Tag: VC

re-Learning the Ropes

achanmanLeave a comment

I want to talk about the process of figuring shit out! This is something that I’ve been feeling heavily as of late……. not that I haven’t felt this way many many times before at different junctures but it hits you just as hard every time this 9 headed beast shows its head(s) again.
Being a coordinator is hard. Being a front man is hard. Being a leader (a culmination of both?) is even harder. This is something that can only be directly absorbed and appreciated, I think, by all of you (not that many I know) that have lead a charge and have (1) celebrated in victory in flying colors or (2) felt like you just got mauled by a pack of wolves followed by getting hit by a train. To me, this is a inexplicably important and impactful experience and really does help us grow. Reminds me of many of my favorite athletes and their most memorable quotes…… usually pointing towards how to learn from adversity how to win again from defeat and how to roundhouse kick your fear in the face.
I suppose the curve for “learning the ropes” is something that should continuolsy get easier over time but what if ropes keep getting added on in ways that are unexpected and self-created? A very interesting dilemma and problem to have in my opinion as it is usually an indicator for growth and exploration into new areas.
Just wanted to rant on a topic that is fresh on my mind.
Word to everyone.

EPL starting soon. ARSENAL!!!!

Teamwork

achanmanLeave a comment

As we all know, a difference in position can result in significantly different perspectives and outcomes. This is a universal theme that runs deep in daily business, life and sports. Freedom fighter or Terrorist? Creating or destroying? Enthusiastic or annoying? Really hard to say sometimes and even harder to take a step to take it all in slowly and fairly. (feels like a bad sentence)
As an ex-entrepreneur and now investor, it is quite interesting to feel the emotions from both sides. Fresh from taking of the entrepreneurial hat, I fully understand that one must protect their “baby” and not allow outside mofos to run their show all over it. It’s easy to feel protective over ideas and property and hard to accept that an OUTSIDER (how dare they?!?!) could have an interesting and perhaps refreshing perspective. It’s great to be chasing dreams and even better to find supporters, but with how big of a voice?
On the other side, as an investor, I also need to understand that conversations must be held carefully and that we (as a group other than a few) cannot go in guns blazing and lighting up the joint. This is a big turn off for founders and we need to remember that we are supporting a good person+team in pursuing their dreams that in return will hopefully give us returns. This is an interesting and everlasting dilemma and not one that will end, ever.
Pretty similar to teams at school, work, and sports. Some teams start from day 1 with everyone wanting to be the winner and leader. Some teams have members that immediately claim a supporting role for the greater cause. Some teams have leaders and coaches that want a well trained lean mean fighting machine. Which one works best? The great Bulls? The Heat? the Spurs? Germany or Argentina? Do you want the best overall team or the best player? Budding with energy+potential or seasoned+savvy veterans? Dictatorship or Democracy?
I don’t know the answer. Have been involved and seen many of the different situations above (I’m sure we all have)….. Can’t say I have a conclusion……

Fame and Fortune… and tech.

achanman4 Comments

We all know that artists & celebrities get a lot of attention.  They capture our imaginations and bring us to new, wonderful and thrilling worlds. They’re also the ones seducing us with cool clothes, good food, baller lifestyles and new brands to believe in.  What is it about them that completely mesmerises our senses into submission?  I’m not sure what it is nor will pretend like I know although I guess you call it “star power”, but that’s just defining a term with itself and doesn’t help break it down.  Whatever it is, it works and it pushes us to buy, try and look out for the next big thing.

Momentum over the past few years has quietly rolled two interesting forces together… two prominent and all consuming forces.  The first is fame and the second is technology.

Celebs have always been at the center of  the coolest and trendiest businesses… bars, restaurants, private clubs, beaches, hotels, fashion, whatever it is… and now, they are turning it on to the NEXT (current) big thing… tech!  The iPhone, which has become a celebrity in and of itself, has changed and defined a generation (and forever more), the world  and all the people in it.  So naturally, they’re in there too!  

Celebrities and Venture Capital have a growing and arguably increasingly unbreakable relationship. From Ashton Kutchor with A grade, JT with mySpace, Bieber with selfie social networks and Carmelo Anthony with M7 in the US to Chinese actors REN Quan 任泉, LI Bingbing 李冰冰 and HUANG Xiaoming 黃曉明 forming StarVC.  These celebrities (and more… Will Smith, Kanye, Gaga, Leo, Jay-Z, Shaq) have decided to grab their fame and their gadgets by the horns and run with it.

This is a really interesting trend and I’m starting to believe that there is some brilliance in the craziness.  Great teams are formed when members contribute their unique talents in unison. Perhaps VC and tech startups will be the same.  Some people have to defend, some people have to attack. What’s got more potential in making something popular in tech? Seems logical to think and relate to the famous founders, VCs or Tech Crunches of the World, but isn’t it essentially only getting 80% of those that follow tech? What’s to stop the superstars that we always admire an love?  Why go for only the young, tech fans, and geeks when there’s an opportunity to go for everyone!? 

Getting carried away here but It’s been very interesting to follow and has been giving me ideas.   What do you think?