Aaron Rudenstine

This is the company that effectively killed the big bookstores and then started opening big bookstores. They’re pissing on those grave sites to water the seedlings from the trees they chopped down. Ruthless. Brilliant. Amazon.¹

Intellectual: While early-stage VC is technically within the realm of finance, it requires knowledge that extends well beyond any one field: technology, product development, design, branding, psychology, history, mathematics, manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, operations, and human resources. Depending on the company and pitch, I often rely upon a combination of these disciplines, many of wh…

Challenging: I’ve learned that it’s really damn hard to be a great venture investor. One needs to be conversant in many disciplines and have a variety of skills: networking, negotiating, spotting trends, reading founders, understanding psychology, maintaining conviction in the face of opposition, providing advice, analyzing markets, supporting my founders and partners, etc. Additionally, venture is incredibly dynamic because the world is always changing. There are many va…