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Austin has worked on Advent’s investments in Certik.
I’ve always been passionate about tech.
There were a number of tech funds out there that seemed interesting, but Advent Tech offered the chance to work for people with an awesome track record in a unique, best-of-both-worlds situation. You’re under the umbrella of a private equity fund with an incredible history and reputation, but in a smaller group that’s aiming to be a little bit more entrepreneurial. That’s really exciting to me.
The firm treats you as a person, not an asset.
From the beginning, I’ve felt as though the people are genuinely interested to learn more about me, and want to invest in me as a person. The bar is set high for associates at Advent, and people have strong conviction in our capabilities. That means having an opinion and being able to support it. What’s great is that your opinion is valued, and you’re a real part of the decision-making process.
You need breadth of knowledge to understand tech.
One thing I did love about my time in banking was that in M&A I was a generalist: I had to learn about a lot of different businesses. Working in tech investing is the same. At its core, it’s generalist. Software businesses touch just about everything that goes on in the world, and tech moves so quickly that there are new applications coming up in new industries every day. You can know the underlying principles, but you’re often looking at a space that’s new to you. It demands a continuous process of learning and understanding, and that’s something I find very rewarding.
Outside of work, I’m an outdoors person.
I enjoy fishing. Whether out on the ocean or fly fishing for trout, I love it all. It’s a different kind of challenge than anything you face in the office. It keeps me engaged physically and mentally, being able to go outside, disconnect from my phone and my computer and apply my mind to something else entirely. It helps you to find different ways to think.