The Metrics That Matter: How Investors Really Evaluate Early-Stage Startups with Venture Partner, Mercedes Bent
Join us for an exclusive session with Mercedes Bent—Venture Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, operator-turned-investor, and one of the sharpest minds in early-stage tech. In conversation with Alison Wyatt, CEO of Female Founder Collective, Mercedes will unpack the data, dynamics, and founder behaviors that actually move the needle in today’s market.
As a two-time founder and investor behind breakout companies like Honeylove, Forage, Magic Eden, and Outschool, Mercedes brings a rare dual perspective to the table. She’s sat on both sides of the pitch deck—and she knows what separates fundable ideas from enduring companies.
During this session, Mercedes will:
Share her hierarchy of startup metrics—and what early-stage founders often get wrong about traction, engagement, and customer love
Dive into how behavioral insights and market timing drive breakout products, including her signature “Why Now” framework
Offer tangible advice for structuring your early investor group using her 9 investor archetypes model
Break down how to spot (and validate) shifts in behavior, culture, or technology that signal it's time to build
Whether you're refining your pitch, building toward product-market fit, or navigating the messy middle of early growth, this conversation will deliver clarity, frameworks, and tactical advice from someone who’s backed—and built—exceptional companies.
MORE ABOUT MERCEDES BENT
Mercedes was most recently a partner at Lightspeed for 5.5 years, leading investments in consumer, fintech, crypto, and saas. She was named one of 9 Rising Stars in Venture Capital by The Wall Street Journal and has invested in multiple early-stage companies now doing $300M ARR. Prior to Lightspeed, she was a GM at General Assembly, where she helped grow its revenue from $2M to $100M in 4 years, and worked at Goldman Sachs as an analyst. She has a MBA and Masters in Education from Stanford University, and an AB from Harvard University in Economics (Behavioral Economics).