.@balajis says every startup now needs a founding creator. Someone who speaks for the product before it ships. "The founding engineer is the how... The founding creator is the why." If you're outsourcing content, you're outsourcing your edge.

I’m always amazed how few investors can explain the specific thing they can do better than others. When I first asked Ramtin (@ramtinnaimi) this question, he gave one of the most specific answers I’ve heard (about how he helps founders end up owning more of their company, along with his specific method for doing so). He details that and a ton more in refreshingly honest fashion. He seems willing to answer any question about himself, and we explore his entire rags to riches to rags to riches story. The stuff on the intense parallels between art and investing is a first, too: how to work the playing field and win. A unique convo with an investor who has never done an interview like this before. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:25 The Art of Collecting 4:36 Parallels Between Art and Venture Capital 6:59 Challenges and Strategies in Art Collecting 18:19 The Role of Status and Reputation in Art 20:10 The Business of Art Galleries & Auction Houses 26:43 Building a Successful Venture Capital Firm 41:29 Leading Seed Financings 44:27 The Power of AngelList 46:40 Scaling and Building a Team 49:33 Identifying Exceptional Founders 52:32 The Importance of Dilution Sensitivity 54:18 Efficient Investment Processes 1:05:51 Winning Competitive Deals 1:15:29 The Value of Strong Board Members 1:21:37 The Importance of Personal Branding in VC 1:24:28 The Health of the AI Investment Ecosystem 1:28:11 Early Life and Entrepreneurial Beginnings 1:35:12 Starting a Hedge Fund and Lessons Learned 1:44:59 Building Abstract and Family Life 1:54:06 Insights on LPs and Venture Capital Trends 2:02:18 The Kindest Thing

I’m always amazed how few investors can explain the specific thing they can do better than others. When I first asked Ramtin (@ramtinnaimi) this question, he gave one of the most specific answers I’ve heard (about how he helps founders end up owning more of their company, along with his specific method for doing so). He details that and a ton more in refreshingly honest fashion. He seems willing to answer any question about himself, and we explore his entire rags to riches to rags to riches story. The stuff on the intense parallels between art and investing is a first, too: how to work the playing field and win. A unique convo with an investor who has never done an interview like this before. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:25 The Art of Collecting 4:36 Parallels Between Art and Venture Capital 6:59 Challenges and Strategies in Art Collecting 18:19 The Role of Status and Reputation in Art 20:10 The Business of Art Galleries & Auction Houses 26:43 Building a Successful Venture Capital Firm 41:29 Leading Seed Financings 44:27 The Power of AngelList 46:40 Scaling and Building a Team 49:33 Identifying Exceptional Founders 52:32 The Importance of Dilution Sensitivity 54:18 Efficient Investment Processes 1:05:51 Winning Competitive Deals 1:15:29 The Value of Strong Board Members 1:21:37 The Importance of Personal Branding in VC 1:24:28 The Health of the AI Investment Ecosystem 1:28:11 Early Life and Entrepreneurial Beginnings 1:35:12 Starting a Hedge Fund and Lessons Learned 1:44:59 Building Abstract and Family Life 1:54:06 Insights on LPs and Venture Capital Trends 2:02:18 The Kindest Thing

Primary topic at 5 of 6 Board meetings last week: How to redesign a startup org in the age of AI.