WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:03.080 This is the Startup Sales Safe podcast. 2 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:06.879 Thank you for junion you as a favor like, subscribe 3 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:09.119 on YouTube or LinkedIn, and be sure to give us 4 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:13.320 your feedback. Hope you enjoyed this episode. Hello everyone, thanks 5 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:16.079 for joining us today. Welcome to a brand new episode 6 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.519 of Startups. They'll say, as always, I'm your host, Anthony Prakash, 7 00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:23.039 and today I am joined by a very special guest, 8 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:26.480 Ernest Sweat. He's joining me from not too far from 9 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:29.960 here in the Bay Area. We'll jump into why Ernest 10 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:33.679 is here, his mission, and what he is doing very shortly, 11 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:35.799 but before that, I wanted to welcome you all to 12 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:38.679 the twenty fifth edition of Startups. They'll say, it's this 13 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.960 very special episode, and I'm so glad that Ernest has 14 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:44.679 agreed to be as a guest on this particular podcast. 15 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:47.000 I also want to thank all of my previous guests 16 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:50.119 we've been on this podcast. It's almost ten months since 17 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:52.679 I started this and little did I imagine I'll get 18 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.600 to a twenty fifth episode. So thanks to all of 19 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:59.479 you for your tremendous support. That Ernest welcome to Startups. 20 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:00.520 We'll say, thank you. 21 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:02.719 For having me, Anthony. I am honored to be your 22 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.280 twenty fifth guest, and as a fellow podcaster, I think 23 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.879 people outside of podcasting world don't understand how big of 24 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.079 an achievement that is. Like it's I can't remember what 25 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.040 the stat is, but I believe around ninety percent of 26 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:19.359 podcast phil Or they stop cease to make a new 27 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:23.040 episode after episode ten. So you've already you're in rare air. 28 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:25.640 But it's about consistency and keep going. 29 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:28.239 Yeah, thank you for that. Honest, I didn't know that statistic. 30 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:30.159 I mean, you know, for me, it's just been so 31 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.480 much fun doing this and just getting to learn from 32 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:36.280 people like you. So why don't we just start with 33 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.319 a little bit of background in your own words about yourself? 34 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:42.760 You know whatether, I know you wear a variety of hats. 35 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.239 The number of hats I can't even imagine. But maybe 36 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:48.560 you just talk to people about currently. I know, literally 37 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.400 you're wearing one, but I mean, in honesty, you're wearing 38 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.040 so many others. Why don't you just tell us a 39 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:55.400 little bit about yourself? Yeah? 40 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:57.719 Yeah, So I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. I 41 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.400 start there because I built a lot of kind of 42 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:04.079 values and approach to life that I have not just 43 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:06.760 because of the place, but more importantly, like my two 44 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:10.840 pillars on my parents. And so my father was a 45 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:15.159 computer compsigrad who then went to work for the state 46 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:18.680 and be the director of it for their workforce development agency. 47 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.360 And on top of that people talk about the hats 48 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.680 that I wear. He was also a full time pastor, 49 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:26.520 so that whole like, you know, being able to balance 50 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:28.759 an act and you can be a full person even 51 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:31.520 though as humans we always try to like box people 52 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:34.080 in just so we can take on all the information. 53 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:36.520 He was living proof of that and inspiration. And then 54 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.000 my mother who in our own right just like phenomenal person. 55 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:43.240 She has always been an educator, and so she taught 56 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.439 in public schools and Little Rock for about forty years, 57 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.719 half of that being in Pe. And then around when 58 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:52.360 I started going to high school about to go to college, 59 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.159 she went back to school and then became a science 60 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.840 teacher in middle school. And so they those careers choices 61 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:00.840 of theirs really put it imprint on me and my 62 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.599 sister is like, you want something where you can earn 63 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:06.879 a living but also be able to constantly feed your 64 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.800 desire to learn, which they had to do in their careers. 