1/5 We are looking for those #RareBreed entrepreneurs, those entrepreneurs of all kinds who are typically in markets in the US that are over looked or unseen. We like to support these entrepreneurs as early as possible with real capital and wraparound services #vc #startup

Traction is one of the clearest signs that a company is taking off. When I evaluate deals, I look for proof in the core metrics: - revenue growing month over month - users coming back consistently - low churn or strong retention - customer acquisition that’s repeatable, not just a few lucky wins Traction is evidence that you’re creating value. That customers want what you’ve built, keep coming back, and are willing to pay for it. When that proof is strong, fundraising changes. You spend less time trying to convince investors the business works, and more time deciding who you want around the table.

Had the pleasure of attending the @semafor World Economy Summit where I met amazing people including powerhouse Africa-focused female investors Chi Achebe and @faithmight. Also attended the Age of Africa event hosted by my co-GP @MichaelSerwadda of @Velocityhq_. So grateful for the connections made.

What separates great founders from everyone else is how they process problems. Domain expertise → they know where the bottlenecks hide. Patience → they’re willing to sit with the problem longer than everyone else. Research pattern matching → they connect dots across users, competitors, and history. Execution → they ship in the real world Feedback loops → they learn fast because customers are in the process. Scale instinct → once something works, they package it, standardize it, and repeat it.

1/15 Here are common mistakes made on each slide I look for in a deck. -Intro -Problem -Solution -Market Size -Business Model -Traction -Pipeline -3-5 Year Projections -Go-to-Market Strategy -Competition -Team -Ask -Closing #vc #startup #funding #pitch

What an amazing day to see @RarebreedVC portfolio company @giftearlybird acquired by @acorns !

We are excited to share that portfolio company @giftearlybird has officially been acquired by @acorns! Congrats to @jordan_wexler, @CalebFrankel, and the entire team at EarlyBird! We're proud to have been one of the company's earliest investors, investing at the pre-seed stage.

Weak non-competes are a key ingredient for innovation. This is well studied by AnnaLee Saxenian's book, 'Regional Advantage'. In the book, she compared the rise of Silicon Valley vs. the stalling of Massachusetts' Route 128 during the 1980s. She credits lack of non-competes and rapid IP transfer/iteration in Silicon Valley as the reason why SV thrived. Massachusetts, in comparison, had strict non-competes--which stalled iteration and innovation. Looks like Florida has weakened itself with an unnecessary own goal with this new policy.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a solo sport. The founders who win: - Share knowledge - Learn relentlessly - Empower others - Equip teams - Build connections Because in the long run, it’s not just what you build. It’s who you build with.

If you’d like to pitch, please share the following: 1. The name of your company 2. The problem you’re solving and how big it is 3. A quick overview of your solution 4. Your unfair advantage and why customers choose you 5. Traction and how you make money

This is true, I don't know the data behind it. But that's why I love how @RarebreedVC and @MacConwell approach their work and founders. They ask questions like "what have you done for yourself today?" THEY care about the founders as a person. Being a founder is hard, and they get it.

Season 11 is now streaming on @X 🔥 You think you know the world of venture capital, but you really don't. We documented the entire process as ten founders converged in Miami, FL to pitch eight legendary VCs. The result? $4.5 million invested in startups on season 11👇 Here is every episode... Featuring: renowned pre-seed investor @chudson 🤩 'hilariously early' anti-VC @dunkhippo33 🦛 magically weird investor @cyantist 🦄 renaissance woman @ManusJillian ❤️‍🔥 pr rainmaker @beckbamberger 🚁 unicorn hunter @MacConwell 🧨 saas expert @PascalUnger 🚀 phenom @paigefinnn 🪽 We're telling the true story of how venture deals get done. DO NOT miss this season! These founders are literally changing the world. Subscribe to 'The Pitch' wherever you get your podcasts YouTube:youtube.com/watch?v=2DvnOIQ5… Spotify:open.spotify.com/show/0L04op… Apple:apple.co/thepitch *$2.2M from VCs on The Pitch, $2.4M from listeners (see thepitch.fund)

We have over 70 investors on our cap table (including 10 VC funds). Investors that have been the most helpful are 1) VC funds that have more than an option check in us (if you are less than a 1% position of a fund, don't expect much after the first weeks 2) A small group of angels that want to engage meaningfully (10% of our angels) 3) Understand the critical things that matter to early stage companies (talent, customers, capital) and don't waste time with noise (i.e. events, general catch up calls w/no prep).

Calling all women in AI 🙋‍♀️ @theaifurnace & I will be hosting a power women in AI dinner in NYC! This is the first of many events and initiatives as we build a community of women for women in AI. If you're a female founder, operator or investor who identifies as such, fill out 👇

ATL, you owe me nothing! Thank you to the folks that joined us for our @trueventures dinner. It was a great time and conversation. We were lucky to meet you. Thanks @jamesoliverjr and team for having me last night. Enjoyed sharing the journey with you all! ATL….Im out! ✌🏿

This is my quarterly reminder: If YOU ask for an intro and the person makes it, it’s YOUR job to respond first and quickly. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

hi but actually who climbs in nyc bc i’ve been searching for this community

I’m excited the Getting to $3m ARR online event we’re hosting is next wk! These days, a lot of founders are pretty good at doing customer development. But once you get a few customers who love your product, I see a lot of drop off in startups that can start to scale. More >>

Wow, what an amazing 2 years. My time going through the @KauffmanFellows program was truly life changing. Not only am I a better investor today with one of the most powerful networks anywhere, but I'm also a better leader and human with a new group of lifelong friends. Thank you