Concept: Taking notes is not about capturing what was said. It is not about capturing "insights". It is all about capturing what creates alpha. On Talk and Panel Selection Make sure that more than half of your time is spent talking with people (d'oh!). Choose 80% of talks in areas that should be front and … Continue reading Mastering Conference Note-Taking for Investment Insights and Alpha
I just recently heard the interview with Meghan Reynolds, Partner and Head of Capital Formation & Talent at Altimeter Capital. Meghan acknowledges that venture capital is hard, driven by outliers, and rarely do we have a home run, but often many failures (large and small). She has a pretty simple and brilliant framework for communicating … Continue reading Communication, Easy as PIE: Problem, Impact, Exposure
“Client-Deserving” capital formation ≠ Fundraising. Fundraising is a sales motion. Capital formation is a design motion. In a world flooded with noise and "access," the only durable strategy is one that earns the right to partner. The best LPs don’t respond to persuasion—they respond to alignment, clarity, and operational readiness. We don’t "close" LPs. We … Continue reading Capital Formation is Not Fundraising
LPs learn more from your process than your pitch deck. Are you organized? Responsive? Insightful? Do you deliver clarity under pressure or confusion under polish? Your materials, cadence, and language are not "just" collateral—they are proof of partnership potential and your team's trajectory. "We do not have access to our inner works and feelings, so … Continue reading How You Do Anything is How You Do IR