65 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:12.039 And then the cherry on top is if you can 66 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.639 find something where you're using those learnings to literally invest 67 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.560 in other people's success. And so they did that as teachers, preachers, 68 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:24.199 government workers. And when I actually found Venture, I was like, 69 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:26.680 all right, this is like a through line to kind 70 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:28.639 of what our sweat mantra is. 71 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:32.319 Beautiful story. I mean, it's amazing how many of us 72 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:35.800 get so inspired by our parents. A lot of people, 73 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.960 I mean even my friends. You know their dads, the doctors, 74 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.400 they end up being a doctor. The mom's a teacher, 75 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:43.199 they end up being a teacher or a nurse. I 76 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:46.319 mean during our childhood we don't realize it, but over 77 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:48.280 a period of time, I mean we realize that it's 78 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:50.960 in our DNA, that's our mission in life as well. 79 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.240 I mean, so beautiful story. They're honest since little Rock 80 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:57.599 and you know your college and I've seen that you've 81 00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:01.680 been a consultant in a financial services firm. You were 82 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.960 a founder by yourself, and what you're trying to do 83 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:09.199 to pave the way for the next generation of founders. 84 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:12.280 So I know it's a long and arduous journey. I'm 85 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.199 sure right. I mean, you've had a fun, a lot 86 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:18.600 of fun along the way to realize saying Okay, I'm ernest. 87 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.279 This is my mission in life to go help the 88 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:24.040 next generation of founders do my own fund. If you 89 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:26.120 will talk to us a little bit about you know, 90 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.639 how did you come to the realization that this is 91 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.399 what was your calling at least from a professional perspective 92 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.720 from where you were. I mean, you obviously took your 93 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:37.600 first job. I guess that came right out of college 94 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:40.600 where you were just tell us a little bit about that. 95 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:43.319 Yeah, Like most people, I like finding your and I 96 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.279 put them one in the same. I think your vocation 97 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:49.000 can be a purpose in calling that helps be kind 98 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.160 of the catalyst to other things that you're passionate about, 99 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:55.399 or your influence or even just your responsibility as somebody 100 00:04:55.439 --> 00:05:01.360 with talent, time and resources. And so for me finding venture, 101 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.959 it wasn't until of all places, New Delhi, India, where 102 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:06.240 I found I was like, oh, this is what I 103 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:07.759 want to do for the rest of my life. So 104 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:12.199 to not bury the lead. Had experience as an equity 105 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:16.319 research analyst, then a failed founder in the world of 106 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.040 kind of like future of work in at tech and 107 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.639 that experience in Sunsetting that that company led me to 108 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.560 go to a business school at Kellogg in the Chicago 109 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.879 Land area, and I had every intention kind of to 110 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:31.639 either kick the can down the road and just be 111 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:34.920 like a management consultant, or if I was lucky to 112 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:38.920 find a you know, startup, to be the first, second 113 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:43.120 or third business hire for them. And I came across 114 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:48.560 this opportunity through Kellogg to work at an international venture 115 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:51.199 firm and be placed there for the summer, and so 116 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:54.439 I applied, I got in, and I was placed in 117 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:57.519 New Delhi for an organization called Central Square, which I 118 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:00.959 had a venture firm under the Umbrella organ and I 119 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.199 got placed in New Delhi, India. And so that experience, 120 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:07.480 despite in the summer it being one hundred and seventeen 121 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:14.040 degrees fahrenheit, you know, it was a blast. I loved it. 122 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:16.519 I saw how I could take my experience from equity 123 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.680 research and apply it to the private markets and just 124 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.279 the things everything I've been missing in other career stops. 125 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.399 It answered right. Having the ability to talk to a 126 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.439 ton of people, having the ability to thesis, build and 127 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:32.319 then putting skin in the game. Had everything that I wanted. 128 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:35.040 And so that's what really motivated me not to had 129 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:37.879 every intention to move back to New York after business school. 