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© 2015, South Central Ventures

Meet the team: Pedja Predin, Investment Manager

As we continue to strengthen our portfolio we’ve hired some of the most talented professionals with many years of experience to provide counsel to the portfolio members strengthening their position and enabling accelerated growth.

We’ve asked our newest member Investment Manager Pedja Predin to answer some questions to get to know him better. Here’s what he had to say.

Why SCV?
Over the last 2 years, I got to know South Central Ventures quite well, and have been impressed with the impact the team has made in the region. After spending 12 years abroad, my intention was to come back to the region and be a part of the VC scene. As SCV is THE player in this space, we ended up working together on one project, and I felt the great cultural fit. Hence, I am very pleased to be part of the SCV team, and I am looking forward to the (ad)ventures together.

What is the question you get asked most often in the workplace?
How are things being done in the US and China compared to here in the region, and are we behind them?

Your favourite tip or trick for the companies you advise to?
Get close to the customers even before having a working product, so you get instant feedback and insights to solve customers’ problems. However, don’t be too close as you risk adding features to the roadmap which are not scalable, and would not be needed/paid by other customers.

Who would you recommend to people that are interested in Venture Capital to follow?
As I consume a lot of media, I would recommend following different perspectives, and then building your own hypothesis. My picks are A16Z newsletter, AVC blog (Fred Wilson), Pro Rata newsletter (Dan Primack), Pivot podcast (Scott Galloway & Kara Swisher), and 20 minutes VC podcast (Harry Stebbings).

What is the latest book you’ve read?
2 years ago, I started listening to audiobooks (through Audible) and instantly became addicted as it allows me to be more productive. A most recent book was “Men’s search for meaning” by Viktor Frankl published in 1946, which is today more relevant than ever given the fast-paced environment where we live, as we need to find the purpose and be emotionally stable.

Your view on the future of tech industry (and maybe your role in it)?
I am very passionate about technology and it is very exciting to live in today’s world which has been revolutionized by it. There are a number of technology trends impacting our daily lives (AI, cloud computing, hyperautomation, autonomous things, blockchain etc), but I believe that the focus should be more around the discussions on how technology can solve our most pressing problems, and on how we can enable smart and visionary people to tackle these challenges, We are seeing more and more opportunities for nimble and agile teams to make a huge impact on our futures with solutions for these challenges, and I enjoy being a part of these stories and hope I can contribute to their successes.

 

About: Pedja Predin brings 8+ years of experience in corporate strategy, business development and global expansion. Prior to joining South Central Ventures, he served in various management roles at Norwegian growth stage company Gelato, including Head of Global Expansion, China Country Manager and Head of Logistics, and as Business Manager at Microsoft CEE (based out of Germany). Pedja also plays an active role in the startup community in Serbia through mentoring and coaching. He obtained his MBA from INSEAD (France), and BS in Finance from St. Francis College (New York, US).
Position: Investment Manager, Belgrade Office