Reflections During My Last Spring Break

I went for a walk today in my neighborhood.

It was dark and cloudy at first. I thought it was going to start pouring rain.

But the bees and wasps were buzzing around in the air, so I knew that wouldn't be the case.

I walked along the sidewalk. The same one that I used to walk on every time I took the school bus to and from school.

During my walk, I found myself deep in thought.

I had a particularly stressful forty-eight hours before finally making it home. Time passing has helped me make sense of what happened and why.

There are two lessons that I need to internalize. The first one is to "trust, but verify." The second one is to not be so emotionally invested in my startup writing and VC work.

On the first lesson, unfortunately, not all is what it seems when it comes to dealing with founders.

Anyone can make a claim.

But it requires evidence to back up. Hence the phrase, "trust, but verify."I'm always going to be on the optimistic side when listening to a founder's story.

But I must verify.

(A small note here: if you're a founder, the best advice I can give you is this - do not lie. There are consequences that impact not just yourself or the victim of your lie, but the people around the two of you.

Let's just say its a shame to see someone throw away his or her reputation in the hopes of obtaining a paltry sum of cash.)

Transitioning into the second lesson, it appears I'm too emotionally invested in my work in VC. Don't get wrong - I love what I do. But emotions can and will at some points cloud your judgment.

Good judgment is critical in determining who to support with limited time and funds. Sometimes your emotions can help guide you to the right decision, or lead you astray.

Regardless of the outcome, I've realized I shouldn't be expending a ton of emotional energy across every startup I interact with.

Got to save it for the ones that have a chance of truly making it.

That's all I have for now.

(If you're wondering why I've been posting so many status updates on Facebook, it's because I haven't been writing. Writing is an outlet for my ideas. Seeing as I haven't written so much, ideas began to overflow in my mind, hence the want to post so much to get these ideas out.

I expect the frequent status updates to come to an end given I'm back to writing on the blog now.)