SignalFire CEO Chris Farmer on why venture funds now last 20 years and the hiring boom behind the layoffs

Summation with Auren Hoffman

Summation with Auren Hoffman
SignalFire CEO Chris Farmer on why venture funds now last 20 years and the hiring boom behind the layoffs
Jun 09, 2026
Auren Hoffman

Chris Farmer is the founder and CEO of SignalFire, an early stage venture firm managing over $3 billion. 

In this episode of Summation, Chris and Auren discuss:

  • why the time to return 1x has stretched to 9+ years and funds are lasting 20 years
  • the engineering hiring boom hiding behind the layoff headlines
  • the five functions of a VC firm and the one place data helps the least
  • why almost all conventional career advice is now bad

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Chris Farmer on X at @chriswfarmer


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