Greek Complexity

Homebrew: 100 Days of Fundraising

Excerpt: "There’s a growing trove of info to help startups raise their rounds but if you’re looking to raise a venture fund, the advice is pretty sparse. Now that we’ve publicly announced Homebrew, I’m able to share some of the details which went into its creation. My goals are threefold:"

More here: http://hunterwalk.com/2013/07/22/homebrew-100-days-of-fundraising/

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The Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements

Excerpt: "Nutrition experts contend that all we need is what's typically found in a routine diet. Industry representatives, backed by a fascinating history, argue that foods don't contain enough, and we need supplements. Fortunately, many excellent studies have now resolved the issue."

More here: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/

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Your next Chief Beer Drinker

The guys at 500 Startups say the silliest things sometimes. One of the things that isn't so silly? This:

if Person.Skills == Startup.Needs && Person.TimeAvailable >= 4 hourspermonth then Person.PossibleStartupMentor = True

Which when translated means, if a person has skills that match a start-up's needs and has at least 4 hours a month to spare, then that person could should be a mentor to a start-up. Not those very words, of course, but that's the gist of what one of their Partners said to me.

He wasn't talking only about entrepreneurs who've Made It. He was talking about just anybody with the right skills and a little time to share them. I think he's right and I'm going to follow his advice.

Here's the deal: if you have a specific problem for which you think it would be useful to get an external perspective or hands-on help from me, and if this would take a few hours a month (either all at once or 30 minutes at a time for a few days each month), then feel free to call/email/tweet/dispatch a carrier pigeon with details.

What am I good at? In no particular order: trend-watching and pattern-matching across industries, helping create financial models, crafting and polishing pitches, telling suitably disguised stories about other start-ups that have faced similar problems, demystifying the dynamics of investors and board interactions, coming up with three answers to a yes/no question (no, really), being simultaneously creative and pragmatic about new ideas (see my post about the bipolar VC)...

What am I not-so-good at? Writing blog posts that light the Internetz on fire. Share this post with friends who you think might be interested.

What will I not do? Many things. Here are some. I will not make sales calls for you. I will not take on a task you assign, go away and do it, and come back to report to you about it -- we work together or not at all. And of course, as much as I'd love to, I unfortunately cannot spend more than a few hours with you per month.

(Bonus: What am I intermittently great and terrible at? Answering email.)

I'm not doing this for the fame and glory. Something like this isn't really necessary either. Why am I doing this? Out of the goodness of my heart? I suppose, a little, but also because I'm going to learn from you at least as much as you from me. There's no reason I should restrict my learning opportunities only to those start-ups in which I've invested. And what do I want from you in return? Remember that I'm not your boss, spouse, customer, employee, consultant or lawyer, and have none of their axes to grind. I want you to be informed (do your homework), opinionated (don't keep your mouth shut) and intellectually honest (pursue the truth without bias), so you can tell me when you think I'm wrong and we can have an open debate about it. I want your commitment so I know we're not wasting each other's time.

Oh, alright, if you really really want to, you can buy me a beer one day after you've made your squillions.

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If you know for a fact that someone I know well could be a good mentor for you, ask me and I'll make the connection.

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UPDATE: This post received overwhelming support from entrepreneurs to the extent that several founders have asked me for a more formal engagement than I had originally envisioned. Possibly they went and read Jason Lemkin's post or possibly they came to this conclusion on their own. Now, I can't possibly support several start-ups in this way, so overall, I've come around to the conclusion that a more actively engaged, formal relationship with a selection of companies does have its advantages. If you're reading this post today and feel like I could be your company's next Chief Beer Drinker, please be aware that my thoughts have evolved since the time I first wrote this post.

How Doctors Die

Excerpt: "Years ago, Charlie, a highly respected orthopedist and a mentor of mine, found a lump in his stomach. He had a surgeon explore the area, and the diagnosis was pancreatic cancer. This surgeon was one of the best in the country."

More here: http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2012/08/06/how-doctors-die/

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Do You Really Need a Password You Can Barely Remember?

Excerpt: "Think of a word. A password. Make it at least eight characters long, but no more than 12. Don’t repeat any characters more than twice. Make sure it has at least one letter, and one number. In fact, it has to start with a number."

More here: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/01/simple-pw/all/1

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The nocebo effect of MSG and gluten intolerance

Quote: "No one likes to be told they are mistaken about the foundation of their most dearly held beliefs. It offended the faithful when Marx suggested that religions are psychological tools meant to placate the masses. Suggesting that gluten intolerance might have a psychological basis threatens a similarly foundational belief, namely that we are rational beings, competent interpreters of reality immune to mass hysteria and self-deception. ... Accepting a psychological explanation of gluten intolerance is especially difficult because food aversions often turn into a way of life. Like religion, avoiding gluten requires personal sacrifice. Gluten intolerance creates communities, which, like religious communities, share stories of suffering and redemption, and share meals made special by the presence of a food taboo. It’s no wonder people take offense at the suggestion that gluten intolerance could be psychological—after all, who wants to have built their way of life on a “mere” trick of the mind?"

More: "Hold The MSG" http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/07/msg_and_gluten_intolerance_is_the_nocebo_effect_to_blame.html

The IIT Entrance Exam

Excerpt: "The admissions test for the Indian Institutes of Technology, known as the Joint Entrance Examination or JEE, may be the most competitive test in the world. In 2012, half a million Indian high school students sat for the JEE."

More here: http://priceonomics.com/the-iit-entrance-exam/

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Up and Then Down

Excerpt: "The longest smoke break of Nicholas White’s life began at around eleven o’clock on a Friday night in October, 1999."

More here: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all

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Fewer than 100 tech VCs left?

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/22/there-are-fewer-than-100-tech-vcs/

Quote: "Venture capitalists have been talking about an industry shakeout since Kozmo.com delivered its last box of doughnuts. New data suggests the decline has been more severe than previously thought, finding fewer than 100 active U.S. VC firms in the technology sector."

Japanese men’s allowances from their wives are at a 31 year low

Excerpt: "For Japanese men, the budget for a Friday night out on the town has nothing to do with how much they earn. What matters is how much your wife gives you—and the bad news is that it’s not as much as it used to be."

More here: http://qz.com/99688/japanese-mens-allowances-from-their-wives-are-at-a-31-year-low/

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