Tremendous

An angel investor's take on life and business

  • Olmo 3: Train Your Own AI Model for Less 

    The Allen Institute for AI recently released its most powerful model ever: Olmo 3. Olmo is cheap to train, making it perfect for anyone training their own model. 

    Olmo 3 is 2.5 times more efficient to train than Llama 3.1 based on GPU-hours per token. Olmo is also much more transparent than other models.

    Most so-called “open source” models, like Llama or DeepSeek, are really just “open weight.” They give you the weights, but they won’t show you how they trained the model (“model flow”) or give you the training data.

    Olmo is 100% open. 

    I popped up Olmo 3 on OpenRouter this morning. Let’s see what this thing can do!

    Round #1: Researching Marketplace Startups

    Yesterday, I was researching the background of a really incredible founder. He co-founded a unicorn marketplace. 

    This got me thinking…how many people in the world can say that? 

    Olmo gave a solid estimate on the number of unicorn marketplace startups and the number of co-founders. Its best guess is that there are a couple hundred people in the world who have co-founded a billion-dollar marketplace. 

    Olmo’s response was solid, but it didn’t cite any sources. This makes it hard to rely on the answer.

    Competing models like DeepSeek have nailed sourcing. At this point, it’s table stakes.

    I’m giving this round a C. 

    Round #2: Learning About the Fiber Buildout

    We are in the midst of a massive AI buildout. Big tech companies are spending a fortune on GPU’s, data centers, and training data.

    How big can this get?

    For comparison, I asked Olmo to tell me about the fiber buildout in the 1990s. This time, I used its “Search” function to see if we can get some citations in the response.

    Olmo estimates that Telecom spent $50 billion in the US on the fiber build-out. But it doesn’t cite any sources, so it’s hard to know if these figures are accurate. 

    I got vastly different numbers from Grok and Gemini, both around $500 billion. 

    Again, the lack of sourcing makes Olmo’s outputs a lot less useful. I’m giving this round a C as well. 

    Round #3: Planning My Christmas Trip

    I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for Olmo. So, I decided to give it something a little easier.

    I’m flying back to Wisconsin on Christmas Eve. The airport is likely to be packed to the gills.

    Can Olmo give me some tips for surviving the chaos? 

    Olmo reminded me that my Global Entry membership lets me use the TSA Pre-Check line. I forgot all about that!

    That was a very helpful tip that could save me hours. I’m giving this round an A!

    Wrap-Up

    Overall, Olmo 3 scores a C+ in my testing. 

    Olmo is definitely not the most powerful AI model out there, or even the most powerful open source model. 

    But the outputs are decent, and it’s very cheap to train. 

    Try using Olmo in your application and see if it gives you the outputs you need. If so, it may make sense to switch.

    The most powerful model isn’t always the best choice for your application. Sometimes, cost matters. 

    Have you tried Olmo?

    Have a great weekend, everyone! 

    More on tech:

    Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

    Gemini Beats Grok and GPT 5.2 In a Head-to-Head Test

    Kimi 2 Thinking — A Real Threat to ChatGPT and Grok

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • Five Mistakes Foreign Founders Make Pitching US Investors

    Foreign founders raising money in America make the same mistakes over and over. Here are 5 things you need to get right to raise in the US…

    Humility Doesn’t Play in America

    “We’ll see how it goes.”

    I was at a demo day in NYC a while back, listening to a young British founder pitch her startup. This is how she ended her pitch.

    Not good.

    “Do you think Elon Musk says, ‘We’ll see how it goes?’” I asked her. “You want to be confident. We’re going to dominate!”

    Americans are brash and unequivocal. “We will,” not “we will try to.”

    Foreigners are tentative and shy. Folks like that don’t get funded.

    When you’re pitching Americans, be bold. It may read as arrogant in your home country, but not here.

    Formality Makes You Sound More Foreign

    “Mr. Santora, thank you for responding to my message, esteemed sir. We are raising the sum of $1,000,000 and would like to meet to discuss.”

    American business culture is informal. Don’t call anyone Mr., Mrs., Sir, or Madam.

    Just call them by their first name. 

    I used to work for Judy Faulkner, the founder of Epic. We called her Judy. 

    If you can call a multi-billionaire entrepreneur by her first name, you can certainly call me Francis! 

    When you’re too formal, your pitch comes off as strange and foreign sounding. You want to sound as natural as possible.

    Focus on the Right Investors

    Even if you nail the boldness and informality, you could still fail to raise from American investors by focusing on the wrong people.

    Focus on investors that invest in your country. 

    Take me for example. I invest in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Anything outside of that is pretty much a no-go.

    Those are markets I know in places where I can speak the language natively. So, it makes sense for me to focus there. 

