Month: March 2013

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by bijansabet

Brooklyn Bridge Park — New York City

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade” — Charles Dickens

(Leica M9-P | 35mm @ f/2)

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We are both nuts

by bijansabet

When an entrepreneur and an investor decide they want to get into business together there is magic in the air.

In the best of situations both the founder and the investor take the time to get to know each other, understand if they see the world the same way and have shared expectations about the future… and shared expectations about the uncertainty as well. They are both motivated to make it work and for the right reasons. That feeling is extraordinary.

The optimist in me says there is much more to this connection than a simple marriage of convenience where the founder needs capital and the investor has capital and is looking for talent.

Take a look at Fred’s post today. I’m writing this on my phone so can’t link but you can point your browser here.

http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2013/03/when-things-dont-work-out.html

Great post as usual.

And here’s the punchline. Most startups don’t work. The odds are against us right from the start.

So you gotta be a little crazy to start a company. And you gotta be a little crazy to invest money and time into a startup.

And that’s why we are drawn to each other.

We are both a little nuts

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Why Michael Karnjanaprakorn created Skillshare

by bijansabet

This is another installment of the “why” behind the founding of a startup.

Last week, I shared Jason Jacobs story about Runkeeper.

Today, I’m delighted to share Michael Karnjanaprakorn’s motivation in creating Skillshare.

Here’s a taste from his post from earlier today. Please read the whole thing here.

The why behind Skillshare started with a personal experience. But it lead me to asking why things were the way they were and why the world couldn’t be different. It’s a purpose that unites everyone on our team and why we come to work everyday. It’s a lifelong mission for us.

(disclosure: we are investors in Michael’s company) .