“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
A regular question of my students at UC Berkeley is "How do I select my first/next job? How do I know the culture is right for me?" Paraphrasing Jordan B. Peterson When a society is corrupt, then the powerful rule. When a society isn't corrupt, then the great have authority. What is greatness? When the … Continue reading Startup Culture Observations
There is a fundamental truth: Almost all ideas are wrong. It doesn't matter if they are your ideas or someone else's ideas. They are probably wrong. And even if they strike you with the force of brilliance, your job is to assume, first of all, that they're probably wrong, and then to assault them with … Continue reading Almost All Ideas are Wrong.
[There are countless obvious lessons from Jocko's books and podcasts that apply to all people and all companies. Here are some insights that might be less obvious from the last #muster.] As board members and VC investors, we often get asked: "What are your other companies and CEOs doing? Am I a good leader?" Most … Continue reading Jocko and Startups: Am I a good Leader?
Last Christmas break (wow - nine months ago!) I watched Laura Vanderkam's great 11-minute TED talk on "How to gain control of your free time". Rather than say "I don't have time to do x, y or z," she would say "I don't do x, y or z because it's not a priority." "I don't have time," often … Continue reading Priorities and Time Management.
