Uncategorized

Emerging GPs typically face a very slippery slope when adroitly attempting to navigate appropriate messaging. On the one hand, these managers want to offer a unique perspective to entice prospective LPs with thoughtful novelty, while on the other hand, they want to avoid alienating viable investors with posturing that comes across as tone-deaf or even […]

In a private assets investment market currently showing very anemic distributions, leading to thinning investable capital and, consequently, extreme selectivity by LPs, almost all fundraising GPs have to find effective ways to wade through a massive pool of rejections. Seasoned GPs with several fund cycles under their belts will encourage managers currently in the fundraising

As is widely known, the term “bedside manner” typically refers to the tone and demeanor that doctors and other medical professionals adopt when caring for patients. Good bedside manners, for the most part, include a healthy dose of active listening, empathy, building rapport, developing trust, reducing distractions, and ensuring that the focus is on the

From the outset, the explicit goal of my writings was to remove or partially lift the cloak of mystery surrounding the internal workings of most LPs (institutional investors). Although most GPs are relatively certain they understand their LPs, over my 20+ year career as an investment manager researcher, I have come to believe that what

The infinitely eloquent Maya Angelou offered a most poignant conceptualization of the past, stating, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” These words cut deep into the essence of the advantages of truthfully representing the building blocks of our past, which form the foundation

During almost-daily conversations with my brother, our discussions typically start with mundane topics such as hip-hop, family matters, Premier League soccer, and cultural affairs related to fashion, movies, and other forms of art. The conversations inevitably turn philosophical, with each of us putting forth our latest read, watched, or heard hacks for effectively navigating this

I remember chuckling and nodding in agreement while listening to a comedian a few months ago who said, “What does it say about us as a society if so many people’s idea of a good way to relax and wind down is turning on the ID channel and getting lost in true-life gruesome murder stories?”

On a routine due diligence call last week, the conversation, as it usually does with venture managers, turned to the concept of Power Law –  the notion that venture capital distributions/returns are skewed by a few extreme events driving overall outcomes. This theory is one that VC managers have espoused through actual historical occurrences (track

What began two years ago (November 12, 2023) as a way to avoid feeling like a total loser after some professional turbulence has now evolved into a weekly cathartic mental health exercise that demands ongoing self-reflection, unwavering honesty, and personal discipline. My very first post, “Breaking a Culture of Echo Chamber Investing,” unconsciously served as

In challenging fundraising environments like the one most GPs are currently facing, relying on re-ups (existing LPs re-subscribing to the next fund) is one of the few nearly certain aspects in an otherwise highly uncertain fundraising process. In my view, re-ups are a psychological game of Twister that GPs and LPs play, which can be