Statespace — Wayne Mackey interview
"MVP doesn't kind of like be this outside entity that's just like "oh if you need something come ask." It's a much more active engagement of just like — they work here too."
In their own words.
How many rounds have you raised, and who's on the cap table?
We've done maybe five rounds in total. From that initial check, we've had great investors — FirstMark, Coatue, Lux, Bessemer, and MVP.
What made you want to work with Wes specifically?
Wes had a clear understanding, from the outside, of where we were going — not just where we were but where we were going, what we thought were moats, what we thought were clever moves that maybe everyone didn't pick up on. That was one of the reasons I decided to reply and meet him. My hope was to bring on co-investors who were helpful beyond a check, and Wes and the team have smashed that out of the park.
How does MVP show up day-to-day?
It's not even just reactive — I don't just have to ask them for stuff. Wes or Gray will send me things at a pretty regular cadence — candidates, new partnerships, advisors. Even if I'm not asking, they're out there pushing to help us move forward. They go out and hustle for you. They won't be this outside entity that's just like, "if you need something come ask and I'll pull out the Rolodex." It's a much more active engagement of — they work here too, in a sense. We're on this team trying to accomplish this goal.
Why is that mindset important?
You never have enough resources, enough help, enough time, enough money, or any of those things in a startup. Having folks who will really go out there and hustle with you is super important. They're just like us, thinking about the success of the company at all times and genuinely trying to help move it forward.