Murli Ravi is the co-founder of Tin Men Capital. The venture capital firm began investing out of its second fund in 2022, which it will use to continue to back B2B tech firms operating out of Southeast Asia.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I help startups looking to get to the next level by providing funding and applying fresh eyes to their current opportunities and challenges.

As a venture capitalist, my job is to invest in and support early-stage companies with high potential for growth and profitability. I work with startups to help them refine their business strategy, connect with industry leaders, and secure additional funding to help them achieve their milestones.

One reason I can help with this is that I’ve been active in venture capital since 2008 and have been a student of the industry since the dot-com boom. I’ve had the privilege of a ringside seat as an investor or board member of over 30 venture-backed startups and evaluated thousands more.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

Saying “I don’t know, let’s find out!” is not done often enough but can be a valuable starting point. Investors can often come across as know-it-alls. Saying this magic phrase quickly puts me in learning mode and lowers the chance of making mistakes that were avoidable in hindsight.

It also helps when founders come to us for advice. I make it a point to highlight if it is an area that is not within my domain of expertise. In situations like that, being well-connected and able to point people in the right direction is far more important than pretending to be the expert and giving wrong advice. 

🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Being nominated to half a dozen boards practically on Day 1 of my first VC job. And I was only in my late 20s at the time. And it happened just as the 2008 global financial crisis was starting. (Still in disbelief at the trust they gave to my younger self)

🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

Tin Men Capital invests in B2B tech. It is a space that we have invested in since the inception of our firm in 2018 and continue to do so today, through the market cycles. 

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

 Seek out the truth and tell the truth; don’t just try to be likable.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

I am curious about everyone and everything (well, almost). With people who are candid, direct, and thoughtful about things, conversations never feel like they have to end. And in terms of topics, I am as curious about craft beer as I am about word etymology, applied mathematics, and octopus consciousness (no, really). 

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

Too many to name. I’ll pick one at random: Das Leben der Anderen

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Pretty much anything chocolate, as long as it’s vegan :)