It’s not just from VCs — The last few months have been a confusing time for founders and investors. As a founder who’s gone through accelerators like YC and raised formal seed rounds to the total of $3.5 million, I’m hearing mixed signals from the market. On the one hand, everyone is freaking out about the…

It’s not always about you. — If you’re a founder going through a tough raise, I want to say this: Success of your raise is NOT a proxy of your worth or building a successful company. Every respectable investor I’ve spoken to admits that they can be wrong about passing on your company. Many things are…

Stop losing your credibility over a slide. — Over the last few years, I’ve provided feedback to my friends and colleagues on their pitch decks. As a former venture capitalist, I’ve probably seen a few hundred pitch decks, and built a few, now that I’m on the other side as a founder. …

From a former Softbank investor and YC founder — Cheat sheets were permitted in some of my finance courses back in college. The great thing about cheat sheets is that it helps free my brain space from propositional knowledge, so I can focus on solving complex problems. Of course, knowing all cause-and-effect relationships to derive my own formulas would…

My ideal lifestyle now, not tomorrow. Optimizing energy, not time. — In early 2022, I decided to pack my things in LA and go live in Lisbon for a month with nine other strangers. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that my room would be one of ten in a large house with an amazing view of Lisbon…

Let’s get out of the bubble. Let’s wake up. Before getting started, I want to make it clear that the purpose of this article is NOT to distract people from the salience of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There is a reason I titled calls it “second-order” conflicts…

Yes, the one from “Cooking with Paris”. No, not in the metaverse. Not yet anyway. Last fall, I had spent a month co-living and co-working with two dozen or so creators and founders in a Beverly Hills mansion where Paris Hilton and Cardi B once lived. It’s not a reality…

Heard of the 10-minute YC interview? Mine lasted 40. Heard that an email means rejection? I got an email and an offer. Here’s how I made it. — Twice a year, Y-Combinator has an open call for applications, this time for Summer batch of 2022. For those who are less familiar with the start-up world, Y-Combinator is the oldest, and arguably the most prolific start-up accelerator in the world. …

Why asymmetric outcomes are likelier than you might think — There is a real profession out there that rewards you millions of dollars if you’re right 50% of the time. In fact, you’ll be rewarded handsomely even if you’re right 20–30% of the time. The profession? Venture capital. This boggled my mind. In school, 50% means failing. In any job…