POV
The Two Laws Of Startup Physics
Fifteen years into my venture capital career, I’ve come to believe there are two undeniable laws of startup physics: 1) Capital compounds both positive and negative formulas. 2) All positive formulas compound at diminishing rates of return.
What Could You Build with Just $10,000?
While collecting the stories of more than 50 startups that got big before they raised venture capital, it was surprising to learn how many founders claimed to get their business off the ground with just $5,000-$10,000. In a world where companies that have raised more than $5M describe themselves as “seed stage,” a four-figure sum seems insufficient to start a billion-dollar business. But it’s not. So, how do you become humongous with humble financing? There are a few principles that seem common:
50 Big Companies that Started with Little or No Money
There’s a widespread belief among founders that venture capital is a precursor to success. It is true that VC is a common denominator of the most successful tech startups, but it isn’t a prerequisite, especially at the early stages.
3 fundraising “moves” if you’re happy (but not thrilled) with a funding offer
Venturing in Public – 3/20/25
CPG v ChatGPT: A billion reasons to invest & build in consumer
In looking at the portfolio recently, I was surprised to see that our DTC portfolio – ranging from baby toys to cat food, furniture, skin care, and more – will do over a billion dollars in sales this year. A billion in sales!
What Raising Over $900M Taught Me About Fundraising Strategy
Think of each funding round as part of an ongoing strategy—a multi-stage game, where every decision has ripple effects on the long-term trajectory.
The AI-Native CTO
Why technical leadership just got exponentially harder.
The DNA Test to Stop Sounding Like a Robot
One of my editors at Wired used to say, “Put a fact in every sentence.” It was a way of eliminating throat-clearing intros and excess opinion. In our era of ghostwritten gray goo, my key element of style is this: put a piece of you in every sentence.
If a line doesn’t contain your DNA, delete it.
The Work-Life Balance Secrets of NYC’s Most Successful Founder-Parents
How do ambitious founder-parents keep it together when life throws pacifiers and pitch decks at the same time?
The End of Middle Management
You no longer need a fleet of middle managers to build something big, just a small team
Lessons from Canva’s Global Head of Product Robert Kawalsky
Things I overheard in conversation with a $50B product leader and the head of product at the hottest AI product company around.
7 Bits of practical advice for startups growing in a resource-constrained environment
VCs offer a lot of advice from a 30,000-foot view. Here are 7 bits of practical wisdom I gleaned when managing a large, resource-constrained, growing team that you can apply to your startup today.
If AGI Is Coming, Why Invest in Anything?
If you believe AGI is close, how do you justify backing a startup with a 5–10 year horizon? It’s a fair challenge, and one that deserves a better answer than: “We believe in founders.”
Human Ingenuity as the Scaling Limit
Apple’s Illusion of Thinking reminds us that transformers may asymptote to human ability and that may be enough to transform the world.
Call David Frankel AI at (617) 812-5018
Get real-time advice from the Founder Collective partner – whether you need a gut check, strategic input, or just someone who’s been there. Powered by Regal AI.
Finding Liquidity (It’s Harder Than It Looks!)
As one LP told me, “You’re going to be wrong for selling too early or wrong for not selling – either way you’ll be wrong.”
The AI Software Engineer
Myth Model Takers, Not Model Makers: The Reality of Modern AI Work
Eric Paley to Serve as Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We’re proud to share that Eric Paley, our long-time partner and dear friend, has been appointed Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Governor Maura Healy.
Welcoming Jack Arenas
We’re thrilled to announce that Jack Arenas has joined Founder Collective as the new Principal in our SoHo office. He represents the value and ethos of FC – he’s a builder at heart, lived the ups and downs of the founder journey and loves to work with founders across the tech industry.
My Next Step: Joining Founder Collective
After a decade of building and scaling startups, I’m excited to embark on my next chapter as a Principal at Founder Collective in their NYC office.
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The AI-Native CTO
Why technical leadership just got exponentially harder.
Call David Frankel AI at (617) 812-5018
Get real-time advice from the Founder Collective partner – whether you need a gut check, strategic input, or just someone who’s been there. Powered by Regal AI.
