Feedback on feedback
Giving feedback to every founder is hard. It takes time and thought and you never know how people will take it. I won't always get it right.
Giving feedback to every founder is hard. It takes time and thought and you never know how people will take it. I won't always get it right.
It was nice to get some positive feedback on my feedback yesterday along with some for 7percent Ventures.
Link. Thank you Andy Ryan, 🚀James Freestone and Orri Bogdan.
Evening update - 19 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared that startup valuation is hard.
Had coffee with Mark Chasey of Oak Group.
Had my Important not Urgent day.
Received feedback about my feedback.
#LaterI
Have standup practice.
The valuation cliff
Startup valuation is a dark art. It's hard.
Startup valuation is a dark art. It's hard.
I keep a close eye on any startup whose most recent round was in the first half of last year or earlier.
All valuations dropped when we came back from holiday last year. Sometimes the 'now' valuation is not where it should be given that.
Evening update - 18 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Drove to Pilates with Joey Freeman of Pilates Core Club. (I am a fairweather walker, cyclist and Runna.)
Shared that you should feel the fear and do it anyway.
Was pitched by Romain Sestier of StackOne.
Was pitched by Ian Brewer of Forever Mortal.
Had a nice gap in my diary that seemed to disappear into the ether.
Had a quick call with Jonny Rosenblatt of Spacemade.
Caught up with Euan Cameron of Willo®.
#NowI
Have a call with Finn Murphy of Nebular.
Have a University of Sussex alumni mentoring onboarding meeting.
Feel the fear and do it anyway
Lean into the fear and try and do the things you are most fearful of.
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Lean into the fear and try and do the things you are most fearful of.
This is the fastest way to learn.
This is the fastest way to ensure that the next time you have to do something completely new you feel ready to go for it.
Thank you Daisy Harvey for bringing this phrase to my attention.
Evening update - 17 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared that selling is all important.
Had coffee with Barrie Baxter of Brixx Software.
Had coffee with Simon Livesey.
Attempted to clear some of my backlog.
Had a demo from Archie Hollingsworth of FyxerAI.
Chatted with L. Michael Meyer, CFA of MiddleGame Ventures.
#SoonI
Am heading to a very early sixteenth birthday dinner for my son.
#LaterI
Have to remember to take the bins out.
Selling is all important
A great product improves the world because it helps people or companies in some small way.
Selling is all important.
A great product improves the world because it helps people or companies in some small way.
It can't help if you can't sell it.
Evening update - 16 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Cycled to work.
Shared a genius marketing hack.
Started using DALL-E 3 to generate images for my posts.
Did a visit for a panel.
Attended lunch break meditation at Guille-Allès Library.
Had a postponement.
Worked on my narrative.
Spoke with Jennifer Mathisen and Matt Williams of KiDSiE.
#NowI
Am about to be pitched by Molly Johnson-Jones of Flexa.
#LaterI
Have to collect my son from table tennis.
Genius marketing hack
Genius marketing hack: add your startup to a list of banned apps to make it popular.
Genius marketing hack: add your startup to a list of banned apps to make it popular.
From the article (link in the comments):
When Wolfe Herd noticed signs outside local college lecture halls banning social media platforms in class, she hung additional signs, adding Bumble to the list.
No one knew what Bumble was yet, so when we associated ourselves with these products ... we inserted ourselves into the assumption that that would be the app that they would want to use in class,” she said. “All of a sudden, those downloads started going up.
Evening update - 13 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Attended the IoD Guernsey Branch breakfast on Guernsey public finances and taxation.
Had a quick coffee with Glen Tonks of Credit Suisse.
Had coffee with Michael Richards.
Shared my current view on building on top of LLMs.
Was pitched by Andrew 'Ando' Eniwumide of Happaning.
Had coffee with Jo Huxtable of Deloitte.
Was pitched by Leo Rogers of Linkable.
Realised I need to figure out my criteria and process for how to reengage with founders after a pass.
Was pitched by David Tejs Jørring of HealthKey.
