Founder skills I am looking for
Founders, the key skills I am looking for are sales, decision-making and tenacity.
Founders, the key skills I am looking for are sales, decision-making and tenacity.
Sales because you have to sell to investors, you have to sell your product and you have to convince great people to come and work with you.
Decision-making because your startup probably won't look like you expect it to on day one and you need to navigate that process exceptionally and intentionally.
Tenacity because there will be many low points on your journey and you need to both fight through them mentally and be able to grind through a many-year journey.
I am looking for exceptional in one or all of those areas.
Does that sound like you or anyone you know?
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 25 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Posted about incentives informing outcomes.
Took the kids to school.
Flew to London.
Had coffee with and was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Had coffee with 🌈 Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed.
Started working through the long Focal shortlist.
#NowI
Am heading out to meet Daniel Sozonov of Unison.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
The power of incentives
I've experienced this first-hand. When I was at school, I had a job at AutoTrader when it was just a magazine, before the internet. We had to phone people who had ads in the local paper and sell them on a photographer coming round to take a picture of their car to put in the magazine.
"Show me the incentive and I'll show you the outcome" - Charlie Munger.
I've experienced this first-hand. When I was at school, I had a job at AutoTrader when it was just a magazine, before the internet. We had to phone people who had ads in the local paper and sell them on a photographer coming round to take a picture of their car to put in the magazine.
It was commission only, zero salary, and I did well.
It switched to basic plus limited commission and I did poorly.
I felt I was working just as hard but I couldn't have been. The incentive determined the outcome.
I've since seen this many times in my career. It will affect you and the people around you.
Make sure your incentives match your desired outcome. Watch the incentives of the people around you to predict their outcomes.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 24 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared about going beyond your comfort zone.
Took the kids to Easter Camp.
Chatted with Kai Junghanns.
Was pitched by Alexandra Sheeran and Kerri Sheeran of TALY Subscriptions.
Had a call with an investor.
Was pitched by Charlotte Caleb of elleven world.
Had a call with another investor.
Took my kids for their bi-weekly injections.
Made an intro for R&D tax credit advice.
#NowI
Have to pack for London tomorrow.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Beyond the comfort zone
To be an exceptional founder or investor, you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
To be an exceptional founder or investor, you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Without that, you won't achieve or learn what you need to achieve.
The advice to struggle and suffer doesn't mean ignoring your mental health. Running can help with that.
Thank you Runna for today's motivation.
Evening update - 21 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared a hack for producing content.
Took the kids to Easter Camp.
Had coffee with a founder.
Chatted with Ariella Vildan Young of Silicon Valley Bank and Alma Angels about the panel she is hosting that I am going to be on.
Caught up with Euan Cameron of Willo®.
Had coffee with Barrie Baxter of Brixx Software.
Spoke with Daniel Blondel of BTP Chartered Surveyors who is helping us build our house.
Collected the kids from Easter Camp.
#NowINeedTo
Do my fantasy football team then feed the kids.
Have a great weekend all!
Producing content hack
If there aren't two or three things you learnt or resonated strongly with you, you shouldn't have listened. Write about those.
Producing content hack: listen to podcasts.
If there aren't two or three things you learnt or resonated strongly with you, you shouldn't have listened. Write about those.
If there's something you disagree with, write about that.
If there's something you're not sure about or don't understand, ask your audience.
It doesn't have to be podcasts, you can do this with anything.
The content is out there.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 20 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared I have been working through and highly recommend Y Combinator's Startup School Online.
Took the kids to Easter Camp.
Spoke with Cyril Lutterodt of Black Seed about his fund and mission.
Had my Important Not Urgent day.
Collected the kids from Easter Camp.
Fed them.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Y Combinator’s Startup School
The most important content is best summarised with YC's motto - make something people want. Talk to your customers, get feedback as soon as possible, have tight feedback loops and iterate fast.
I've been working my way through Y Combinator's free Startup School Online.
The most important content is best summarised with YC's motto - make something people want. Talk to your customers, get feedback as soon as possible, have tight feedback loops and iterate fast.
I couldn't recommend it more highly to founders and investors.
https://www.startupschool.org/
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 19 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared the upcoming deadline for Focal's demo day.
Took the kids to Easter Camp.