130 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:40.519 But that gave me the inspiration. I was like, hey, 131 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:42.279 maybe I should probably look out to the Bay Area. 132 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.720 So that's what brought me out to the Bay. It 133 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:48.519 made me kind of like zero in to venture got it. 134 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.680 Got it along the way said and I said, you 135 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.639 were a failed founder as well, I'm pretty sure you 136 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.720 maybe think about it, learnings from it, whatnot. And then 137 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.639 I mean, you obviously to a lot of founders today, 138 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:04.879 whether it's just to consult with them or as part 139 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.959 of your VC role, if you're well, what are the 140 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.879 sort of learnings that you got being a founder that 141 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:14.839 I mean might have formed your principles on? Okam, I mean, 142 00:07:14.920 --> 00:07:17.800 here are some of the pain points founders go through. 143 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.079 How can I help circumnavigate some of those things? And 144 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:22.680 you know, in today's world. 145 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.600 And then it's a great question because one thing I 146 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:30.199 look for I've always looked for, but I'm really looking 147 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.240 for now in founders is their ability and their team's 148 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.319 ability to have learning velocity. And what I mean from 149 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:39.120 that is like when they get information from the market 150 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:41.079 that might be a hidden insight, or whether they get 151 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.399 like smacked in the face from competition or a mistake 152 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:47.360 with a customer, they're able to take that learning and 153 00:07:47.480 --> 00:07:51.399 quickly iterate on it to then get escape velocity as 154 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:54.560 fast about and so being able to always take information 155 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.360 figure out what to do next move I needed to 156 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:02.040 apply in my own life as well. So yeah, without 157 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:06.000 that framework in mind, I came across it. But when 158 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.040 it looks back at like, hey, my company failed because 159 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:13.639 I picked a really tough go to market motion, trying 160 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:18.720 to sell through universities or through municipalities. And second kind 161 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:22.600 of like a compounding mistake together is if you're going 162 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:25.879 to choose that path, you need to have advisors who 163 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:28.399 can help you skip steps. And I didn't do that. 164 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:32.440 And so ironically enough, as I became a venture capitalist 165 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:35.120 and joined a corporate VC out here is my first 166 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.840 kind of stint as a full time venture capitalist. I 167 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.519 really got good at like helping companies with go to market, 168 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:45.639 helping companies find the advisors that could help them find 169 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:49.279 strategic partners or customers, And yeah, I just leveraged the 170 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:52.519 hell out of my opportunity working at a large real 171 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:55.960 estate company that was in the intersection of logistics and 172 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.240 real estate and commerce, and not just leverage at brands, 173 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:02.679 but really ug in and got my own relationships through 174 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.720 that organization that could help my portfolio companies and help 175 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:08.279 companies that weren't even my portfolio companies but were from 176 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.679 founders that I respected or that I was trying to 177 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:11.919 convince to take my money. 178 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:15.120 Got it? Yeah, beautiful. I mean as to how little 179 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.720 little things in life impact us in the long run. 180 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.759 And then you know, you think back and saying, I 181 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:22.600 had that aha moment from when I was a founder. 182 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.320 You know, how do I ensure that these ten people 183 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.279 ahead of me who are taking my money and my 184 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:29.679 you know, people who are investing in me, you know, 185 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.399 applied the right way? So as as a would would 186 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:35.600 you call it? You would call yourself a VC right 187 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:43.000 now even though you're looking forward to building stress would. 188 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:43.200 Yeah, I'm still I'm still investing right now? 189 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:47.879 Yeah? Yeah, perfect. Yeah. So so we'll talk about stress 190 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.039 would in a in a little bit and your vision 191 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:54.000 for that and everything. But when you invest in a startup, 192 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:55.919 if you will honest right, I mean, how much of 193 00:09:55.960 --> 00:10:00.559 it is pure research numbers and what I mean, the 194 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:04.399 tim and the projections and whatnot versus your gut feel 195 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.000 as a person you know, with whom you're talking to 196 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:08.879 sitting on the other side of the table. I mean, 197 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:11.240 do you give that any any weight as it all 198 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:13.600 from just your individual perspective. 