thanks for coming to my TED talk #venturecapital #vctok #startups #founders #tech #investing #whatitakes #howtobesuccessful

So I'm a venture capitalist, and I've been at this for like three and a half years, so I'm new here, believe it or not. But something every VC does, and like specifically when they are raising their own money for their funds, is try to dot-connect and tell you that they know for sure, like the two to five things that make the best founders, and that they only invest in those people. I'm here to tell you that it is a load of crap. I said on this presentation in San Francisco a couple months ago, where this fund that's like a blue chip that was like, entered like the series B or C of like the Airbnbs and the DoorDashes, and they're like trying to tell me that like, these companies are amazing because of things like they, like their exec team has been there for like 15 to 20 years plus. I'm sorry, how does that apply to you knowing in the earliest days that that founder is going to build the next Airbnb? While a lot of things make an individual company successful, the only thing at least that I know of, please correct me if I'm wrong, that pretty much I think all the founders have in common, is that they literally do not give up. And not only do they not give up, but they don't give up for years, like not weeks, not months, years. And they are still, even as public companies, in there hustling on the front page of every social media channel, like getting things done. So ignore all the BS, I just saved you a four hour presentation. Don't quit, be smart and just get it done.