No agenda, no rush, no leaving San Francisco: Benchmark’s partners on investing in a frenzied market

The players sometimes change. I sat down with four of Benchmark’s partners three years ago, and three of those individuals are no longer with the firm. The capital commitments have changed, too. This summer, Benchmark announced $2 billion across two funds, marking only the second time in its 31-year history that it has veered from raising a far smaller vehicle. But at this week’s TechCrunch Disrupt, the venture firm’s five partners convincingly portrayed a close-knit team that’s not about to put the pedal to the metal, even as many of their rivals do exactly that. The world may be speeding up, but they’re investing at the pace Benchmark always has: just two or three new bets per year per partner. The world is drowning in information, yet their Monday partner meetings still have no agenda. And while economic indicators point to trouble ahead, they don’t seem too bothered, seeing many of the warning signs as products of X-fueled hysteria. Here’s what Benchmark’s five general partners — gathered together on our stage — had to say at the show. Some of the comments below have been edited for length and clarity; you can watch the full interview at the end of…