199 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:17.720 Yes, it's an asset class that is more of a 200 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:21.240 balance between science and art than others. And based on 201 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:23.960 how early you're invested, it's going to be more art 202 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:26.720 than science. And because there aren't any real numbers to 203 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:31.360 dig into, it's just assumptions. Yeah, and so for me, 204 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.519 because I'm a Series A and Series B investor, there's 205 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:38.080 a little bit more data. But what you're trying to 206 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.960 determine is like what's repeatable and what has the opportunity 207 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:45.279 to actually have what you're underwriting against this, Does this 208 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:48.679 team have the opportunity to do something special and unique 209 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:53.440 and have a venture backable exit and so a lot 210 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:56.279 of that, and this is even before you join the board. 211 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:59.039 Invest A lot of that is determining is like, hey, 212 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.000 do you know, I see these numbers, Like, all right, 213 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.600 what have you learned? What's the learning velocity there? Like 214 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:07.679 what have you learned? What are you going to exploit 215 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.879 because of that? What's going on in the market that 216 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:14.679 might influence you? How's that going to you know, contribute 217 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:18.240 or restrict your product? Roadmap. But then the other piece 218 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.399 is just like who are you as a person, what 219 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:23.639 motivates you? What does success look like for you? And 220 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:28.360 then how have you been able to do those things 221 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:30.080 I wasn't able to do as a founder, but like 222 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:34.000 build a strong team around you of both employees and 223 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:37.440 advisors that give you a competitive advantage, and that really 224 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:39.559 speaks to today's time and opportunity. 225 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:39.840 Right. 226 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:44.919 Your question, Anthony in the beginning kind of like felt 227 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.159 like it was a great question and normal question, but 228 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:50.519 what underline is like, hey, what frameworks are you using? 229 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:54.240 Earnest And I'm in a stage now where you have 230 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:56.879 to question every framework, even stuff that made you successful 231 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:00.759 in the past. You have to question every paradigm because 232 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:03.879 we are at a point in history, whether we're talking 233 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:08.399 about venture capital or all the way to politics or economics, 234 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:12.279 to healthcare, to every function, every industry, We're at a 235 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:15.399 time of change where one world is dying and the 236 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.840 other world is emerging. And so what you need to 237 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.200 do is see with like I can't I don't know 238 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.159 who said this quote, but people always talk about history 239 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:27.039 doesn't repeat itself in rhymes. You need to understand what's 240 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:30.480 the rhyme scheme, what are the invisible truths that are 241 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:34.600 non consensus today but will be trends tomorrow. And so 242 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:39.600 for me, even thinking about what's the ideal founder that 243 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:44.759 creates outlier you know, outcomes, I think that's actively changing too. 244 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:48.919 Got it? Got it? Thank you for that. Looks I 245 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.480 couldn't have framed it the way you framed the question 246 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:54.519 about the framework. That's what I was alluding to. That's 247 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.720 where we are. We see DNA is skicking in. So 248 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:01.279 you mentioned the move. You went to India. You wanted 249 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:04.320 to be in the Silicon Valley where there's a lot 250 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:06.960 of action. From a rec perspective, I mean, do you 251 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.240 do you feel validated in the fact that you chose 252 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:14.320 to be here? And the second part of that question 253 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:18.279 and instance, I mean, how has Silicon Valley changed you 254 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.720 as a as a VC? I mean maybe you wouldn't 255 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:24.799 have done certain things, you know, if you were probably 256 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:28.279 not looking at the eighteen number of vcs out here. 257 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:31.440 And of course the founders are flocking here, especially in 258 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:35.039 today's world with AI. I mean just as a person, right, 259 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:37.360 I mean, how has Silicon Valley influenced you? 260 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:40.159 Wow, that's such a deep question and a great question. 261 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:43.759 I you know, first I'll start with the first question, 262 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:47.240 to do I feel validated? You know, like I thinks preferences. 