#LaterI
Have a quick call with Scott Mackin.
#ThenI
Am going for pizza with my son.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Building on LLMs
There are a lot of founders building on top of LLMs or Foundation models right now. They are doing the right thing. You can build incredible products that couldn't be built yesterday. But a lot of people are building the same thing.
There are a lot of founders building on top of LLMs or Foundation models right now. They are doing the right thing. You can build incredible products that couldn't be built yesterday. But a lot of people are building the same thing.
It's an interesting and unusual inflection point where early traction will be easier but late traction will be harder when they collide.
Unless you're building something nobody else is.
Let me know.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 12 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared about maximally helping investee companies.
Met a couple of founders for prep.
Had coffee with Wendy Dorey of Dorey Financial Modelling.
Wasn't feeling well so postponed a couple of meetings to rest up before my Focal session. cc'ing Caitlin Rozario.
Received possibly the nicest piece of feedback I've ever had.
Hosted a Focal session with Markuss Rozins ✨️ and Espen Myklebust of bandit app.
#NowI
Feel much better and am heading to standup practice.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Help to the max
As an investor, one of your jobs is to maximally help the companies you invest in.
As an investor, one of your jobs is to maximally help the companies you invest in.
1. It's the right thing to do.
2. It gets you better returns.
3. It gets you a better reputation.
Don't be a guardian of information or advice or of other investors. Don't charge for anything. You are only hurting yourself.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 11 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared my framework for making fast decisions.
Had coffee with Hansen Canagareddy, FCCA, CFE, MIoD of SOS Real Estate Guernsey.
Had coffee with Andre Duquemin of Three Brain Training.
Was pitched by Anna Sandgren and Vineet Ahuja of Unibloom.
Was pitched by Sascha Evans of Uncommon.
Chatted with Marla Shapiro and Mau Messina of HERMESA.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Fast decisions
I try and make fast decisions. How can you do this and when should you?
I try and make fast decisions.
How can you do this and when should you?
1. Know your criteria.
2. Know how to assess if something meets those criteria.
3. Ask the right questions and do the right research to see if it does.
If you're stuck on a decision, you will usually be stuck on 1 or 2.
Figure out which of those it is and you will know what to do next to unblock yourself.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 10 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Cycled to work.
Shared about Focal demo day on Thursday.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Caught up with Hector Mason of Episode 1 Ventures and Focal.
Arranged to go on a podcast.
Had a postponement.
Had a call with Flora Gray and Barry Lawson of The Fund Incubator Limited.
Had coffee with James Le Gallez of KIWI.
#NowI
Am heading to a panel meeting.
Focal demo day is here
Focal demo day is here, 2pm-5pm this Thursday 12th.
Focal demo day is here, 2pm-5pm this Thursday 12th.
30 founders out of the 2,000 that applied will be pitching their startups to thousands of investors including Episode 1 Ventures, dmg ventures, Eka Ventures and me at unbundled vc.
Don't miss it.
The secret unbundled vc master plan (just between you and me)
The secret unbundled vc master plan (just between you and me) is now live.
The secret unbundled vc master plan (just between you and me) is now live.
Here is the summary:
1. Build incredible deal flow to choose from.
2. Invest exceptionally from that deal flow by investing intentionally.
3. Build in public to enable 1 & 2 and to generate future fund investors.
4. Raise a fund.
I'm not raising a fund yet but, if I was, how would you pitch me?
All feedback, positive or negative, is helpful.
Evening update - 6 October 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Had coffee with Christopher Smith of Ontik.
Had lunch with Cristian Cibrario.
Had ice cream with Farhan Lalji of LTV Capital.
Caught up with Jon Coker of Eka Ventures .
Got the train to Gatwick.
#NowI
Am waiting for my flight to be called.
Have a good weekend all.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Treat founders like clients
I try and treat founders like my clients. With transparency, reliability and respect.
I try and treat founders like my clients. With transparency, reliability and respect.
I don't always get it right. I'm always trying to learn.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic