[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] Exceptional managers demonstrate process discipline and high-touch relationship crafting. The myth of institutional vs. personal is a false binary. Sophistication in process … Continue reading Tactical Notes: Institutional is Personal
[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 best LPs are intellectual partners — equal in vision, asymmetric in pressure-testing. LPs are mission-critical partners, not passive capital. Too many … Continue reading Tactical Notes: LPs Are Not a Line Item
Complexity masquerades as flexibility— but it often creates the very fragility it claims to prevent. No one likes high fragmentation and complexity. Many small vendors lead to inefficient purchasing decisions, and someone needs to train you on all these new machines and vendors. You could start releasing design documents on usage patterns. Or perhaps there … Continue reading Why Layers Lie: Careful with Overlays in Defense Resilience
[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
In private equity we throw around convictions a lot, or talk about what we believe. But: that's not the same. Conviction in defense is not measured by capability alone, but by credible intent to act. The same applies to venture capital: your portfolio is a map of what you’re willing to stand behind when it … Continue reading Writing The Check Isn’t Just An Act Of Confidence — It’s A Signal Of Ethical Clarity.
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.
IPOs and Beyond - A Guide to Exit Options for Companies by Blake Kim and Quinten Burgunder, Andreessen Horowitz
Fred Wilson has written about Un-SAFE notes. In a nutshell: they're not less expensive, and they hide some dilution problems when stacked. Because that's not always obvious, here is an Excel Worksheet to play around with. >> Download the Excel Worksheet. << The worksheet uses some circular references, so go to File > Options > … Continue reading SAFE Notes – Excel Worksheet Attached
In May, Neeraj Agrawal and Logan Bartlett from Battery Ventures published a great presentation on the 2019 Software market. The Telecoms, Media, and Technology Sector ("TMT") is a bit bigger. Over the past 10 years TMT exit volume has been steadily rising. Until 2019, there was no end in sight. VC-backed TMT Exit Volume Globally … Continue reading TMT Exits — No End in Sight?
