At our stage of investing (Seeds and Series A), it’s obvious that the bet is on the founder(s).

• I’m looking at their ability to attract a rockstar team, investors, and customers.
• I’m evaluating their thoughtfulness about the market size, their GTM, unit economics, etc.
• I’m curious about their unique insights into the space, the competition, and their approach to it.

Focus on inputs, not outputs – Too often we spend valuable time at board meetings or management reviews focused on the results instead of the decisions that were made weeks, months, or years ago which influenced them.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek. Starting out my career as an engineer, I was so focused on the “How” and just did what my managers told me to do. As a product manager, I graduated to the “What” and focused on building the right mousetrap without much context. It was only after business school when I spent time as a Wall Street Research analyst that the importance of “Why” dawned on me. Why do some companies succeed? Why do the best founders hire like they do? Why do certain business models work best? For entrepreneurs, it’s critical to do your customer discovery, research the competitive landscape, and have a child-like curiosity about the reasons for tackling your market / problem.