    Not sure what countries an investor focuses on? Look at their website or LinkedIn.

    Pitching people who don’t invest in your country is a waste of time. 

    Delaware C Corp Is a Must

    Every day, I see great foreign startups with the same dealbreaker: they’re not incorporated properly.

    If you want to raise venture capital from Americans, you need to be a Delaware C Corporation.

    Almost every American investor requires it, especially institutions. It gives us a predictable legal environment.

    You don’t need to have a physical presence in Delaware. You never have to set foot there. It’s just the company’s legal home.

    If you’re incorporated in a different manner, you can do a procedure called the Delaware flip. Get a lawyer’s help on this. 

    Forget About Foreign Tax Credits

    When British founders contact me, they’re always pitching something called EIS. EIS is a tax credit program for British investors.

    Never bother pitching this to Americans. 

    We don’t know what it is. We don’t benefit from it.

    So, it doesn’t matter to us.

    Wrap-Up

    People from all over the world want to pitch American investors. Many countries have few, if any, angels and VCs of their own.

    I love investing in foreign startups! I’ve got one in Canada, two in the UK, and even one in Amsterdam.

    But if you want to raise money from Americans, you’ve got to do it our way.

    Be bold. Be informal. Pitch the right investors. Get incorporated properly. And forget EIS.

    If you can get these five things right, your chance of raising money from Americans will go through the roof.

    Have you tried to raise money from Americans? What was it like?

    More on tech: 

    How First-Time Founders Can Master Fundraising

    Your Deck Probably Sucks. Here’s How to Fix It.

    How to Tell If Investors Are Really Interested

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • I Sold SaaS to an AI

    I tried to sell software to an AI simulator. I wound up crushing my quota and getting promoted! My biggest lesson: you can’t sell to every buyer the same way. 

    Every day, I’m evaluating founders’ sales skills. The founder is the first salesman for the startup.

    If they’re good at it, the company can scale fast. If not, the company will struggle. 

    But there’s one little problem: I’ve never actually done sales myself. So when Jason Lemkin from SaaStr launched Vaporsell.ai, I had to try it! 

    Here are three buyers I sold to and what I learned…

    John: The Busy Buyer

    “Give me your value prop in 30 seconds.”

    John is on his way to the airport and doesn’t have much time. He wants me to get straight to the point.

    Some might consider John rude. But I live in the NYC area, so I’m used to people being blunt.

    I actually sold to John pretty successfully. I just had to keep my responses short and specific.

    When a response required more time, I offered to send more detailed information to his email. In the end, I was able to close a large contract.

    I actually like buyers like John. Getting to the point makes things easier for both of us.

    But John wasn’t my favorite customer. No, that’s Gavin… 

    Gavin: The Gullible Buyer

    “That’s amazing! What else can this software do?”

    Gavin is like a breath of fresh air. He’s already really excited about the product. 

    It would be hard to screw this sale up. Everything I say, Gavin likes. 

    If you have PMF/market pull, you’ll meet a lot of Gavins. You’ll be the leader in your area and people will be predisposed to buy.

    What worked for me here was to not overthink it. 

    Gavin wants the product. Just give quick and cheery answers to his questions, and soon he’ll be signing on the dotted line. 

    I wish they were all Gavins! But then where’s the challenge, right?

    Speaking of challenge, it’s time we meet Sarah. 

    Sarah: My Most Hated Buyer

    “I don’t buy software from amateurs.”

    I was feeling pretty good about my sales skills. Then I met Sarah. 

    Sarah is a VP at a major startup. Her deal could have put me way over my quota. I needed this!

    But Sarah is the buyer from hell. She’s prickly, rude, and super technical.

    Even though she was fake, I could feel my cortisol rising.

    I would try to answer her questions, but she would always say my answer wasn’t specific enough. My technical sophistication simply didn’t match hers.

    Try as I might, I was never able to sell to Sarah. She actually called me an “amateur” and hung up.

    I’m glad I never have to speak to this jerk again!

    But Sarah taught me something useful. I don’t need every single buyer.

    I never sold her a dime’s worth of software, but I still crushed my quota. Take that, Sarah! 

    Wrap-Up

    Using Vaporsell gave me new empathy for anyone in sales. Selling is friggin’ hard. 

    My biggest takeaway: you can’t sell to every buyer the same way.

    Some buyers, like John, want a quick rundown. Others, like Sarah, want you to go deep. 

    In the end, the main thing that helped me was practice. 

    This makes me want to prioritize founders that have experience in sales. They’ll be better at closing customers and at fundraising, too! 

    Try Vaporsell and improve your sales skills. It’s better to lose a fake deal than a real one! 

    More on tech: 

    How First-Time Founders Can Master Fundraising

    Your Deck Probably Sucks. Here’s How to Fix It.

