<p>In this episode, Brad Johnson sits down with Bridger Pennington, founder of FundLaunch and FundLaunch Partners, to break down why most first-time funds struggle and how GP seeding is reshaping the private markets. Bridger shares how his firm reviews more than 1,200 emerging manager applications a year, why micro-funds can outperform larger peers, and how GP stakes combined with operational support create asymmetric upside. The conversation also dives into FundLaunch AI, a new platform designed to cut fund formation timelines from months to days.</p><br><p><strong>What You’ll Learn</strong></p><ul><li>Why most first-time funds fail before they ever scale</li><li>How GP seeding works and why institutions are increasingly focused on it</li><li>The difference between institutional GP stakes and micro-fund seeding</li><li>How FundLaunch filters 1,200 managers down to roughly 10 investments</li><li>Why niche strategies outperform at smaller fund sizes</li><li>How tranche-based capital and option-like structures reduce downside risk</li><li>Why no-fee, no-carry GP economics matter for long-term compounding</li><li>What institutional investors actually look for in Fund II and Fund III</li><li>How FundLaunch AI aims to replace expensive early-stage legal and structuring work</li><li>Why ownership and private markets matter in today’s economic cycle</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Topics Discussed</strong></p><ul><li>GP seeding and GP stakes</li><li>Emerging and first-time fund managers</li><li>Micro funds vs institutional funds</li><li>Private equity, private credit, real estate, and niche strategies</li><li>Fund formation, compliance, and back-office infrastructure</li><li>AI and software in private fund creation</li><li>Long-term compounding through GP economics</li></ul><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>