Chatted with Taos Edmondson, CFA of dmg ventures and Focal.
Had coffee with Victoria Holyoak and found out about her upcoming product launch.
Asked for startup lawyer recommendations. Thank you everyone who helped.
Spoke with Daniel Sozonov of Unison.
Caught up with Larisa Budaeva of Nation.better.
Was pitched by Rui Mirra Santos of GoWizi.
#NowIHaveTo
Collect the kids from Easter Camp.
Drop one at and collect him from football training.
Have our season finale Pizza and Mandalorian Night.
Lawyer recommendations please
Founders, can you recommend a lawyer for a pre-seed round, please?
Founders, can you recommend a lawyer for a pre-seed round, please?
Ideally, you've used them yourself.
Looking for that magical sweet spot of good and relatively inexpensive!
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Focal demo day deadline approaches
Founders, Focal is a demo day supported by over 100 VCs (and me!)
Founders, Focal is a demo day supported by over 100 VCs (and me!)
This is a great chance to get their attention and thousands of other investors with just one application.
Run by Hector Mason of Episode 1 Ventures, Taos Edmondson, CFA of dmg ventures and Jack Richardson of Focal, your deadline is 24th April.
What are you waiting for?
https://www.gofocal.vc/
Evening update - 18 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Posted about Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Dropped the kids at Easter Camp.
Was pitched by Julia Shareiko-Jensen of to500in100.
Had coffee with Alasdair Milroy of Breaking the Mould Accounting.
Attended a Holocaust Remembrance Day event. Thank you Darren Vogel for organising.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Chatted with Sanjay Bowry of Vita Mojo.
Holocaust Remembrance Day
We remember those who died and we remind ourselves that without vigilance this could happen to anyone.
Today is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
I am not religious. I am Jewish.
We remember those who died and we remind ourselves that without vigilance this could happen to anyone.
Look out for your freedoms, look out for discrimination against anyone and remember that if you don't speak up, who will.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 17 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Posted about the sunk cost fallacy.
Took my sons to Easter Holiday Camp because my wife is away.
Met someone for coffee.
Had a pre-podcast prep call with Aarish Shah of Nothing Ventured.
Chatted with Cat Middleton of The Venture Collective (TVC) and heard about how they invest in underrepresented founders.
Made an investment commitment.
#NowIHaveToFinishEarlyAnd
Collect my sons.
Referee my son's football birthday party.
Feed them.
Pass out.
Sunk cost fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy is brutal. It makes you persist when it's very wrong to do so.
Sunk cost fallacy is brutal. It makes you persist when it's very wrong to do so.
Reframe the question: if you were at this point for zero cost would you stop?
If so stop, if not persist.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 14 Apr 23
Today We…
#TodayWe (Dylan Cohen and I)
(I) shared that I'd never been to a music festival.
Had a late postponement due to ill health (not ours).
Met Isabella Sumner (currently raising 🙌🏻 🌱) and Till Janz of InHaus.ai for coffee and lunch.
Caught up quickly with Euan Cameron of Willo®.
Made our way to Gatwick.
#NowWe
Are waiting for our flight home to Guernsey.
#TopTip
itsu has great sushi and, as importantly, power sockets.
Have a great weekend everyone.
What have you never done that you're embarrassed to admit
It's the first day of Coachella and I'm embarrassed to admit I've never been to a music festival.
It's the first day of Coachella and I'm embarrassed to admit I've never been to a music festival.
What have you never done that you're embarrassed to admit?
Don't leave me on my own here, please!
Evening update - 13 Apr 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared why I deliberately don't focus on particular investment areas.
Flew to London.
Had coffee with Hoa Doan, Alex Lushnikov, Josh Smith, Anthony Collias, Dylan Cohen and Anita Borishade at 116 Pall Mall (pic below).
Went with my family to see my father-in-law in hospital.
Had dinner with Daniel Sozonov and Rory Popert of Unison.
What areas are you interested in right now
I often get asked by founders, "What areas are you interested in right now?"
I often get asked by founders, "What areas are you interested in right now?"
I deliberately don't have any. Some of my best opportunities I wasn't interested in until I heard about them from the founders.
I do have strong views about the world which influence my decisions.
If you're interested, ask me specific questions about the world, future, sectors or anything in the comments and I will either answer them there or in a future post.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic