Johnny Walker

reflecting: it’s so much easier to discuss non-traditional (aka “crazy”) VC investment strategies with 15 yrs of data / 2,000+ co’s in the rear view mirror. back in 2008-10, i spoke with hundreds of (smart & experienced) VCs & LPs who said i was insane… and when I said the firm name was going to be called “500 Startups” (thx for that domain @hnshah 🙏🏼❤️) they literally laughed in my fucking face. fundraising was hell for many years because nobody thought it made any goddamn sense (and tbh, i was scared shitless it might not work). even after we were on our 3rd fund and >1,000 investments, ppl still thought we were crazy and it wouldn’t work. but i was very lucky a few folks gave us a shot in the early days (@foundersfund @Redpoint @accel @bluerunventures @JoshKopelman @pmarca @mkapor @fredwilson @marcusogawa among many others)… the checks were small but they were enough to get started, and we never looked back. today i have a lot of sympathy for rookie VCs and founders aspiring to try out their “crazy investing ideas” — especially in such a tough market, altho 2009-10 was pretty similar in a lot of ways. it’s a GIANT pain in the ass starting a company or a VC fund, and it takes a lot of support and believers, AND a lot of hard work & persistence. and even then, many many times we will fail. and try again. and fail again. and try again. and fail again. but i want to let people know — keep working on your crazy ideas! because one time, a few times, sometimes… you will SUCCEED. and that makes all that failure and doubt and persistence worthwhile. youtu.be/mtftHaK9tYY

"I do it to blow off steam," the professor reportedly told officials investigating his alleged bestiality. huffpost.com/entry/penn-sta…

Thrilled and so thankful for Forbes outstanding recommendation for summer 2023 #enjoyresponsibly #winner #spiritbrandoftheyear