The more you see, the more skeptical you become. Optimize for skepticism and curiosity. Having been a VC and invested as an angel in well over 100 companies, my inbox flows with ideas of all kinds from aspiring and repeat entrepreneurs. In the earlier days, I’d get excited by ideas especially the first time I saw them. But over time, I soon... See more

As a seed-stage investor at First Round Capital, I get to meet a lot of founders who are exploring and validating their ideas. It’s an exciting time for them and, as a former founder myself, I relate to the thrill and anxiety of just getting started. You believe you’re onto something and feel ready to bring your idea to life, but there’s also a lot... See more

Here’s a little framework for finding your asymmetric startup idea:

1. Identify industry sacred cows. What if you completely eliminated what everyone considers essential? Robinhood removed account minimums. Casper eliminated showrooms. Zapier removed IT departments.


2. Find the hidden cost center. What painful activity do businesses accept as

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