The 100 Best Bits of Advice From 10 Years of First Round Review

End every meeting or conversation with the feeling and optimism you’d like to have at the start of your next conversation with the person. If you envision running into this person again and how you want that to go, it’ll undoubtedly influence how you navigate a present conversation — usually for the better

Anytime you’re telling someone what to do you’re not actually solving the bug. You’re doing a really bad patch.

The hardest transition as a founder is going from working directly on the product to not. There’s this joy that comes from sitting down to solve a problem and standing up when it’s done and good. Building a company or managing people is never just done.

Often, a good impression is a byproduct of deep engagement in a conversation, a desire to learn, or thoughtful work, as opposed to something you aim at directly.

Not localizing problem-solving is a secret killer of companies.

Separate what you can control from what you can’t. It’s a small way to lift some weight off your shoulders. Take 15 minutes to create a list of everything that you’re worried about. Then label each one as a ‘within’ or a ‘beyond’ to see your sources of stress and anxiety laid bare

The demands of a startup are dizzying. To anchor yourself, you must schedule time to write things down.

Your probability of winning a hand always depends on having multiple ways to win.

A startup’s biggest competition isn’t an established player, it’s inertia.