The Minutes of Bill Gurley on benchmark https://minutesof.com/bill-gurley/on/benchmark/ Everything Bill Gurley has said on benchmark: 16 verbatim quotes between June 2011 and March 2026, each with a timestamp and a link to the recording it… en Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:21:59 +0000 Gurley states the average age of a new Benchmark partner is about 30 years old. https://minutesof.com/q/57bdc43b-b943-4966-9cfb-4135291134b1/ https://minutesof.com/q/57bdc43b-b943-4966-9cfb-4135291134b1/ “the way, the average age of a new partner at Benchmark that becomes an equal partner is about 30.” — School of Hard Knocks Podcast Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:34:25 +0000 benchmark Gurley explains Benchmark created an equal partnership structure where all partners earn the same and have equ https://minutesof.com/q/9b9770f2-18a2-4c93-86d5-45ef0cd50c1b/ https://minutesof.com/q/9b9770f2-18a2-4c93-86d5-45ef0cd50c1b/ “The benchmark guys had lived within those frameworks decided to do something crazy, which was to create an equal partnership where everyone makes the exact same amount of money and everyone has the exact same power within the organization for decision making and there's no leader.” — Bloomberg Podcasts Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:47:37 +0000 benchmark Gurley clarifies Google presented to Benchmark at 25 employees shortly after he joined the firm. https://minutesof.com/q/ca552e7d-f09a-464d-b7f3-4fdfef5e1836/ https://minutesof.com/q/ca552e7d-f09a-464d-b7f3-4fdfef5e1836/ “I had Larry and Sergei present to the Benchmark partnership shortly after I joined Benchmark with the company had 25 employees, Google.” — Lux Capital Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:19:27 +0000 benchmark Gurley says Benchmark focused quarterly reviews on studying missed deals rather than failed investments. https://minutesof.com/q/44050377-0527-43b9-bcb4-1124d33dd02b/ https://minutesof.com/q/44050377-0527-43b9-bcb4-1124d33dd02b/ “from that day on, we never spent much time talking about the failures. We never beat up a partner because a deal didn't work, but we would once a quarter study the deals we didn't do at nauseum and talk about why we either didn't see them or passed on them” — Lux Capital Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:19:27 +0000 benchmark Gurley says Benchmark peers increased fund sizes tenfold and moved to multi-stage investing model. https://minutesof.com/q/438efbac-8f2e-4762-9e53-636238e1cc8c/ https://minutesof.com/q/438efbac-8f2e-4762-9e53-636238e1cc8c/ “Many of the peers of Benchmark have taken their fund size up 10 x. So their their assets under management and they've entered they've declared themselves multi stage.” — McCombs School of Business Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:57:51 +0000 benchmark Gurley reveals Benchmark is a lead investor in Upwork under Hayden Brown. https://minutesof.com/q/1ec9e916-f03e-4fa1-98e7-41fa7464dd40/ https://minutesof.com/q/1ec9e916-f03e-4fa1-98e7-41fa7464dd40/ “We are actually a lead investor in Upwork. Hayden Brown's done an amazing job there the past couple of years.” — CNBC Television Fri, 09 Jul 2021 16:31:30 +0000 benchmark Gurley recounts Austin Ventures told him to work twenty years before entering venture capital. https://minutesof.com/q/936f3d5c-62a6-4a70-ad99-bc04f97647e3/ https://minutesof.com/q/936f3d5c-62a6-4a70-ad99-bc04f97647e3/ “And while I was there, I went and talked to some of the Austin Ventures partners and I said, I want to get into venture, what should I do?” — GigaOm Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:03:42 +0000 benchmark Gurley says the majority of Benchmark partners joined at about 30 years old. https://minutesof.com/q/4d6f1696-0ba8-4e68-b249-7a574fd05a2b/ https://minutesof.com/q/4d6f1696-0ba8-4e68-b249-7a574fd05a2b/ “Kevin Harvey joined the venture business about that time. Peter Fenton also joined at about that age. And so across our partnership, the majority of the partners joined at about 30 years old.” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benchmark Gurley says the majority of Benchmark partners joined at about 30 years old because venture is a hustle game. https://minutesof.com/q/56b29243-a0dc-48c1-a93a-1298afa884d6/ https://minutesof.com/q/56b29243-a0dc-48c1-a93a-1298afa884d6/ “And so across our partnership, the majority of the partners joined at about 30 years old. And there's a number of reasons why I think youth plays to an advantage. One, it's a hustle game.” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benchmark Gurley says the majority of Benchmark partners joined at about 30 years old. https://minutesof.com/q/cebee660-d5e7-4a3d-95b2-2607f8c4ab8e/ https://minutesof.com/q/cebee660-d5e7-4a3d-95b2-2607f8c4ab8e/ “And so across our partnership, the majority of the partners joined at about 30 years old.” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benchmark Gurley recounts Austin Ventures told him to work twenty years before entering venture, opposite of Benchmark's https://minutesof.com/q/248ebe1a-0fbe-43b1-b3d6-4f7ae4f09c3f/ https://minutesof.com/q/248ebe1a-0fbe-43b1-b3d6-4f7ae4f09c3f/ “And while I was there, I went and talked to some of the Austin Ventures partners and I said, I want to get into venture, what should I do?” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benchmark Gurley contrasts Austin Ventures' advice to work twenty years before VC with Benchmark's opposite approach. https://minutesof.com/q/7fbc48a1-04a8-4d72-833a-b1ef72bd408b/ https://minutesof.com/q/7fbc48a1-04a8-4d72-833a-b1ef72bd408b/ “And they said, go work for twenty years and then get in. And it's ironic when I think back to that moment in time because we have kind of the exact opposite process.” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benchmark Gurley explains Benchmark uses the phrase long term greedy and is not judged on IRR. https://minutesof.com/q/43f6b647-4d63-4553-8b60-0e08e4d161b7/ https://minutesof.com/q/43f6b647-4d63-4553-8b60-0e08e4d161b7/ “We have a phrase that not all the partners like to use, say we're long term greedy. You know, we're luckily in a business where we're not judged on IRR per se.” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:49:11 +0000 benchmark Gurley says no LP in Benchmark's history has ever asked them to provide liquidity faster. https://minutesof.com/q/76427795-dc05-469d-a2c8-2a3e76beb837/ https://minutesof.com/q/76427795-dc05-469d-a2c8-2a3e76beb837/ “And we've never once, never in the history of the firm as I ever recall a limited partner calling us and saying why aren't you getting us liquidity faster?” — GigaOm Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:49:11 +0000 benchmark Gurley says Benchmark will have four IPOs this year, unprecedented for a single venture firm in a long time. https://minutesof.com/q/76520b24-417d-4404-847e-e78cdf0a274a/ https://minutesof.com/q/76520b24-417d-4404-847e-e78cdf0a274a/ “Earlier today, one of our investments, Ambarella, filed, which will be our fourth IPO this year. And that hasn't happened, you know, for a single venture firm in a very long time.” — Bloomberg Originals Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:20:44 +0000 benchmark Gurley says Benchmark will have four IPOs this year, unprecedented for a single venture firm in a long time. https://minutesof.com/q/34a23fc7-4680-4393-9577-7c376ba6317c/ https://minutesof.com/q/34a23fc7-4680-4393-9577-7c376ba6317c/ “Ambarella, filed, which will be our fourth IPO this year. And that hasn't happened, you know, for a single venture firm in a very long time.” — Bloomberg Originals Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:20:44 +0000 benchmark