“When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means the sun is about to set.” — Lin Yutang
It’s been 10 years since I first stepped into venture. Yet still, while I know more, have met more people, and have experienced more, and when I look back, I pity the knowledge and experience I had a decade prior… yet despite all that, I know I have still so much work to do.
This essay was born from many conversations over the years, but especially so, in the past few months, where I’ve witnessed conversation after conversation that follows the theme of:
“Have you met X?”
“I have.”
“What do you think of X?”
“X feels far smarter online than X is in reality. After meeting X, where I anticipated so much, I was only let down.”
Never meet your heroes, they say.
In venture, we live in a world where the average VC brags more about “being a part of the journey” or “excited to support” a founder they backed than actually doing the work. It’s no wonder that 70% of VCs add no value (though 15% more add “negative value”). But it is far easier to say the part, look the part, than do the part. With SpaceX and OpenAI’s IPO today, Anthropic’s tomorrow, and Databricks, Anduril, who knows what, the day after, we will find many more VCs congratulating themselves, raising larger vehicles, and casting larger shadows.
In an unreleased interview with a GP I really admire, she told me an anecdote of a founder she knows well. “All of my early stage investors made out like bandits with my huge exit, and I never got a thank you. All I saw was them talk about how they discovered me and how they had such a big role to play in my success. But no one said, thank you for returning my fund 10 times over. And here’s a token of appreciation, whatever the appreciation is.” Which echoes the growing sentiment in the ecosystem.
And here’s my own self-reflection.
I hope that I cast no greater of a shadow than my beliefs, thoughts, and remarks would allow. And I hope still that I have the humility to cast a smaller shadow than I would ever be allowed to.
People measure shadows by the potential and impact someone may have. I have a friend who turned 30 recently. And when we sat down to chat, he told me that people were no longer telling him that he has potential. And one of his greatest fears is that people only see the person he is today for who he is today, and no longer the person he will be tomorrow. That pressure, more than anything, meant he was no longer “young.” I don’t think anyone ever loses their potential as a function of age. I have friends double my age, still learning every day, faster and more studious than people half of theirs. To me, that is still potential.
And here I hope that the shadow I’m capable of casting is underestimated than overestimated. But at least to myself, I hope I never underestimate myself.
“After I’m dead, I would much rather have men ask why I have no monument than why I have one.” — Cato
Photo by Pete Walls on Unsplash
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The views expressed on this blogpost are for informational purposes only. None of the views expressed herein constitute legal, investment, business, or tax advice. Any allusions or references to funds or companies are for illustrative purposes only, and should not be relied upon as investment recommendations. Consult a professional investment advisor prior to making any investment decisions.