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 10 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
Cohen: Hot startup deals often turn out to fail
“But you know, it turns out that the hot deal, something I've learned is, is often the one that doesn't work. And when you see Uber for the first time, or you see, you know, a company that ultimately didn't do well, you're just as excited about both of them.”
Cohen: Startups should form a board of directors at the seed stage
“Yesterday. I think that companies need to put it in as soon as possible. And, you know, I think entrepreneurs have this tendency to think of the board as this Overlord controlling things and they can fire me and all that, but that's not necessarily the case, r…”
Cohen: Consistency in investment strategy matters more than the strategy itself
“It's about having a consistent strategy and just sticking to it. You know, it almost doesn't matter so much what the strategy is as that you're consistent about it and stick to it.”
Cohen: Concentrated angel portfolios statistically fail
“You have to have enough portfolio diversification to where, you know, if you're concentrated in just a few companies as an angel, I mean, the stats are pretty clear. You're going to lose.”
David Cohen: Best investments come from instantaneous 5-to-10-minute instincts
“Most of the best investments I've ever Had have been that five, 10 minute instantaneous, you know, like I'm in reaction, right?”
Cohen: A founder's reaction when confronted reveals their true character
“What they say in that moment of integrity is how you can really tell how a person will behave and their value.”
Cohen: Trust between founders and investors is rebuildable if openly discussed
“So again, we all do things wrong, but if I can trust that we're going to be able to talk about that openly, especially in a board or investor context, or this works in personal life as well, Then I think it's easy to rebuild almost no matter what the transgres…”
Cohen: High Confidence with Low Accuracy Makes the Worst Board Member
“And so the worst form of board member is someone with confidently held misinformation, right? Where they believe this is the case and this is how this works, but actually it's high confidence, but low accuracy.”