Web3 Venture Capitalists Struggle to Stand Out

The typical Web3 VC pitch has become all too familiar. Phrases like 'we have strong relationships across the ecosystem' and 'our network is our edge' have lost their significance due to overuse. Liquidity providers have heard these claims countless times, rendering them meaningless. To differentiate themselves, emerging managers must move beyond empty promises and focus on building tangible value. At TBV, we realized that our initial pitch was no different from others, so we decided to create something unique. We shifted our focus from who we know to what we can build, what data we can generate, and what platform value we can create for founders. This led us to develop a people-centric deal engine through events, which has become a key component of our fund. By flipping the traditional model and building our own environment, we've been able to create meaningful relationships and feed them back into our deal engine. In 2025, our event series attracted over 43,000 attendees and more than 100 partners, demonstrating the potential of this approach. Other VC firms, such as Outlier Ventures and Paradigm, have also found success by rethinking the traditional fund model. Outlier Ventures has built a platform of support around early-stage founders, while Paradigm has focused on contributing to protocols. These models share a common thread - the fund itself is a product with utility beyond capital. The key to success lies not in telling a better story but in building something that makes the story self-evident. As the Web3 space continues to evolve, managers who build real infrastructure will be well-positioned for the future, while those who rely on empty promises will be left behind.