Episode Summary
Charles Hudson is the Founder and Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a solo GP fund that has backed over 450 startups across five funds, including dozens of category-defining companies led by underrepresented founders. In this episode, Maxine and Cheryl sit down with Charles to explore how he built one of the most successful high-volume venture strategies in the world, all while staying a solo decision-maker.
They dive deep into what being a “solo GP” actually means, how Charles balances scale with intimacy across a massive portfolio, and why trust, not likability, is his north star when supporting founders. You’ll also hear his first-ever investment, the courage it took to leave a top-tier firm to start Precursor, and how he still handpicks every company Precursor backs, often long before they’re obvious.
Chapters:
03:20 – Charles’s first investment: ExxonMobil shares… mailed by cheque
06:50 – What is a solo GP fund, and how Precursor operates with one partner and 14 staff
10:28 – The pros and cons of solo decision-making in venture
12:50 – How Precursor supports 450+ companies (and avoids “orphaned” portfolios)
15:44 – Why Charles shifted from unlimited founder support to intentional check-ins
19:18 – Trust vs likability, and why real feedback matters more than being liked
24:25 – How Charles handles saying “no” to follow-ons, and still earns trust
29:31 – The case for “challenger” VCs over cap-table cheerleaders
32:11 – What Precursor looks for in a founder: not great employees, but great CEOs
36:39 – High volume investing: Why meeting 2000+ startups matters
39:00 – Global allocation: why Charles bet early on African and LatAm FinTech
42:30 – The return of themes (like AI & Women’s Health), and why they can kill judgment
47:52 – When Precursor steps in (and when they don’t): being the “surgeon, not the bandaid”
54:04 – Charles’s biggest Big Cojones moment: leaving Uncork to build Precursor from scratch
56:15 – Why most fund managers are “post-employment” and proud of it
Resources
👤 Charles Hudson LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chudson/
🌎 Precursor Ventures – https://precursorvc.com/
