E169: How to Build an Enduring Private Equity Franchise w/Alex Robinson

Alex Robinson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Juniper Square, a company transforming the private markets through technology and service. In this episode, we go deep into how he and his co-founders saw the opportunity to modernize fund administration, why the private markets are decades behind the public markets, and how Juniper Square is building for the future with AI agents. We also discuss how the best GPs scale trust with LPs, why the retail channel still hasn’t arrived in full force, and the challenges of building a system of record in a fragmented industry. Highlights: How a FedEx delivery inspired Juniper Square Why crowdfunding was a “dumb idea” and investor relations software was the wedge Building trust with GPs in the early days Why Juniper Square is both a tech and services company The Pareto principle in fund admin automation Why LP experience matters—especially for back-office users Lessons from institutional LP demands and side letters The power law of retail fundraising in private markets What top GPs do to reinforce trust at every touch point How Juniper Square is using AI agents to transform investor relations, fund admin, and portfolio decision-making -- Guest Bio: Alex Robinson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Juniper Square, a leading provider of investment management software for the private markets. Before Juniper Square, Alex was a serial entrepreneur in the clean tech space. He holds degrees from Harvard and Stanford, and today leads Juniper Square’s vision to bring the private markets into the digital age. Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com . #VentureCapital #VC #Startups #OpenLP #assetmanagement -- Stay Connected: Twitter: David Weisburd: @dweisburd LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Alex Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrob22/ Links Juniper Square: https://www.linkedin.com/company/juniper-square/ -- Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com . (0:00) Episode preview (1:05) Genesis and expansion of Juniper Square (3:12) Growth trajectory of private markets and the impact of the Jobs Act (5:14) Juniper Square’s contrarian view on crowdfunding and strategic focus (7:27) Evolution of Juniper Square’s target customers (10:45) Building a great product and intersection of technology in fund administration (14:45) Organizational design and customer service at Juniper Square (20:56) Juniper Square’s software tools and network effects (25:23) Diverse GP reporting methodologies and back-office experience (27:47) Retail investors' impact and shift in investor data expectations (33:53) Managing side letters and Juniper Square's business model (36:22) LP preferences and fee sensitivity in venture returns (41:17) Juniper Square's customer base and AUM privacy (45:39) Marketing strategies and growth of retail investment in alternative assets (51:28) Reinforcing trust with LPs and best practices for scaling relationships (57:12) Typical growth patterns and expansion strategies of GPs (1:02:57) Juniper Square's investment in AI and upcoming features (1:07:45) Closing remarks