I’ve led over 200 investments… and the best founders all had one thing in common: They knew why they were building the business. When I meet a founder, I’m not investing in my own vision. I’m underwriting their vision, and whether they have the clarity, energy, and drive to make

I was asked if startups must now get to cash flow positive after raising early stage VC. My take: No. VCs should not be interested in that. I want to invest in founders that consistently grow at least 15% MoM / 2.5x YoY AND they are burning $100-250K / mo. ✨

Today and every day, Anduril honors our heroes. Veterans are core to our mission. They make up over 13% of our employee base. That’s more than twice the share in the US Labor Force. We asked our employees to nominate their Veteran teammates to recognize their impact. Here's

I was asked if startups must now get to cash flow positive after raising early stage VC. My take: No. VCs should not be interested in that. I want to invest in founders that consistently grow at least 15% MoM / 2.5x YoY AND they are burning $100-250K / mo. ✨

This founder residency program led by my friends focal is really cool -- you get all the benefits of a top accelerator without the dilution. FOUNDERS: apply at https://t.co/w4sKC4vUd9.

One of the truth bombs I heard at hashtag#techcrunchdisrupt2025 —> “Product velocity for today’s incumbents is more accelerated than we’ve ever seen. Startups have to ship much, much faster to stay ahead now.” So true. Back when I started investing, it was tough for the big

Some things you just never get over. ❤️

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney Taking action is the first step towards achieving your goals. I see this all the time with founders - stop overthinking and start executing your plans.

Investors are drawn to compelling and meaningful stories.

the best founders: ✨share consistent updates (monthly or quarterly) ✨have a sense of their numbers at all times and include the most important KPIs in their update ✨use the update prep as a way to reflect on what is working / not working and what to focus on next

From one of my advisors who is a long-time angel: "I’ve been writing down my portfolio each month with 'spidey sense' assessments of founders whose updates have been getting fluffy. No numbers in the update = not a good sign."

One of our founders successfully negotiated up a lowball valuation offer even though they were a bit hesitant to ask. If your metrics are good, do not be afraid to push back on valuation. VCs will work with founders of companies they like, even in a market that feels rough.

It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. I used to have a professor say ideas are worth 1% of the value of a business. I think today, it's even less.

Small funds often embrace technology to streamline fund operations and improve decision-making processes. Leveraging data and tools can provide a competitive edge, making a fund more agile and responsive to market changes. 📊📈

Wise words i heard recently at a portco board meeting: being engineering constrained is always where you want to be as a startup, which means the sales team is selling, and new product can't be built fast enough to satisfy demand.

Do you practice your pitch with friendlies first? Practice your pitch rigorously, rehearsing it multiple times in early meetings with friendly investors. This not only boosts your confidence but also allows you to fine-tune your delivery for maximum impact.

Most founders will sell 20-25% in a seed round right now, up from 15-20% a few years ago. Selling 20% is reasonable 99% of the time.

Just talked with a VC friend who invested in a pre-seed founder before the product was built... *but* they already had 4 customer LOIs signed. I tell founders all the time that even pre-seed companies have an early version of the tech built before they raise that first round.

I think you've truly made it when you hear of someone else's success and are genuinely happy for them, with zero feelings of FOMO, jealousy, "I should be further along than I am", or anything else remotely negative.

Know your numbers inside and out. ✍️ Be ready to answer detailed questions about your financials. Confidence in your data builds investor trust and shows you have a firm grasp on your business’s metrics.

Loyal customers are your best advocates. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals by consistently delivering exceptional value and experiences - a reward program can't hurt either.

Only 5% of freelancers/gig workers file estimated quarterly tax payments. 👀👀👀

Squarespace was my go to website builder for basic websites, but I am guessing newer/better ones have surfaced post-AI boom. ❓ What AI-based website builders do you like ❓ I have an early founding team of a media startup that already has a successful community and podcast