Tools for progress #6
Harnessing communities, The Feynman Technique, How to evaluate a company
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
Surfing the Silver Swarm (8 minute read)
Alex Komoroske, the former Head of Corporate Strategy at Stripe, recently delivered a talk at Oxford University. His focus; “Harnessing the power of open-ended systems to create coherent results.” This is an excellent read for anyone attempting to harness communities, or coordinating a large number of people to a focal point. See the speaker notes of the deck for the content.
ChatGPT + the Feynman Technique to learn anything (1 minute read)
There’s a difference between knowing the name of something and understanding it. When you truly know something, you can use that knowledge broadly. Here’s a technique to use ChatGPT as a sparring partner for learning using the Feynman Technique.
The Case Against Morning Yoga, Daily Routines, and Endless Meetings (11 minute read)
a16z partner Andrew Chen challenges the notion that success is rooted in rigid routines and daily grind. It introduces the concept of "10x work" — impactful, often serendipitous tasks that truly move the needle, contrasting sharply with the comfort of daily routines. Serendipity and leveraging unique skill combinations, and quiet time to think (and not produce) are often the ingredients behind great decisions and extraordinary opportunities. Reject the hustle culture's core loop; embrace randomness and strategic risk-taking.
Don’t Confuse Motion with Progress (3 minute read)
Beware the busy trap, motion isn't progress. Internal activities like meetings and process improvements feel productive but don't grow your business. Focus ruthlessly on market-impacting actions: acquiring customers, boosting satisfaction, and driving revenue. Measure your metrics by real-world impact, not intention. Remember, a rocking horse moves but goes nowhere. Prioritize progress over motion.
Operational tactics
Startup Founder Survival Guide: 50+ Rules to Live By… Learned the Hard Way (various resources)
Existing playbooks don’t really work when you’re doing something totally new. That’s where first principled thinking comes in. However, you don’t need think about every problem from the ground up, particularly in spaces that don’t often change, and smart people have spent a lot of time thinking about it—like hiring practices and stock compensation. Here’s a series of those playbooks from a multi-founder, covering almost all elements of startup building.
Steal these Brilliant Growth Tactics (8 minute read)
Discover tried-and-true growth levers from a startup enthusiast who's tested over 100 self-serve products. Key takeaways include Miro's standout product onboarding, ChatGPT's smart ungated experience, Canva's savvy cancellation flow that leverages loss aversion, Figma's thoughtful PLG pricing for admins, and Otter.ai's clever approach to price increase communication.
Why Being the Last Company to Launch in a Category Can Pay Off (3 minute read)
Jordan Nathan's strategic late entry with Caraway cookware turned the tables in a saturated DTC market. By analyzing rivals' positioning, Caraway found its niche with wedding registries, a focus on set sales, and preemptive retail partnerships—a combo competitors missed. While this delayed start meant a tough initial fundraise, Caraway's unique approach eventually cooked up over $40 million in VC funding and product expansion, showcasing the power of strategic timing and differentiation for founders in crowded markets.
Refer and we’ll send you our favourite books as a “thank you” for spreading the word.
Angel investing
The Series A Crunch or the Seedpocalypse of 2024 (2 minute read)
2024 sees the return of the Series A Crunch in startup financing, echoing the 2012's. A surge in seed investments from 2021-2022 meets a stagnant Series A market, causing a funding squeeze as funding demand outweighs supply. Despite a challenging landscape for classic SaaS companies, AI startups remain an exception, still enjoying favorable funding conditions.
Why it’s Hard for Small Venture Funds (5 minute read)
Without £5-10B outcomes, the venture math doesn’t add up for large VC firms. Larger firms are focusing on AI and Enterprise SaaS because they believe they can deliver those types of returns. For smaller funds that don’t need multi-billion dollar outcomes, this poses a challenge. Small funds lack the capital to support their portfolio all the way to IPO, and therefore need to think about whether or not the capital markets will continue to fund a business. If they’re investing outside of the interests of these large funds, it can be really hard to ensure follow-on funding for the companies you’re excited about.
Startup Stock Options: the Shortest Complete Guide for Employees (33 minute read)
Startup equity is not just free money. Understand vesting, exercising, and tax implications. IPOs and acquisitions each have unique considerations. Beware the “no exit” scenario. Valuation is dark magic; focus on investor price per share vs. strike price. Dilution is inevitable so ask about the rules. Don’t forget, your belief in a startup matters less than cold, hard statistics. Plan accordingly.
Managing your career
10 Most Important Metrics For Evaluating a Company (10 minute read)
Your career's golden ticket? A high-momentum company. Master these 10 metrics to spot potential rockets: ARR, Rule of 40, Net Dollar Retention, customer love, investor quality, burn rate, Glassdoor ratings, talent caliber, market leadership, and category growth. Choose wisely, but know that even the pros often miss.
Six Steps to Effectively Tell your Career Story (13 minute read)
Your career story is your secret weapon. Master a structured narrative: context, challenge, action, impact, and lessons. Focus on opinions formed, obstacles overcome, and measurable results. This skill isn't just for interviews; it's crucial for fundraising, team building, and personal branding. A compelling career narrative can open doors closed to even the best pitch decks.