Startup Newsletter

Founders feelings are overrated.

→ I don't let them control me
→ I control them

There are too many ups and downs on the startup life to allow my feelings to be in control. 

They make a lousy boss.

When life doesn't go as planned, I refuse to allow doubt, fear and worry in my thoughts.

→ I choose to walk b...

Startup life is a battle.

→ 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
→ you're on a battleship

The battle is 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘀.

→ a battle for your mindset (𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵)
→ along with the startup tactical battle (𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸)

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.

→ will you 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (a decision followed by action)
→ are you wi...

Something all founders have in common

→ Freedom to
→ Freedom from

At some point

Every founder made the leap of faith

To pursue their version of the American Dream

Something that requires much courage

→ we're told
→ 70% of the global workforce
→ want to become entrepreneurs
→ to leave the 9-5

But ...

I treat every startup as a turnaround

→ it's how 90% of our ventures succeed 📈

→ it's how we go from flawed

→ to viable

→ everyone knows the rules 🚀

When you treat everything as flawed
The flaws get exposed
You pivot early — becoming viable
BEFORE you go-to-market

→ but if you don't believe your...

Giving-up isn't a pivot

→ It's quitting
→ It always follows
→ Failing to raise capital
→ Or failing to land customers

But there's a big difference

Between quitting

And starting over

I start over all the time

When one of my ideas doesn't work

→ I take courage
→ Go back to square one
→ Work through ...

Founders - Great brands

→ will attract and repel

Magnets always 𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵.

Every startup founder must 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱

And the brand must 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

And 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲

→ For instance

→ Though I'm not the only one on our team

→ I have become the brand at CanaGlobal

→ And our brand h...

We only trust & invest in founders with a slight limp

→ The ones who are battle-tested
→ And have the scars to prove it
→ When they got knocked down
→ They got back up

Why do we love them

First they tell great stories

These are the ones you invite over for steaks

To smoke cigars and share a bourbo...

I love founders who bet on themselves

→ Henry 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 $25𝗞 on his CC in 2007

→ ZoomInfo wasn't always the $8B giant it is today

→ At 23, he was his first investor

→ He invested $25k on his credit card

→ He invested in himself and his startup DiscoverOrg (Now ZoomInfo)

𝗛𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱

It took ...

Faith Driven VC have their own investment criteria

→ And 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 DEI or ESG

→ Instead 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗠𝗘𝗜 + (𝗦𝗜)

→ What's MEI

→ Merit, Excellence and Intelligence

→ What's SI

→ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

I'm fascinated by AI, but I love SI more, because it's the wisdom from God

It's called discernment

Tr...