Tools for progress #52
Elite selection mechanisms, Why VC and software have PE envy, How to use your voice for knowledge work
We (humans) read hundreds of articles on company building, angel investing, and self-management and curate the best ones into a weekly summary—helping founders and operators stay on the top of their game.
Better thinking
Working at threshold (3 minute read)
Getting dropped on a pro cycling ride reminded Flynn (the author) about “threshold” - that painful edge where real growth happens. After years of avoiding this discomfort zone, they’re embracing it again in cycling, parenting, and startups. You don’t always want to be working at threshold, you’ll burn out. But sometimes, you need to go for it. Commit to the moment, operate at threshold, taper back.
Nuclear reactors for dummies (15 minute read)
Ever wondered about the different types of nuclear reactors? This article walks you through everything from the water-cooled workhorses powering most of today’s grid to cutting-edge designs using molten salt and liquid metals. Germany just changed their stance on Nuclear (today) — so this feels very timely. Cue the incoming venture investors pivoting from B2B Enterprise SaaS to Nuclear.
Elite selection mechanisms (7 minute read)
Byrne posts several ideas in one blog post. The main one here is about elite selection mechanisms (think colleges, top tech companies, and sports teams). Fields with rigid, predictable paths like medicine have become super credentialed, while the most exciting, high-impact sectors like tech deliberately keep their talent filters loose and adaptable. You should probably be doing the latter with your company. Give young talent high agency early on and see what they do with it. The best adapt quickly, others sink quickly.
Operational tactics
Why romanticising PLG is dangerous (15 minute watch)
Turns out the “product sells itself” PLG dream isn’t the full story. While AI startups rack up impressive numbers overnight, ditching sales teams caps your enterprise deals, bleeds margins through card fees, and cuts off valuable customer conversations. Even PLG darlings like Slack and Atlassian hired salespeople. The real play is using PLG as one channel, not your entire playbook.
Early Stage Company Offsites (8 minute read)
This founder’s candid breakdown of their small startup’s off-site in St. Louis offers a practical blueprint for anyone running remote teams. Useful if you have one in the diary! Avoid the cringey social stuff, set a purpose for every hour.
The best, most insightful, unsuspecting lessons are hidden in the deepest, darkest corners of the internet. Hell, many more are hidden in rooms behind closed doors. David Zhou pools together advice on topics such as secondaries and hiring/team/culture you’ve likely never thought about, and most likely have never heard of. You want to bookmark this one and refer to it every now and then.
Refer and we’ll send you our favorite books as a “thank you” for spreading the word.
Angel investing
Automating clinical trials with Valinor (44 minute watch)
Introducing Valinor, a startup tackling our medical nightmare by using AI to simulate clinical trials, potentially saving billions in failed drug testing. Taking its name from Tolkien’s healing realm, they’re turning biology into something we can actually program rather than just study. The video conversation with founder Josh Pacini dives deeper into how they’re working to free us from diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s - definitely worth watching if you’re curious about digital biotech.
In a world where every VC firm looks the same, Florida-based Goanna Capital ($800M) is doing something different. While others brag about their networks or customer connections, Goanna noticed tech companies don’t need more money - they need people. So they’ve built a free recruiting machine that’s already placed 15+ employees at companies like Discord and Wiz.
Why VC and software have PE envy (7 minute read)
In seeking outsized returns, VCs and venture-funded startups are mixing code and capital using three new models: the crown jewel, the roll up, and business-in-a-box. In the crown jewel model, a VC firm or VC-funded company acquires a one-off, large, strategic, and non-tech asset. Under this model, the acquirer applies proprietary tech to an already at-scale business where it will have the greatest and fastest ROI. In a venture roll-up, a company continually acquires multiple non-tech assets and then applies its proprietary technology and strategies. In the business-in-a-box model, the company helps create and start new businesses in a vertical. All three fuse code and capital to optimize operations and capture greater upside.
Managing your career
Vibe coding tutorial (72 minute watch)
As the title suggests, this is a pretty functional step-by-step tutorial on “how to vibe code.” Andy Carrol, a 16-year tenured PM walks you through it using Windsurf.
How to use your voice for knowledge work (5 minute read)
Speaking thoughts out loud is actually a different way of thinking that taps into our evolutionary roots. Our voice activates unique brain pathways that lighten cognitive load, clarify ideas, and boost memory in ways typing just can’t match. Simple voice techniques like talking through problems or recording brainstorms can seriously level up your thinking game in our typing-obsessed work culture.
The downside of secondaries (5 minute read)
Secondary stock sales in private companies create a hidden trap. While current shareholders get cash, these deals drive up 409A valuations, making new employees pay more for their options. One exec lost $1M when secondaries boosted his price by 50 cents per share. As this market expands, the startup equity upside is quietly shrinking for newcomers.