My VC Resolutions for 2023

1) Update public profiles: remove any reference to ever having ever liked crypto/web3, deny any rumors that I was claiming to be “down the rabbit hole” less than a year ago, say that I would have “definitely done deep due diligence” on FTX

2) Show thought leadership: tweet incessantly about Generative AI, change my PFP to a Lensa avatar, talk about how GPT-4 is “insanely mind-blowing” (reminder: cold email OpenAI to actually get early access to GPT-4)

3) Add value: advise CEOs to (a) grow at least as fast as before, but also (b) drastically cut all costs. Use terms like “EBITDA” and “FCF” which I just learned about in 2022. It’s all about “responsible growth” now (hint that I always advocated for it, deep down)

4) Be encouraging: repeat more often that “some of the greatest companies ever were started in bear markets”, because founders really like hearing that from VCs whose personal downside is protected by management fees no matter what

5) Be rigorous: emphasize valuation discipline, unlike those other silly VCs (not me) who YOLO’ed into crazy expensive deals in 2020-21 — HOWEVER, be flexible: if I do get an allocation in the next Generative AI platform Series A at 500x ARR, then def do it (that’s different)

6) Cut costs: given low likelihood of carry in the next couple of years, fire my now-outed $250k-a-year ghostwriter, and instead hire an unpaid high schooler to write ChatGPT prompts for my social posts. Tweet about how I’m grooming the next generation

7) Travel less: it’s going to be a high intensity year where my founders are going to need me, so keep it to essential travel only: Deer Valley skiing, Egypt kitesurfing, Mykonos for the Summer, some long weekends in Miami, bit of pickleball in the Hamptons, that’s it

8) Start a podcast, because more people need to know what VCs think, especially on topics outside of venture capital. Plus, the All In guys get stopped in the street for autographs and I don’t.

Happy new year everyone, let’s go!

P.S. Humbled to report that, despite a challenging year, I did well on most of my 2022 resolutions. Success is about stacking tiny wins (you heard it here first)

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