tldr: left my dream job at @a_starvc to join the dream team at @aaruHQ the past several months at A* have been a true vc speedrun; saw hundreds of deals, learned more than i had in years, and was afforded the privilege of backing two incredible young founding teams. however, this short investing stint also shed light on some major gaps in my expertise + deepened my preexisting love for the Aaru team - @virtualned @seekingtau @k_ssl_r i continue to believe the apprenticeship model still works when it comes to investing. some of the best investors simply learned from their predecessors; and the best founding teams really only need hiring help, customer intros, and a cheerleader. i don’t think operating is required to be a great vc however, working alongside the @a_starvc legends - @kevinhartz @gguptasf @bennettsiegel - made it clear to me that if i want to meaningfully support and accelerate world class founders, i need a differentiated lens / edge. Kevin’s edge is that he’s founded four companies, Gautam’s that he was a C-suite operator at two unicorns, and Bennett’s that he backed a number of remarkable companies seed to IPO - which gives him a unique lens into early stage. also special shoutout to @vik_rama @jhwindmueller @navyagudimetla @natszarmach. truly a world class team + i didn’t have a single day that felt like work three major factors contributed to this decision: first, Aaru is an A* portfolio company. Kevin was the first person to commit capital to Aaru, and led their pre-seed. the Aaru guys were 18, 18, and 15 when A* funded Aaru - and they were literally crashing on my couch in SF at the time. this is a huge testament to the A* team’s propensity to bet on young high-slope founders second, seeing hundreds of deals as an investor made it clear to me that Aaru is a very special company. there isn’t a single other startup in the market today that i would join, much less quit the first job i loved for. the Aaru product and team is just that good, and just that special. also, i see similar startups / competitors cropping up every week. as aforementioned, none of them are Aaru. we will win. and luckily, we have a major head start :”) third, the sheer coincidences that led to my friendship with Ned, Cam, and John were too serendipitous to ignore. I could probably write a novel or screenplay on the Aaru team. i met Ned moments before i left a random party while visiting my hometown chicago, and ran into him and Cam the next day at a friend’s office. we spent two hours chatting about many of the topics we’re working together on today. since then, i’ve had the privilege of being their supporter and advisor as they proceeded to accomplish everything they said they would and more. my involvement can help us markedly accelerate the company’s trajectory, and i feel lucky to work with friends for current and future founders, i continue to be part of the A* family. please reach out to me if you’re a founder seeking support or perspective on their fundraise, or on anything marketing or brand related. technically i’m not a vc anymore so this is a safe space x takeaways i’ll leave you with: if i was raising venture capital for a startup today, there isn’t a better team than A* that i’d want to partner with. and, if i could bet on one early stage startup, it would be Aaru. consider this going all in.

@Calcolis @yishan @Andercot yes

@WizLikeWizard tbh i think market ripe for a breakout datin app

@elizalian type beat

@navyagudimetla @zfellows @kevinhartz @A_StarVC @cory @0baylor @carloagostinel2 @agarwalipshita @Sonith_Sunku5 locked in

@helen_wangg @xprunie everyone thinks i’m off my meds lol. hang?

@aiblackbox imy

@xprunie lol yes resigned wednesday was on a flight out friday

@EddyVGG i’m sorry luv

@0xKNL__

@CherrilynnZ or lack thereof

@sdand 😭

@npceo_ @Mat_Sherman legend

@RatIsSoCute @A_StarVC @aaruHQ thank u Rat the Dog

@henrymarkarian @A_StarVC @aaruHQ chi hang soon

@ColeRotman we need more men that don’t follow sports

@hoomanrenezhad @A_StarVC @aaruHQ <3

@jakexia27 @A_StarVC @aaruHQ ily.

@CalvinBeighle @A_StarVC @aaruHQ thx legend!! lmk when in nyc :)