Today on Take the Stage we sit down with Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on pre-seed and seed investments in the US and Canada
Charles has made it his mission to find the kind of talent traditional VCs tend to overlook: first-time founders without elite credentials but with bold ideas, sharp insights, and a bias toward action.
Episode Highlights
- [02:00] Rethinking What “Overlooked” Means Charles explains how traditional VCs over-index on pedigree—schools, employers, social proximity—and why that limits who gets funded.
- [03:57] Why He Created Precursor Ventures He shares his belief that plenty of founders with bold ideas just lack social access—and how Precursor aims to be their first yes.
- [06:04] Personal & Professional Turning Points From backing “non-central casting” founders at Encore to reflecting on his own path as a Black Stanford alum, Charles describes the dual lens that shaped his mission.
- [08:18] How He Fell Into Venture Charles recalls how a friend’s husband introduced him to the CIA’s venture capital arm—his first exposure to VC—and why following interesting opportunities has been a theme in his life.
- [12:58] What He Looks for in Founders At the pre-seed stage, Charles looks for comfort with discomfort, urgency, insight, and the ability to self-direct—rather than credentials alone.
- [15:18] Many Paths, Same Traits While successful founders come from all walks of life, Charles notes they consistently show drive, resourcefulness, and strong communication.
- [18:48] How Founders Build Resilience He shares stories to show how founders develop grit through uncomfortable growth.
- [21:01] Do They Really Want It… or Just Want to Want It? Charles explains how he spots candidates who are in love with the idea of being a founder vs. those truly ready for the messy work.
- [23:25] Motivation Matters He looks for founders with deep “why’s” that will carry them through setbacks—not just ambition or frustration with a previous employer.
- [25:40] The Importance of Founder Insight Charles shares how a pitch catches his attention when the founder reveals a non-obvious reason the problem exists—something you can’t guess from the outside.
- [28:05] Staying Calm During Chaos He recounts advising a founder to trust his customers over investors—how that calm guidance led to a major success and a more confident CEO.
- [30:20] Cultivating Trust-Based Influence In a non-control investment model, influence comes from trust. Charles explains how stillness, thoughtful pauses, and restraint build credibility.
- [34:42] Maturity vs. Age He reflects on emotional intelligence, saying he’s met extremely self-aware 20-year-olds—and surprisingly immature older founders.
- [36:50] Watching Founders Evolve Over Time Charles sees himself as a talent scout. The person you back at Day 1 isn’t who they’ll be in Year 7—and that’s the point.
- [38:10] Spotting Cultural Shifts Early Meeting thousands of founders gives Charles a macro view. When similar ideas surface repeatedly, that’s usually a signal—not a coincidence.
- [39:08] Being Open to “Weird” Ideas From dog ranches to freezing tech, Charles shares how great investments often don’t start on anyone’s bingo card—but come from founders with deep insight and lived experience.
- [41:16] How He Decides to Invest He asks himself: what would need to be true for this to be a $100M+ business—and how hard do I have to squint to see that path?
- [43:43] What Founders Should Know Before Fundraising Final advice: honestly assess your strengths and gaps through someone else’s eyes.
Connect with Charles on LinkedIn | Precursor Ventures
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Connect with Charles on LinkedIn
📍 Precursor Ventures: Website | LinkedIn
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