Tools for progress #7
How to be successful, AI's impact on B2B pricing, How tier-one investors think
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.
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Better thinking
How to be Successful (4 minute read)
At Nodes, we often describe “advice” as someone giving you their winning lottery ticket numbers. You can follow the process, and choose the same numbers, but it’s not likely you’ll find the same success. The path to success is rugged, personalized, and demands an endless pursuit of knowledge, coupled with the courage to act on it. There are no blueprints, simply curiosity and relentless effort.
Quiet Compounding (4 minute read)
Embrace the power of quiet compounding in your financial and entrepreneurial journey. Like nature's astonishing growth over time, cultivating wealth or a startup quietly can lead to remarkable outcomes. Being quietly compounding involves having a clear sense of your personal goals, contributing to them daily, and acknowledging that it’s an endurance race, not a sprint.
Action Produces Information (13 minute read)
Reframe decision-making as a tool for information generation. Traditional frameworks ignore the value of quick, reversible choices in dynamic markets. Adopt Bezos's reversible vs. irreversible decision model to navigate uncertainty. Use Brian Armstrong's "do something, anything" approach to prototype rapidly. In the startup ecosystem, bias towards action often yields more valuable insights than exhaustive analysis. Ready, fire, aim, repeat.
Operational tactics
AI as an Unlock for B2B Pricing (7 minute read)
The elusive game of B2B pricing often gets its first iterations wrong, a reality echoed by CEOs and product leaders alike. The shift to AI in B2B shifts the pricing paradigm from per-seat to value-based, honing in on the actual business growth facilitated by your product. With AI, the aim is to directly impact the customer's revenue, allowing for pricing models that share in the generated value.
You Should be Playing with GPTs at Work (11 minute read)
AI is eating the world: Custom GPTs are your startup's competitive edge. Dive into 20 real-world applications, from AI-driven product requirements to automated competitor tracking. With major players reporting 25-50% productivity boosts, the impact is undeniable. Create your own GPT in minutes and unlock hidden efficiencies. In the AI age, adaptability isn't just an advantage—it's a necessity for survival.
How should you adopt LLMs? (8 minute read)
LLM strategy for growth-focused startups: Embrace AI thoughtfully. Accelerate onboarding with document AI, boost dev productivity with LLM tools, and democratize AI use company-wide. Choose one provider to start, minimizing integration headaches. Prioritize learning and expertise-building over immediate scaling. The goal is learning fast, not spending fast. Reassess and pivot as needed.
Refer and we’ll send you our favourite books as a “thank you” for spreading the word.
Angel investing
Outlier Frameworks: How tier-one Investors Think (9 minute read)
Here are 96 mental models that investors like Doug Leone, Bill Gurley, Ben Horowitz, Alexis Ohanian, and others have developed and refined over the years in order to evaluate new opportunities and see the full picture.
Reflections from My Early Angel Investing Journey (12 minute read)
Chris shares some lessons to elevate your angel investing game. To master the game, limit exposure, turn platforms into learning labs, and craft a focused strategy. Focus on founder/market fit, timing, and traction. Join angel communities to amplify insights and deal flow. Avoid reputation-based investments; conduct thorough due diligence. Remember, in startup investing, the power law rules - one winner can offset many losses.
The Social Subsidy of Angel Investing (10 minute read)
Angel investing is a form of social currency that goes beyond financial returns. It’s about status, relevance, and community. This social subsidy creates a unique ecosystem where founders get better deals and investors stay on good behavior. The network effect is crucial—it only works at scale. For founders, understanding this dynamic is key to navigating early-stage funding. For investors, it's a reminder that sometimes, the best ROI is measured in social capital.
Managing your career
Desire for Mission is a Career Limiting Belief (8 minute read)
This is controversial: Early-career focus should be on high-growth opportunities and skill acquisition, not just compelling missions. For founders, this means hiring for potential over passion. For operators, it's about building versatile skills. Investors look beyond mission statements to evaluate startups. Remember, most successful companies aren't saving the world - they're solving practical problems. Mission is a luxury; career capital is the currency. Build it first, then pursue its purpose.
A forty-year career (11 minute read)
Unlock career longevity by shifting from short-term wins to 40-year thinking because your career is a marathon not a sprint. Balance pace to avoid burnout, cultivate relationships, actively build prestige, ensure financial stability, and commit to lifelong learning. Watch as these elements amplify each other over time. Founders and operators, use this framework to build resilient careers and companies. Investors, seek leaders who embody these principles.
Making an Impact Through Authenticity and Curiosity (84 minute podcast)
Ami Vora, the CPO at Faire, and former VP at Whatsapp, Meta, IG, discusses team strategy, motivation, how to build cross-functional relationships, and tactics for handling disagreements.