1/Every path is idiosyncratic & full of randomness + optionality and a ton of luck. My and our particular circumstances are totally distinct and nonlinear nor a priori prescribable. Only post facto describable and even at that not sure we accurately see all the paths and luck
2/ Our lens was become obsessively competitively knoweldgeable about a niche, expand from there, networked constantly, avoided boring (& boring) people, tried being useful and valuable to and appreciated by others...
3/ Had partnership that has been together forever from nothing to something, honest about our respective strengths and weaknesses enough so that we can chide each other (ex I talk way too much; am too cynical and get one-itis obsessed especially around some new book or idea)...
4/ And everyone is intellectually and emotionally very different. If two people are alike in a team one of em is unnecessary. One of us is always annoying another at some point over something that in hindsight will prove trivial.
5/ we also treat our investors the way we would want to be treated with bad news upfront + lots of info, and low set expectations, being long term greedy (when we’ve seen peers do the opposite) and build long term goodwill
6/ and I disagree deeply w/ Reid Hoffman here, we treat firm as family. Family always come first, nobody should miss a child’s event or ever have to think twice about being in an office for facetime. Team can take family trips whenever so long as they are on top of their Boards
