FutureSight

Thinking about taking the entrepreneurial leap? 🏃♂️🏃♀️ We have a 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 designed just for you! This tool helps you determine: 👉 If you’re ready to jump in now 👉 If there’s some pre-work you need to do beforehand Get a clear picture of your readiness and take your entrepreneurial journey to the next level! 🚀 Drop a comment to get the scorecard!

How amateurs approach problem validation: Rely solely on secondary data Rush through customer discovery Ignores conflicting information How the pros do it: Combine research with direct user engagement Allocate time for experimentation and iteration Embrace contradictions and diverse perspectives

We focus on investing in only three to four startups per year. As investors, our time is limited, and we review many deals. This selective approach allows us to dive deep and provide substantial support, ensuring we invest in founders who inspire us and align with our values.

Most founders think they need to build their product ASAP, but... there is usually a huge gap between their understanding and reality. 🔍 Innovation isn’t created from just looking at past data; it requires understanding current and future needs. 🎯 Confirmation bias misdirects founders to their preconceived notions that might not be reflective of the target customer. ⏳ Rushing through the problem discovery phase can result in missing key insights about the true nature of the problem. Trying to build a business around the wrong problem limits growth more than any other decision. It can lead to wasted resources, a misaligned product-market fit, and ultimately, failure. So, when would you build your product?

We are proud to live out our values. Our Operations Manager, Cindy Gamal, shared this post about how self-reflection and self-awareness are reflected in our company culture. We believe reflection and growth go hand in hand. By regularly reflecting on the insights gained from our initiatives, internal review, and market feedback, we ensure continuous learning and meaningful progress, maintaining a clear sense of direction in our fast-paced industry. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!

Early-stage investing is hard. At this stage, the bet is truly on the founders and their potential. At our fund, we follow a six-step evaluation process, culminating in a two to three-hour conversation assessing the founder’s capability to be a CEO and co-create. We then create a founder development plan outlining the journey for the next 10 years. This process ensures we invest in individuals with self-awareness and the ability to grow.

📬 We just sent out our latest newsletter covering the gold rush in AI and insights from three great VC and Venture Studio investors! Want to receive monthly insights on startup founding and venture investing? Join our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/g-Wtb38n

Hot take: 𝐈𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. The first six months of venture building are always ambiguous. Founders might have a couple of problem areas they're interested in. After getting market evidence, we'll discover gaps in the ideas and pivot based on those insights. That's why at our investment stage, the Formation stage, the idea matters less. What truly matters are the founders and where we believe they can grow. As co-creators, FutureSight and the founders develop the ideas together.

As a founder, you question every day if you're in the right place, if the hardship is worth it, and if you're truly committed to the mission. That's why we ensure we get that buy-in together: 1️⃣ How much the problem exists for customers 2️⃣ Why this problem matters to the founder 3️⃣ The impact of solving that problem for the customer 4️⃣ Whether the problem is worth solving The most valuable resource at this early stage is 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. We conduct upfront market validation because we don't want to build something no one wants, whether that be the customers, investors, or the founders.

How do you ensure you don't become 'roadkill' in this age of AI advancement? Vinod Khosla suggests that his team actively avoids areas that could be overtaken by large language models (LLMs) and emphasizes that there are ample opportunities in verticals where expertise will become nearly free. These are sectors where OpenAI or Google aren’t likely to build comprehensive solutions. “Open AI or Google isn’t going to build a chip designer [to have on your smartphone]. OpenAI and Google aren’t going to build a structural engineer. They’re not going to build a primary care doctor or a mental health therapist,” he said. “So there are so many areas for [founders to mine]. But they have to look at where the models are going next year and five years from now, and say, ‘We want to leverage that capability.’” To succeed, founders need to stay ahead by focusing on specialized fields where AI can solve real-world problems and tremendously boost innovation.