In this episode of The Girl Dad Show, host Young Han sits down with Steve Bennett, founder and managing director of Bodega Partners, longtime startup CFO, investor, professor, and father and grandfather, for a powerful conversation on entrepreneurship, mentorship, and life after decades in Silicon Valley.
With over 30 years of experience and involvement in more than 150 technology startups, Steve has seen the full spectrum of success and failure. From companies acquired by IBM, Comcast, and Citrix to ventures that didn’t make it, he brings a rare perspective on what actually drives long-term success in business and in life.
But this conversation goes beyond startups.
Steve shares why teaching and mentoring students has become one of the most fulfilling parts of his career, how his perspective on success has evolved over time, and what it means to balance family life while navigating high-pressure roles in venture capital and entrepreneurship.
He and Young dive into the realities of startup challenges, the incentives behind venture capital, and the difficult decisions founders face as they grow their companies. They also explore parenting through a long-term lens, why letting kids make mistakes matters, and how experience shapes the way we guide the next generation.
This episode is about perspective. What changes after 30 years of building, investing, and teaching. And what actually matters at the end of it.
✨ All episodes of The Girl Dad Show are proudly sponsored by Thesis, helping founders go further, together.
🔗 CONNECT WITH STEVE BENNETT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebennet/
X: https://twitter.com/ProfessorVC
Blog: http://www.professorvc.com/
🔗 CONNECT WITH YOUNG HAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younghan/
X: https://twitter.com/younghan_
Website: https://www.alwayshan.com
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE GIRL DAD SHOW
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