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 13 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
Shakir: Multi-stage funds writing small checks won't prioritize early-stage founders
“If they're just barely giving you a couple 100,000 dollars, they're not going to have time. They're just not going to give a shit. It's not going to be a priority for them.”
Shakir: Multi-stage investors skipping follow-on rounds creates major signaling risks
“It's going to look badly if they were in your prior round and don't do the next round. That ends up being a flag in a lot of cases.”
Shakir: Building a public VC brand led to severe online harassment
“I've gotten, like, rape threats. I've gotten some weirdo DMing me that he's gonna come eat my pets. I don't even have pets.”
Shakir: Fast VC investment decisions prevent founders from understanding investor dynamics
“The fact that these decisions can be made so quickly without any real insight into what that dynamic is like with the investor, I think is really problematic.”
Shakir: VC funding for all-female founding teams dropped to 2%
“In terms of the percentage of dollars deployed to solo female founders or women-only founding teams, it's dropped down to two percent, the lowest number since 2016.”
Shakir: A parenting book is the best leadership reading for startup founders
“One of the best books I love to have founders read about leadership is not a business book, but a book called How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen and Listen So Your Kids Will Talk.”
Shakir: Having children boosts hourly productivity via ruthless prioritization
“The reality of what happened to me, which is that time means something different after you have kids. The amount that you can produce in an hour changes, and I don't know if it's magical superpower or some hormonal thing. It's probably not, but I think it is t…”
Shakir recommends a popular parenting book as an essential founder leadership guide
“And one of the best books I love to have founders read about leadership is not a business book, but a book called How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen and Listen So Your Kids Will Talk.”
Shakir: Resolve high-stakes business conflicts using parenting de-escalation tactics
“What it takes is to get them into a small space, a quiet room, literally put yourself, sit down, put your face at their level, hear them. So instead of trying to convince them, stop crying. Why are you crying? This is irrational. I hear you. I know that really…”
Shakir: Aspiring VCs should pitch specific deals instead of asking to network
“So rather than asking for someone's time, for the love of God, please don't ask me to freaking pick my brain, which reminds me of the COVID test stick going up. I mean, that is like the worst words you can hear. Tell me something interesting. Tell me is a comp…”
Shakir advises against attending graduate school immediately after undergrad
“Straight to grad school, which I really do not recommend, by the way”