Zen Archery, Flywheels + Houses of Cards

I learned a lesson 20 years ago that I’ve carried with me ever since. Whenever I look at a business, I can’t help but think about it in terms of “motions”, discrete actions that, taken together, either combine to create a fluid, self-reinforcing whole or (much more often), tug and strain at each other in continue…

Headcount is Destiny

The best startup CEOs are master storytellers, weaving a vision of the future so compelling that investors and prospective employees fight for a seat on the rocketship. As a startup investor or student of business organizations, it’s helpful to develop some simple heuristics that can help you get beyond the bullshit to see what’s really continue…

Waterfront Seattle

A month ago I got a call from a civic leader I hugely admire asking me to join the board of Friends of Waterfront Seattle. I knew I’d say yes from the minute she asked; today that decision became official; this post explains why it matters and why you should care. Friends of what? Unless continue…

Techstars Seattle Diversity Update: New Data, New Approaches

Earlier this year, I posted about my failure to attract founders from underrepresented groups to Techstars Seattle and asked for help from the community. I received an incredible response, both in the public comments on that post and – even more powerfully – in private outreach from leaders in a wide range of underrepresented communities.Thank continue…

The Venture Capital Stack + Regional Seed VC

I’ve been repeating myself more than usual, which is usually a sign that I need to write something down… I’ve written before about the valuation stack in venture capital (or how a startup is like a t-shirt), and more recently on how institutional LPs view regionally-focused managers. This piece ties those two ideas together to shed light on continue…

Roadmaps and Consensus Reality for VC-Backed Startups

It’s essential to have friends who make you think. Venkat Rao is my most reliably mind-expanding friend; his Ribbonfarm blog and newsletter regularly rewire my brain with new frameworks and unexpected perspectives. This post was inspired by his latest newsletter / tweetstorm: Roadmapping for Flatlanders (go ahead and read it, I’ll wait). Because I spend nearly continue…