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.
Hend Azzerayer
Startup funding – I’ll share a resource, a book called
Venture be smarter than your lawyer and venture capitalist by Brad Feld, which is a guide that will help you understand how startup funding works and it goes over negotiation, deal terms, term sheets, and it’s something that I want to dive into so that I can understand deals from both the founder and VC perspective.
#Startup
Mohammad Yassin
Persistence prevails – I learned the value of persistence
this week through a six-month endeavor with my group. Despite initial silence, our determination led to a meeting and global media coverage. This journey highlighted that perseverance pays off, emphasizing that where there’s passion, there’s a path forward.
#Advice
Alisa Lorden
Healthcare disparities – This week, I’ve delved deep into
healthcare equity research for my investment thesis. It’s disheartening to uncover the vast gaps in care, especially in rural areas. While we often discuss food deserts, healthcare deserts are equally prevalent and need acknowledgment. Addressing these gaps is crucial for progressing towards equitable healthcare access.
#Healthcare
Quinn Novels
Embrace your identity – I started reading James H.
Lowry’s book and I’m captivated. Recently, while networking at a prominent university in North Carolina, I assisted graduate students with their resumes and cover letters. One Vietnamese woman seeking a job at McKinsey had stripped her resume of personal identifiers as advised by her career center. I urged her to embrace her identity and experiences. I shared with her James Lowry’s story as the first black consultant at McKinsey, advocating and celebrating uniqueness. I emphasized the importance of standing firm in one’s identity and not conforming to societal norms.
#BeYourself
Alex Asemi
Ask questions – I discovered the effectiveness of asking
questions rather than persuading others. Asking questions not only helps in understanding the other person’s perspective but also proves to be a more convincing approach compared to imposing one’s own ideas.
#TVCFellows
Kelly Fleming
Utilizing different perspectives – This week’s takeaway
emphasizes the significance of acknowledging diverse perspectives, particularly in group dynamics or conflicts within teams. Recognizing that others may view situations differently can serve as a valuable cue for fostering constructive conflict within groups.
#Advice
Rama Chakaki
Addressing ageism is crucial – This week, I’ve pondered
the implications of ageism and its parallels to racism. There’s a noticeable shift in society’s attitude towards elders, from reverence to disregard. The wisdom of older generations is often overlooked in favor of the younger ones. This trend leaves many elders feeling marginalized and undervalued. As we navigate into an AI-driven future, preserving and integrating the wisdom of elders becomes a pressing concern. Addressing ageism is essential for fostering inclusivity and leveraging collective knowledge.
#Awareness
Bashar Alallawi
Hope demands action – This week, I watched “Waiting for
Godot,” a play by Samuel Beckett. The playwright leaves the meaning of “Godot” open to interpretation, but the play follows two men unsure of their purpose in the world. They pass the time searching for someone named Godot, but ultimately achieve nothing. Despite a promise that Godot will arrive tomorrow, he never does. Beckett’s message seems to be that while hope exists, it requires action, not passive waiting, to materialize.
#TakeAction
Marwan Safi
Action over analysis – Lately, I’ve wrestled with
perfectionism, prompting me to explore the difference between action and analysis paralysis. A TED talk highlighted two contrasting individuals: one passionate but inactive, the other experienced with a rocky career but far ahead. The common themes identified of those who get ahead are confidence, willingness to ask, and taking decisive action, which breeds further action. Conversely, inaction leads to paralysis. Decision-making, even with imperfect information, is crucial for progress. Breaking down tasks is essential to combat stagnation.
#Advice
Mujahed Aghbar
Rejection, flow, productivity – To combat analysis
paralysis, I’ve embraced the “art of rejection,” aiming for ten rejections daily to build resilience and confidence. This approach desensitizes me to rejection, empowering me to pursue opportunities without fear of failure. Additionally, I’m focusing on optimizing learning and motivation by striving for a state of flow. Breaking tasks down helps achieve this balance between skill level and challenge, fostering productivity and creativity. Many successful individuals attribute their achievements to embracing the flow state.
#PersonalDevelopment
Jad Khattib
Trust your instincts – Over the past two weeks, I’ve
delved into a creative project, stepping outside my usual realm. Soliciting copious feedback, I soon realized its drawbacks—it’s a double-edged sword. People feel compelled to provide input which creates this constant loop of feedback. Having realized this, I decided to break free from the cycle and trust my instincts. I’ve resolved to forge ahead independently, aiming to complete the project within two weeks.
#TransformVC
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