At the start of the new year I made a decision to formalize my reading practices by committing to read a minimum of one hour each day. So far it has been going great and I find that I’m reading a lot more than the minimum each day. I start reading at 6am and usually wrap up about 7:30am or 8am. I find it relaxing … Continue reading The Art of War Series – Part I – “Preparation”
I attended an annual meeting this week in San Francisco for one of the venture capital funds in our portfolio and I came away very impressed with not only the content shared at the meeting but by the people I met there as well. There were investors there from all over the world including China, Spain, Canada, Israel, India, and several other countries. What I … Continue reading Venture Capitalists Must Be Globally Minded
I attended a conference this week in San Francisco and had the opportunity to briefly talk one-on-one with several entrepreneurs that are in my opinion “world-changers.” One of the first conversations I had was with Payam Banazadeh, CEO and founder of Capella Space. Capella Space has developed a miniature, cube-shaped satellite that provides hourly, reliable, and persistent imagery of any location on the globe delivered … Continue reading Entrepreneurs Who Are Shooting For The Stars
The reason I started blogging was to contribute my small part to the entrepreneurial/venture capital ecosystem by sharing knowledge, insights, and experiences. I am not famous and I don’t know if I care to be. There are several individuals who have become widely known for their success and contribution to the ecosystem. People like Eric Ries who wrote the Lean Start-up; Ben Horowitz who wrote … Continue reading Starting Your Own Venture Investment Fund
In 2008 I was working as a financial advisor in Chicago for a large insurance company. The job was 100% commission-based and I was responsible for paying for absolutely all of my expenses. The company didn’t provide anything to its advisors, not even basic necessities like printing paper or paperclips. I was 27 years old at the time and enjoyed what I was doing. … Continue reading The Challenge of Making Tough Decisions
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a fascinating technology that has been under development for decades. The premise of AI is that computers can be built to function like the human brain, endowed with the ability to think and reason. In the 50’s and 60’s scientists were convinced they could build such a machine, but later realized the computing power necessary to accomplish such a task did … Continue reading My Perspective on Hot Topics in Venture Part 2 – Artificial Intelligence
Unfortunately, I was sick most of the weekend, so on Sunday I forced myself to sit down and get some R&R. The worst part about being sick is, well, being sick. But the best part is that I usually have a lot of uninterrupted time to read. One of the books that I’ve been eager to read for some time is The Five Dysfunctions of … Continue reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
My son has 38 fidget spinners! In fact, his collection of fidget spinners practically doubled on Christmas day because my wife and I bought him a large box full of them as Christmas present. About a year ago, purchasing a box full of fidget spinners and not breaking the bank, would have been impossible. Now, every store we go to there are piles of fidget … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of Fidget Spinners
At the end of each year I like to reflect on things I’d like to improve on in the following year. As such, I’ve decided to perform a SWOT analysis on myself to thoroughly assess where I am and where I want to go. A SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. No matter the industry, all businesses and organizations regularly perform … Continue reading Self S.W.O.T Analysis
At the beginning of every day, I usually spend an hour or so reading a variety of different newsletters, articles, and blogs on the latest and greatest happenings in venture capital. It’s been a great way to stay current and keep a steady pulse on things. In the line of work I’m in, knowing what’s going on at all times is important for maintaining credibility … Continue reading My Perspective on Hot Topics in Venture Part 1 – Bitcoin
