I write personal $5K-$30K checks into very early technical teams.
I write checks of $5K-$30K into very early, exceptional teams building in Agentic Commonwealth, American Dynamism, Kinetic Sovereignty.
There is no formula for predicting which startups become unicorns, but these signals make me want to hop on a Google Meet with you. I call it the 20-point rule.
- Team synergy & story
- +5
- High agency and proof of building, failing, and learning
- +4
- Honesty & asking for help
- +4
- A technical edge
- +2
- A non-cliched contrarian take on the world
- +1
- A working artifact, however ugly
- +1
- Evidence-backed pivots
- +1 each, max +3
I am most useful before the story gets polished. I love it when technical insight does most of the talking.
No warm introductions are required, but managing to find one gets you brownie points.
I don't care for decks. A Google Doc is more than enough. Clarity of thought is what I look for.
If I like you but I'm not in a position to fund you, I will personally refer you to investment partners at Founders, Inc. and a16z Speedrun.
Send the company