The DNA Test to Stop Sounding Like a Robot
One of my editors at Wired used to say, “Put a fact in every sentence.” It was a way of eliminating throat-clearing intros and excess opinion. In our era of ghostwritten gray goo, my key element of style is this: put a piece of you in every sentence.
If a line doesn’t contain your DNA, delete it.
The Two Laws Of Startup Physics
Fifteen years into my venture capital career, I’ve come to believe there are two undeniable laws of startup physics: 1) Capital compounds both positive and negative formulas. 2) All positive formulas compound at diminishing rates of return.
What Could You Build with Just $10,000?
While collecting the stories of more than 50 startups that got big before they raised venture capital, it was surprising to learn how many founders claimed to get their business off the ground with just $5,000-$10,000. In a world where companies that have raised more than $5M describe themselves as “seed stage,” a four-figure sum seems insufficient to start a billion-dollar business. But it’s not. So, how do you become humongous with humble financing? There are a few principles that seem common:
50 Big Companies that Started with Little or No Money
There’s a widespread belief among founders that venture capital is a precursor to success. It is true that VC is a common denominator of the most successful tech startups, but it isn’t a prerequisite, especially at the early stages.
3 fundraising “moves” if you’re happy (but not thrilled) with a funding offer
Venturing in Public – 3/20/25
CPG v ChatGPT: A billion reasons to invest & build in consumer
In looking at the portfolio recently, I was surprised to see that our DTC portfolio – ranging from baby toys to cat food, furniture, skin care, and more – will do over a billion dollars in sales this year. A billion in sales!
What Raising Over $900M Taught Me About Fundraising Strategy
Think of each funding round as part of an ongoing strategy—a multi-stage game, where every decision has ripple effects on the long-term trajectory.
The AI-Native CTO
Why technical leadership just got exponentially harder.
The DNA Test to Stop Sounding Like a Robot
One of my editors at Wired used to say, “Put a fact in every sentence.” It was a way of eliminating throat-clearing intros and excess opinion. In our era of ghostwritten gray goo, my key element of style is this: put a piece of you in every sentence.
If a line doesn’t contain your DNA, delete it.
The Work-Life Balance Secrets of NYC’s Most Successful Founder-Parents
How do ambitious founder-parents keep it together when life throws pacifiers and pitch decks at the same time?
The End of Middle Management
You no longer need a fleet of middle managers to build something big, just a small team
Lessons from Canva’s Global Head of Product Robert Kawalsky
Things I overheard in conversation with a $50B product leader and the head of product at the hottest AI product company around.
7 Bits of practical advice for startups growing in a resource-constrained environment
VCs offer a lot of advice from a 30,000-foot view. Here are 7 bits of practical wisdom I gleaned when managing a large, resource-constrained, growing team that you can apply to your startup today.
If AGI Is Coming, Why Invest in Anything?
If you believe AGI is close, how do you justify backing a startup with a 5–10 year horizon? It’s a fair challenge, and one that deserves a better answer than: “We believe in founders.”
Human Ingenuity as the Scaling Limit
Apple’s Illusion of Thinking reminds us that transformers may asymptote to human ability and that may be enough to transform the world.
Call David Frankel AI at (617) 812-5018
Get real-time advice from the Founder Collective partner – whether you need a gut check, strategic input, or just someone who’s been there. Powered by Regal AI.
Finding Liquidity (It’s Harder Than It Looks!)
As one LP told me, “You’re going to be wrong for selling too early or wrong for not selling – either way you’ll be wrong.”
The AI Software Engineer
Myth Model Takers, Not Model Makers: The Reality of Modern AI Work
Eric Paley to Serve as Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We’re proud to share that Eric Paley, our long-time partner and dear friend, has been appointed Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Governor Maura Healy.
Welcoming Jack Arenas
We’re thrilled to announce that Jack Arenas has joined Founder Collective as the new Principal in our SoHo office. He represents the value and ethos of FC – he’s a builder at heart, lived the ups and downs of the founder journey and loves to work with founders across the tech industry.
My Next Step: Joining Founder Collective
After a decade of building and scaling startups, I’m excited to embark on my next chapter as a Principal at Founder Collective in their NYC office.