A founder's true priorities are reflected in their calendar. Citing advice from Stephen Bartlett, if talent is truly number one, a founder's schedule should show it, with as much as 50% of their time dedicated to hiring and team development.
The mantra to 'get 1% better every day' is not just a platitude. The power of compounding means this small, consistent effort results in becoming 37 times better by the end of the year, a powerful driver for out-executing competitors in crowded markets.
M13's operational support team actively assists portfolio companies, resulting in them raising Series B rounds 30% faster and at 25% higher valuations than the median. This provides a quantifiable ROI for a 'value-add' VC model.
Emerging VCs miscalculate risk by chasing a "safer" 3x return. The venture model demands asymmetric bets; a 10% chance at a 100x return is superior to a risky 3x, as both could result in a zero. Venture is not private equity.
Unlike large multi-stage funds that can afford to overpay due to their AUM and fund structure, alpha-focused early-stage VCs must remain disciplined on entry prices. Their model cannot sustain winning deals by simply paying more.
A VC's job isn't to be a static sector expert but to understand the latest technological innovation (e.g., the iPhone, AI) and invest in its second and third-order effects. M13 pivoted from D2C to commerce infrastructure as the underlying tech wave shifted.
Using the invention of the car as an analogy for AI, the most significant returns often come from second-order effects (e.g., LA real estate, gas stations), not just the core technology (cars/LLMs). Investors should look for these ripple-effect opportunities.
Unlike past tech cycles where startups primarily fought other startups (e.g., Facebook vs. Snapchat), today's AI innovators also compete directly with the immense resources, talent, and data moats of established giants like Google and Microsoft.
While San Francisco currently leads in foundational AI, Los Angeles is positioned to win the next phase. As AI permeates culture, media, and the creator economy—LA's core strengths—the most significant application-layer companies will likely emerge from there.