After my post "Who’s on the Other Side of That Trade?" a few weeks ago, I got some questions how to go deeper into behavioral finance in venture capital. Here are some links: Essential Reading David Tuckett – Conviction Narrative Theory: A Theory of Choice Under Radical UncertaintyDirectly relevant to venture investing under uncertainty. Explains … Continue reading Essential Readings — Behavioral Finance in Venture Capital
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
[This is one of the first 'Tactical Notes' - short-format observations that I jotted down some time ago, where I feel that this snippet is enough and no long format essay is necessary] The presence of capital events (funding rounds, M&A, fund strategy) can sometimes be over-ascribed to individual influence unless the narrative shows how … Continue reading Tactical Notes: The Weight of Capital Alone is not Proof of Superior Judgement
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/brilliantpeoplepodcast/episodes/Erik-Anderson-Founder--CEO-of-WestRiver-Group-and-Vice-Chair-of-Topgolf-Callaway-Brands-on-Leading-in-an-Exponential-World-e32t7u1/a-abuoet6 The cornerstone of high performing teams is safety: Safety to fail, safety to doubt, safety to speak your mind, safety to disagree, safety to make mistakes, safety to not have certainty. That doesn't mean you're not accountable -- you still have to own your mistakes. But safety is at the core, especially under radical … Continue reading Tactical Notes: When Teams Fail.
[This is one of the first 'Tactical Notes' - short-format observations that I jotted down some time ago, where I feel that this snippet is enough and no long format essay is necessary] Venture Capital today looks like Private Equity a decade ago. It is entering its own private equity era. Product alone is no … Continue reading Tactical Notes: Venture’s Distribution Reckoning
[Avoiding Hype, Serving the Mission] Sidenote: I had the pleasure of doing a (German) podcast interview with an incredibly smart host and experienced interviewer. It just aired today .. which I was not sure of it ever would, because (A) I don't think I was very succinct; and (B) there was very clear feedback that … Continue reading Six Innovation Fronts that Matter in Defense Tech
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.
