"Now, I actively seek that unique insight or different approach... I'm not afraid to go against the grain... and have some unconventional bets in my portfolio."
"We work with founders for two months in person, and we back the maniacs."
“I've developed an allergy to deals driven by FOMO and hype. The more hype and investors looking at a deal, the less confident I am in a good return.”
"I think at best, VCs can add somewhere in the ballpark of 5% of company value, but at worst, can destroy 100% of it."
"It may sound provocative, but we often say one of the unconventional things we do is we take women seriously."
"Great founders have to be able to convince people to do irrational things."
"Founders have to be world-class storytellers. This produces three key benefits: they can fundraise, sell, and recruit. If you can do those three things, you're steps ahead."
"Be unwaveringly optimistic – many new investors are pessimistic based on prior experiences they may have had. Look for the positive in every meeting vs looking for the negative."
"Only invest in companies you are so bullish on that you would legitimately be excited to quit your VC job and work with that founder on that startup."
"Too much credit is given to venture capital firms for their contributions. While capital can speed up hiring or product development, it simply can't manufacture the passion, grit, and perseverance that make a company successful."
"Being part of a firm based in Atlanta and not on the coast has helped me look at opportunities differently."
“I used to spend hours in a biophysics lab, but I found my real experiment in venture—test, fail, pivot, test again.”
