Remember when Airbnb pitched "letting strangers sleep in your house" to investors? Most VCs thought it was insane. Fast forward to today, and it's worth over $70 billion. The startup world loves to talk about pattern recognition and proven models. But some of the biggest wins come from companies that seemed completely bizarre at first…
The numbers don't lie. AI startups pulled in over 53% of all venture capital in 2025, that's $192.7 billion out of $366.8 billion total. We're not talking about a slight edge here. This is a complete reshaping of where smart money goes. If you're building an AI startup (or thinking about it), you're swimming in…
The age-old debate has taken on new meaning in 2025. With remote work becoming the norm and Silicon Valley's grip on startup culture loosening, founders are asking: should I pack my bags for Palo Alto, or can I build my billion-dollar company from my hometown? The answer isn't as clear-cut as you might think. The…
Here's the thing: most founders think they need revenue to show traction. That's just not true. As a VC, we see hundreds of pre-revenue startups every year that successfully demonstrate compelling traction. The key is knowing which metrics actually matter and how to present them in a way that reduces investor risk. Let's break down…
Getting early-stage funding right can make or break your startup. Yet founders consistently stumble on the same avoidable mistakes that torpedo their chances with investors. After working with hundreds of startups, we've seen these patterns repeat over and over. The good news? Every single one of these mistakes is fixable with the right approach. Here…
Remember when Airbnb pitched "letting strangers sleep in your house" to investors? Most VCs thought it was insane. Fast forward to today, and it's worth over $70 billion. The startup world loves to talk about pattern recognition and proven models. But some of the biggest wins come from companies that seemed completely bizarre at first…
The numbers don't lie. AI startups pulled in over 53% of all venture capital in 2025, that's $192.7 billion out of $366.8 billion total. We're not talking about a slight edge here. This is a complete reshaping of where smart money goes. If you're building an AI startup (or thinking about it), you're swimming in…
The age-old debate has taken on new meaning in 2025. With remote work becoming the norm and Silicon Valley's grip on startup culture loosening, founders are asking: should I pack my bags for Palo Alto, or can I build my billion-dollar company from my hometown? The answer isn't as clear-cut as you might think. The…
Here's the thing: most founders think they need revenue to show traction. That's just not true. As a VC, we see hundreds of pre-revenue startups every year that successfully demonstrate compelling traction. The key is knowing which metrics actually matter and how to present them in a way that reduces investor risk. Let's break down…
Getting early-stage funding right can make or break your startup. Yet founders consistently stumble on the same avoidable mistakes that torpedo their chances with investors. After working with hundreds of startups, we've seen these patterns repeat over and over. The good news? Every single one of these mistakes is fixable with the right approach. Here…