Hey guys — today is a really really special episode for me.
I meet a lot of people. And it’s rare that I feel like a changed man after. But this conversation was one of those. Tim is an incredible person who is genuinely excited by finding people who are solving their neighbors’ needs.
Today we're talking to Tim Connors, one of the most influential venture capitalists in the world, renowned for his presence on the Midas List (4 times now).
But what truly sets Tim apart isn't just his financial acumen; it's his radical approach to capitalism rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. He's proving that doing immense good in the world, by solving real human needs, is not only compatible with maximizing profit but is, in fact, the most potent strategy for long-term success.
Get ready to have your assumptions about business, investment, and impact completely reshaped.
Core Lesson:
We Don’t Take the Love Your Neighbor Idea As Seriously as We Ought to.
After seeing Tim’s conviction towards loving his neighbor, and to the extent that he does this, it’s something I can’t unsee.
How many people would reach his level and just relax? Just enjoy their drinks on the beach. Most would.
But Tim won’t. He’s doggedly determined to find the things he can solve for other humans in an incentivized way.
So, in summary. We need to take this idea of love your neighbor much more seriously.
We’re proud to welcome Fio as a sponsor of Catholic Founders.
Think of Fio as Spotify, but only Catholic content creators allowed. That includes music, podcasts and more.
The best part, for a limited time, they are offering readers of Catholic Founders Free Advertising Space.
So if you’re looking to reach a Catholic audience, learn more at fio.fm/ads
PS: They actually pay the first ever streaming royalty for podcasts—something unheard of with all major podcast platforms. So, if you listen to the Catholic Founders podcast, check us out on Fio to indirectly support this project financially. You can follow us on Fio by clicking here.
Get in front of Catholic decision makers today!
Our publication is ready by devout Catholic founders and business owners across America.
Best for anyone selling services or products to those audiences. (Plus they’d all rather buy from another Catholic).
"If Fortune 500 boards were just all reading Rerum Novarum and following that, their profits would be maximized and the world would be a much better place." — Tim Connors
"Companies who love their customers the most are the most profitable and have the lowest customer acquisition cost." — Tim Connors
"Benedict basically says solve the real need of your neighbor with your work... do it with your God given skills, talents, and then do it with the max degree of influence you have in the polis." — Tim Connors
"The best returns I've had are deals that fundamentally make their customers’ lives better." — Tim Connors
"My belief is that you do better in all asset classes if you love your customer. You actually do better." — Tim Connors
"If all Catholic assets were... screened, filtered, and invested with CST principles from Rerum and Antiqua and Mensuram Bonam. We'd have collectively a loud voice for the vulnerable in these companies." — Tim Connors
Help spread the word! Highlight your favorite of these quotes, and then share on social media / Substack notes with some encouraging words to help others discover this episode.
Key Moments: (outline)
00:00 - Introduction to Tim Connors and Catholic Social Teaching in business.
02:53 - Tim Connors' background and career journey into venture capital.
05:34 - The integration of Catholic faith into Tim Connors' investing philosophy.
08:00 - The impact of Pope Benedict's "Caritas in Veritate" on Tim's approach.
09:00 - Contrasting ethical and exploitative business models.
12:57 - Attributes of successful founders: smarts, goodness, and grit.
15:55 - The importance of empathy, self-awareness, and moral compass in founders.
16:20 - How Tim Connors screens for "goodness" in founders.
18:34 - Why "best founders hunt in packs" and the power of referrals.
20:55 - The shift to systems thinking in problem-solving.
24:00 - Applying systems thinking to consumer banking (Chime.com example).
27:00 - The systems solution to homelessness (CloudApartments.com example).
28:23 - Developing and applying a systems thinking mindset.
31:34 - Reframing capitalism: Maximizing ROI through love of customer.
34:00 - The Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a measure of customer love.
37:00 - Rerum Novarum and its relevance to modern capitalism.
39:00 - Aligning Catholic assets with Catholic social teaching.
42:15 - Applying the lean startup mentality to any organization, including the Church.
44:00 - Key "winning metrics" for organizational success.
46:00 - Doubling parish size through welcoming and bottleneck analysis.
47:00 - Advocating for canon law changes to improve parish engagement.
48:57 - The influence of Caritas in Veritate on pursuing societal change.
51:00 - Coaching leaders to solve problems for the vulnerable, planet, and Church.
52:31 - The power of collective action by Catholic entrepreneurs.
53:47 - The role of AI in human flourishing and the importance of morally-oriented builders.
54:48 - Final calls to action and how to connect with Tim Connors.
Join The Catholic Founders Guild
The Catholic Founders Guild is a vetted group of Catholic entreprenuers who are building businesses with their faith at the heart of what they do.
Some are building ‘Catholic’ products. Most are building normal businesses. We’ve got tech founders. Agency owners. Mom & Pop. E-commerce. And some people who bought a business.
Guild Member Benefits:
Member Directory Access | Join our monthly calls | Access to all paid content | Attend guild-member only dinners
You are the average of the 5 people you hang out with most. Don’t you want that to describe other Catholic founders?
Catholic Founders is where Catholic Entrepreneurs and Business Owners go to learn how to integrate their faith into every aspect of how they run their business and life as a Catholic AND as a Founder.
In modern times, it's become more unclear than ever how to unite our faith with our work. It's even harder when you run a business. However, just as there is a holy way to live, there is a holy way to build and run our businesses.
Fundamentally, our skills were given to us by God so that we may become instruments of His will. These skills are not for our own use. Therefore, to waste or misuse them is a grave thing. This entire project is born out of a deep belief in this truth.
Catholic Founders is where Catholic Entrepreneurs and Business Owners go to learn how to integrate their faith into every aspect of how they run their business and life as a Catholic AND as a Founder.
In modern times, it's become more unclear than ever how to unite our faith with our work. It's even harder when you run a business. However, just as there is a holy way to live, there is a holy way to build and run our businesses.
Fundamentally, our skills were given to us by God so that we may become instruments of His will. These skills are not for our own use. Therefore, to waste or misuse them is a grave thing. This entire project is born out of a deep belief in this truth.
Share this post