided seed financing for their fund, allowing them to continue managing money independently.

Q: How did the speaker qualify investors for their fund?

Initially, the speaker struggled to attract clients due to their small asset size and lack of track record. However, they later realized that allowing the right people to find them was a powerful tool in building a better investor base.

Q: Has the speaker regretted accepting any investors into their fund?

The speaker has not regretted accepting any investors into their fund. They have had strong, fulfilling relationships with all investors and have never experienced conflicts. However, they have regretted taking meetings with intermediaries against their better judgment.

Q: Did the speaker encounter any challenges in their investing journey?

One challenge the speaker faced was meeting with intermediaries, despite their preference for direct relationships with people managing their own money. They learned the hard way that one such meeting ended with a proposal to divert funds for the intermediary's benefit.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker learned to invest by investing their own money, starting during the dot com crash and enjoying the intellectual challenge and financial gains.

• They then worked for a family office but disliked someone else being the decision-maker, leading them to start their own company and manage their own money.

• By sheer luck, their first client provided seed financing for their business, allowing them to start their own fund and continue managing money their own way.