The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 8 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Ascher: Pitch decks have replaced business plans as the de facto standard
“So my first advice is to have slides. They're not only useful for fundraising, but the PowerPoint deck has become the de facto business plan. It can substitute for your mission statement, vision statement, etc. Like, there's never not a good time to have a goo…”
Ascher: Move team slides to the middle or end of pitch decks
“But generally a team slide, it's hard to generate excitement and interest. Like you might all have very impressive backgrounds, but a five minute slog of three or four or 10 people's resumes, it's just not high energy. And it's much better to do it at the midd…”
Ascher: Venture capital has become overly transactional and cap-table focused
“I'd like to see it be less transactional and more relationship oriented. I feel like it's become a bit of a, yeah, yeah, yeah, write me a check and join this long cap table list, but ultimately for me, again, it's about the long-term partnership relationship.”
Ascher: Breaking into VC requires starting young or an executive track record
“Well, there's kind of two paths. You beat and kick and scratch and claw your way in as a young person who doesn't yet really have much to bring to the table by way of a track record or proven deal flow based on your stature as a founder or senior executive at …”
Ascher: Early-stage VCs seek non-consensus viewpoints that prove right
“We're looking for a non-consensus viewpoint that will ultimately prove right, and the market will catch up and reward the company for achieving this goal.”
Ascher: Jack Dorsey's Square Series A pitch listed 75 company risks
“I remember seeing Jack Dorsey's pitch for squares series a, and he literally started with like, these are 75 things that could kill this company in the short term.”
Ascher: Board meetings should focus on problem-solving, not celebrating success
“I assume going into every one of our companies that we're going to spend most of our time in board meetings and outside of board meetings, solving problems, fixing things, trying to make it better. We actually spend very little time congratulating ourselves on…”