263 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:50.600 Life is about preferences, and so for me, if you 264 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.200 you know, I had a friend who recently reconnected from 265 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.320 like college where you know, we didn't go to the 266 00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.759 same school but we were admitted to the same school 267 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.879 in high school and then just kept in touch, and 268 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.200 you know, she told me, she was like, You've always 269 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:05.919 been a kind of big city person. And so even 270 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:07.840 though I grew up in little Rocket's like all right, yeah, 271 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:09.879 I went to New York next, and then you know, 272 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:12.840 I went to Chicago, and now I've been in Bay Area. 273 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:15.440 They're all different in different ways. But I think it 274 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.360 just speaks to kind of like my preference, and you know, 275 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:21.720 as somebody who's always had the code switch and you know, 276 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.240 society regionally, whatever I ability, I've always been kind of 277 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.960 like in I've read this book last year called Range, 278 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.360 which speaks about how like generalists will win in a 279 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.960 specialized world, and there was one section about just like 280 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:40.320 how Charles Darwin would always journal and talk to as 281 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:43.799 many experts as possible, and he the researcher called him 282 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.240 a professional outsider, so he always would take in new 283 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:50.600 ideas to like iterate on his own views, but he 284 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.600 always appreciated doing both the both like internal debate as 285 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.279 well as like talking to people who focused on it 286 00:14:57.639 --> 00:14:59.559 the best, you know, instead of just being like a 287 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.200 big city person. I think that's what I aspire to, Like, 288 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:06.000 I love meeting new people, and this is why this 289 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:08.320 job is a perfect fit for me, and asset class 290 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:11.639 is the right fit for me. Is I'm paid to 291 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:15.919 ask questions and meet people who are thinking big, Like 292 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:20.440 that's literally at all and so for me they are 293 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:23.559 the second question about like what it's done to me, 294 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.240 I think it's just like what was already there. It 295 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.720 kind of just made it more prevalent and made me 296 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:37.399 think of like how my career can be aligned with 297 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:41.720 kind of high view the world. Things I really appreciate 298 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:47.679 and this idea of kind of truth and it's always changing. 299 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:49.480 So I don't know if that answers your question, but 300 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:50.279 like I. 301 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:52.519 Think it does. I mean the way I interpret it is, 302 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:55.519 I mean, you know too, with the different moves that 303 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:57.480 you said you're dead, I mean it kind of showed 304 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:00.639 your mental preference to where you want it to be, 305 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:04.120 Like you said, you know, it suits the fact that 306 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:06.080 you want to talk to a lot of people. I mean, 307 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.759 if you're in a small city as you can do 308 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:09.919 it to a zoom and whatnot. But I mean it's 309 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:12.600 not like meeting people in person like in a big 310 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:16.279 city Part one. And again, I also think in the 311 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:19.159 way I understood what you said is that it also 312 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:21.240 has brought kind of the best out of you because 313 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:24.159 it kind of resonates with the energy of the place 314 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:26.919 as well, right, I mean, which is more that founder 315 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:29.799 of mentality and that v see mentality and the more 316 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.120 like minded people you meet. I mean it kind of reiterates. 317 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:34.320 That is how I read it. 318 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.519 Can I say like a fallo up to that, like yeah, please, 319 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:42.919 I'm an optimistic realist as well. Though, like it's not perfect. 320 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:45.639 This is far from perfect. It's a lot of problems 321 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:47.720 being in the Silicon Valley, especially when you look at 322 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:51.759 just like how the lack of inclusivity there actually is 323 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:55.759 in how being like a barn of risk rewards certain 324 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:59.799 people and won't reward everybody, right, or even my industry 325 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:05.160 has gotten wider and meller over the last even five years, 326 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:08.559 and so it's not perfect. And even like I feel 327 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:11.319 like I'm in a better place now here. I've always 328 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.240 liked it, but like realizing it's unlike like that New 329 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:17.440 York mentality of like, hey, there are steps to success. 330 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:20.160 I add the dprogram myself from that and take the 331 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:22.000 best from that of just like all right, I can 332 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:25.400 make it anywhere, but also incorporate my southern ability to 333 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.599 sometimes be so naive and my ability to like feel 334 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:31.200 like I can connect anyone, but more importantly being able 335 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:35.039 to genuinely disarm people in a way that makes them 336 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:39.559 feel comfortable, and how we can co collaborate success successfully. 