Featuring courage in Venture Capital and more; Every week the entire team participates in sharing lessons learned about the industry and their unique perspectives as interns, fellows, general partners and advisors. The lessons shared invite us all to build a common understanding of the Venture Capital Landscape and reflect on ways we can help its evolution.
Kods Zouita
Embrace uncertainty and learn –
Unpredictable knowledge gaps exist. Adopt a beginner’s mindset to avoid overlooking unknowns. It’s important to question assumptions, as believing you know can be limiting. Reflecting on problems often reveals a different perspective, embrace it.
#VCLife
Alisa Lorden
AI and Education – I attended a talk about the
newest developments in AI. It was really interesting to hear how there’s a lot of fear around AI and younger generations losing critical thinking abilities with the incorporation of AI. However, it can actually augment critical thinking if done the right way. One of my professors has actually been a leader on integrating AI into the curriculum and making it a part of students’ experience and actually helping us improve our work as opposed to taking shortcuts that might prevent future growth.
#Education
Quinn Novels
Reflection and Growth – I turned thirty-great (38) last
week, and spent some time reflecting on my goals. Instead of setting a New Year’s resolution, I decided to set purposeful intentions this year and align them with my birthday. I spent the weekend strategizing with my business coach and fellow entrepreneurs on foundation setting and business scaling. It was an inspiring weekend, focusing on my future self. I recognized the importance of prioritizing health, particularly through getting consistent, adequate sleep, and want to emphasize the significance of reflection, goal setting, and creating actionable plans. I’m excited about my journey, investing in self-improvement, and transforming alongside others for greatness.
#TVCFellows
Jad Dalloul
Apple abandons EV – Apple just announced that they’re
not going to proceed in creating their EV after like ten years of trying to. The truth is, just stick to what you’re good at and continue mastering it, because the more you get into different things, the harder it becomes.
#EV
Allan Ghosn
Task Coordination and Managerial Struggle – At work
I observe the challenge of coordinating tasks between Outlook and Google. The management adage “delegate, but verify” holds true, emphasizing the need for oversight. As applications become more intelligent, they prompt timely responses to emails, yet fall short in tracking delegated tasks, a common managerial struggle. The complexity of managing multiple resources necessitates better tools. I hope these evolving technologies address the challenge, offering efficient solutions for managers seeking improved coordination amid the whirlwind of tasks and responsibilities.
#Management
Jasmine Samaha
Generational Trends – During the past week we discussed
macroeconomic and demographic trends, particularly focusing on generational differences. The millennials (Gen Y) are the first generation in the US to be worse off than their parents were at the same age. We also discussed Gen Z, characterized as the disruptive generation. Admiring their entrepreneurial spirit, we discussed their inclination to create their own pathways when they encounter roadblocks to upward mobility. Overall, the conversation involved comparing and contrasting macroeconomic and demographic trends across generations.
#GenZ
Tahereh Sonia Saheb
Gender Disparity – I recently attended a black
venture event, I was impressed with the community’s progress. However, I noted gender disparity in the pitch competition, highlighting the need for more support, especially for black women. A noteworthy observation was the increased interest in climate change startups among black investors after an article in the New York Post noted the disparity in funding for RWC applicants from the black community, emphasizing the importance of engaging and reaching out to address this trend.
#GenderDisparity
Jennie Hatch
Plan for Transitions – This week’s lesson revolves around
my contemplation of a physical move. Reflecting on a recent visit to New York City, I realized my tendency to assume a seamless continuation of my schedule in new places, neglecting transition costs. This oversight results in falling behind in the following week. The key takeaway is to allocate space in the schedule and treat a move as a separate project, preventing delays due to unaccounted transition time.
#VCLife
Omar El-Khalaf
Power of Words – So this is a lesson I keep relearning,
and I would strongly recommend you all to watch this speech by Muhammad Qahtani “The Power of Words”. It’s arguably one of my favorite speeches of all time. Words, when articulated in the right way, can change someone’s mind. They also can alter someone’s belief. You have the power to create an impact and resonate with people when you
use words wisely.
#PersonalDevelopment
Kelly Fleming
Mindset Matters – I recently attended the Harvard
Business and Women’s conference, and one big takeaway that I saw from all the women, whether they were entrepreneurs or leaders, is the importance of your mindset and believing in yourself to overcome all the challenges that come with it.
#Mindset
Raed A Masri
Time Zone Coordination – This week, I faced the
challenge of coordinating across four different time zones due to conferences and travel. Juggling California, Central European, and East Coast time zones was demanding. To overcome this, I dedicated time to convert schedules and ensure smooth coordination. The experience emphasized the importance of weekly calendar planning for staying organized. Redoing my overcrowded calendar brought comfort, reinforcing the lesson of proactive schedule management for a more relaxed and effective workflow.
#VCLife
Alex Asemi
Focused Intent Yields – This week’s lesson focused on the
reticular activation system, emphasizing the importance of focused attention. Like spotting a red car when actively seeking one, I applied this principle to identify a long-sought supplier within my network. The experience highlights the effectiveness of intentional searching and awareness, showcasing how acknowledging potential opportunities and actively seeking them can lead to successful outcomes.
#TVCFellows
Amir Abed Rabo
Priority Over Multitasking – What I learned this week is
the importance of priority management as opposed to time management. I think trying to do everything at once, it’s not the best thing to do. Sometimes we have to figure out what our opportunity cost is and just focus on what we want to be best at.
#Advice
Bashar Alallawi
Diversity and Growth – This week, while browsing a book
titled “Grow Up Fast: Lessons from AI Startups”. I came across two crucial insights. First, the book emphasizes the significance of diverse teams for effective problem-solving and overcoming challenges. Second, it highlights the importance of learning from feedback, which reminds me of the important feedback calls we conduct with each team member. These calls play a vital role in the team’s growth.
#Diversity
Shadi Battah
Diverse Teams Enhance – I think being part of a
diverse team, both in terms of thought, process and background, allows for us to figure out our blind spots and avoid them to collectively reach a better conclusion.
#Diversity
Rama Chakaki
Be aware and believe – I’m reminded by Michelangelo’s
quote, “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it”. I find that the majority of us have a misbelief that we’re not achieving what we want, when in fact we’re achieving 100% of what we want. I would invite you all to consider the attitudes that you hold about certain topics and the belief system that you have and see how you can correct that to achieve something different.
#Advice