Current Thinking
On Building Startups
The best startups solve real problems that founders deeply understand. Speed of execution beats perfect planning. Focus on product-market fit above all else—revenue is a lagging indicator of whether you've truly built something people need.
Economic Frameworks
Markets are information processing systems. The most successful businesses create new markets or transform existing ones by reducing friction and asymmetry. Understanding incentive structures reveals more about outcomes than any business plan.
Technology & Distribution
Technology is only valuable when it reaches users. Distribution strategy matters as much as the product itself. The internet didn't just create new products—it fundamentally changed how value is created and captured.
Writing
The Feedback Loop Principle
March 2025 • 8 min read
Fast feedback loops are the secret weapon of successful companies. How to build systems that learn and adapt quickly.
Why Most Market Research Is Wrong
February 2025 • 6 min read
People don't know what they want until you show them. The case for building first and validating through usage, not surveys.
Capital Allocation in Early-Stage Startups
January 2025 • 10 min read
Where to spend your first $100k, $500k, and $1M. A framework for making capital decisions when resources are constrained.
Network Effects vs. Economies of Scale
December 2024 • 7 min read
Understanding the difference between these two moats and why network effects create stronger competitive advantages.
Portfolio
Project Name 1
Role: Founder / Technical Lead
Built a marketplace platform connecting X with Y. Achieved Z users in first 6 months. Key learnings about marketplace dynamics and two-sided networks.
Project Name 2
Role: Co-founder / Strategy
Developed an economic model for optimizing resource allocation in [industry]. Worked with [partners/clients] to implement and validate the approach.
Project Name 3
Role: Advisor
Advised early-stage startup on go-to-market strategy and pricing. Helped refine positioning that led to [outcome].
Core Principles
- Build for 10x, not 10%: Incremental improvements rarely create lasting competitive advantages. Aim for fundamental breakthroughs.
- Default to action: Bias toward doing. Most decisions are reversible; the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of being wrong.
- Economics explains behavior: Incentives shape outcomes. Design systems where individual incentives align with collective benefit.
- Simplicity scales: Complex solutions are fragile. Simple, elegant systems handle growth and change better.
- Learn in public: Share insights, get feedback, iterate. The fastest path to better thinking is engaging with other perspectives.
Key Insights
Network Effects
Products become more valuable as more people use them. Understanding and leveraging network effects is critical for startup success.
Capital Efficiency
More funding doesn't equal more success. The best companies know how to do more with less and grow sustainably.
Market Timing
Being too early is often indistinguishable from being wrong. Understanding when technology meets market readiness is crucial.