337 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:42.480 So it's not perfect, and you can be successful a 338 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.240 lot of different ways, but you have to break it. 339 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:47.480 Break the idea of I need to follow a playbook 340 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:53.480 because if you ask chat GPT or Soro or an Adali, 341 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.039 I guess to make a picture of a typical VC 342 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:58.359 is not going to look like me. And so given 343 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:01.960 that not going, I shouldn't follow a playbook that's set 344 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.359 up for them. That honestly, even for somebody who does 345 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:06.839 look like that, if they're from a different generation, like 346 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:09.960 that's still not going to work because things are actively moving. 347 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:13.920 Yeah, that's a great point just about inclusivity. And how 348 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:16.519 people look at us and you know, and I think 349 00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:18.599 coming to your point on the playbook aspect as well, 350 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:21.119 I mean, you know, just the mentality of the different places. 351 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:23.480 And I can also tie to as you were saying 352 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.799 thinking about the learning aspect that you mentioned about founders, 353 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:29.920 you know, how you adapt to the different changes and 354 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:33.440 how you can help you supercharge es capablocity and all 355 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:36.359 of that. I'm also a firm believer in lifelong learning. 356 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:39.279 Unless you have that mindset, you're just not going to grow, 357 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:41.759 you know, I mean, because the world is changing so fast. 358 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:45.519 And I've also realized sometimes the hard way, you also 359 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.640 have to unlearn some things as fast as possible if 360 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:51.799 you think that's not good for you. So as much 361 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:55.440 as learning is important, I always tell this to my 362 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:58.599 daughter as well. I mean, whether it's bad habits right, Yeah, 363 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:03.960 learning is as important in life as learning, but you 364 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:07.079 need to know to what to unload and what's good 365 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:11.440 for you. Absolutely part of what you said, I mean 366 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:15.160 resonated with me that way, because there's a lot of 367 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:16.599 similarities there. 368 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:19.920 Yeah, yeah, it makes me think of this. I was 369 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:23.640 talking to this LP once who had been at a 370 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:26.480 large endowment of a university in the East Coast and 371 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:32.440 see he said he always expected great fund managers to 372 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:37.160 take like take sixty percent of his advice and know 373 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:41.000 what forty percent wasn't true or was it didn't serve him? Well, 374 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:43.359 you know, my first response was like, wow, you think 375 00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:48.359 it's sixty percent? Wow, okay this But what he was 376 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.640 getting at the gist is like, even well thought out 377 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:57.640 advice isn't always applicable to you, you know what's inside 378 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:01.720 And even this journey of a pie like it's been 379 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:04.759 kind of like little tidbits and stories like that that 380 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:07.039 can show you. Yeah, I had plenty of people who 381 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.079 are well meaning, love me, respect me, think I'm smart 382 00:20:10.119 --> 00:20:12.680 and told me not to do it, and now we're 383 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:16.440 sixty episodes and it's one of the most shrewd things 384 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:17.519 I've ever done in my life. 385 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:22.279 Yeah, beautiful, great segue. I know you have a lot 386 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:25.240 of things in progress, but I mean everything is kind 387 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:30.079 of aligning towards you know, what do you want to 388 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.359 do with stress wood and all of that. How did 389 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.400 all that come to your head and how did you 390 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:37.839 put that vision together to say, Okay, I mean the 391 00:20:37.880 --> 00:20:40.279 podcast is going to help me with this, you know, 392 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:43.559 I know you launch something called groundwork, which is not 393 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:47.279 really blogging or not really you know, write ups and whatnot. 394 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:49.480 But I mean, you know, I think you mentioned it 395 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:51.720 as well. It's not a resume, it's not this, it's 396 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:53.559 not that. But I mean you have a certain vision 397 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:56.400 for it. Can you paint a picture? And what was 398 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:59.720 in your head when you kind of put that all together? 399 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:02.759 I mean I felt like, I mean, there's a lot 400 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.200 of thought gone into that for you to come up 401 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:08.000