    The Perfect Pitch

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • Gemini Beats Grok and GPT 5.2 In a Head-to-Head Test

    I tested the top models from Grok, Gemini, and ChatGPT head to head this morning. Gemini won, showing incredible power at research and sourcing.

    The last month has seen some amazing releases from the top AI labs. xAI released Grok 4.1 Thinking, Google released Gemini 3.0 Pro, and OpenAI dropped GPT 5.2.

    This got me thinking…if I ran the same prompt through all three, who would win? 

    I gave the models a tough question that requires a lot of research: what is causing the massive population decline in Latin America?

    This region is seeing some of the fastest decline in birth rate in recorded history. I’m fascinated by the fall in child-bearing across the world, and Latin America is on the front lines.

    Let’s see what these models can find out… 

    Grok 4.1 Thinking: Lightning Fast, But Imperfect Interface

    Grok’s response was very informative, searching over 100 sources in seconds. It still amazes me we can do this!

    Grok does a great job of explaining the causes of Latin America’s fertility decline. 

    Governments made it easier for teen girls to access long-acting contraception like hormonal implants. The huge decline in teen pregnancies is a major factor pushing down the fertility rate. 

    I wish Grok would cite its sources in line with the facts they support. This would make it easier to verify the info.

    But when I do click through on Grok’s sources, they check out. Its research abilities are strong, even if the formatting of the citations isn’t perfect. 

    I’m giving Grok an A. 

    Gemini 3.0 Pro: Superb Research, Clear Presentation

    Gemini does an awesome job of citing sources in line with the facts they support. I can easily click the link and verify the information. 

    When I open the source page, Gemini even highlights the information it relied on. This is next-level! 

    Gemini also gave a great table showing the fertility rates across Latin America. 

    A lot of the information is the same as Grok’s. But the better sourcing puts Gemini over the top. 

    I’m giving Gemini an A+! 

    GPT 5.2: Respectable, But Watch Out for Sourcing Problems

    ChatGPT’s latest model gave a strong response, starting with overall fertility numbers and then digging into causes. It noted that three-quarters of Latin American countries are below replacement, an important fact I didn’t see in Grok or Gemini’s response. 

    But in terms of sourcing, ChatGPT was the worst of these three models. 

    It cites multiple sources for a particular fact, but only allows you to click through on one of them. This seems to be a quirk in the interface, but it makes it hard to verify the information. 

    I’m giving GPT 5.2 a B+.

    Wrap-Up

    Gemini wins this contest, scoring an A+ versus an A for Grok and a B+ for GPT 5.2. Gemini gave a well-reasoned and very useful response, supported by the best sourcing I’ve ever seen.

    But what strikes me most is how good all these models are! Even the laggard, GPT 5.2, would have been considered science fiction two years ago. 

    I pay for Supergrok and I’m sticking with that for now. Gemini is slightly better, but not enough to switch.

    Try all these models and see what they can do. Then, let me know which one is your favorite!

    More on tech: 

    Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

    My Top 3 Startups from Launch Accelerator Demo Day

    Three Easy UX Wins to Make Your Product Better

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • GPT 5.2 Still Loses to Grok and Gemini

    I ran OpenAI’s new GPT 5.2 through a three round test. It still scores below Grok and Gemini.

    Some of GPT-5.2’s responses are excellent. But the quality of its answers are inconsistent. 

    Let me show you where this model excels and where it falls short… 

    Round #1: Learning About Needle Biopsies

    Tomorrow, I’m meeting with a company that’s working on cancer diagnostics. They’re going to make needle biopsies easier.

    Can GPT 5.2 help explain how needle biopsies work? 

    GPT 5.2 gave a fantastic answer here. It clearly explained exactly how needle biopsy and MRI work together. 

    It also noted that some needle biopsies are done together with CT scans, which I did not know. When I clicked through on the citation, I found a high-quality source from the National Institutes of Health.

    I’m giving this round an A+! 

    Round #2: Investigating AI Market Research Startups 

    This afternoon, I’m meeting with a startup doing AI market research. It creates synthetic audiences to test marketing content.

    So I asked GPT 5.2 for an overview of the startups in this area. I asked for a ton of information, including product features and the amount of venture capital they’ve raised. 

    GPT 5.2 crushed it here, giving a great summary and lots of detail on the leading startups. When I clicked on citations to verify how much funding these startups raised, the information checked out. 

    I’m going to give this round an A+ as well! 

    Round #3: CoachGPT 

    For our third and final round, I asked GPT 5.2 to help me with my workouts. 

    My goals for weight training are hypertrophy and longevity. What exercises should I try?

    GPT 5.2 gave a nice response with useful pictures. It recommended some exercises I’ve never heard of, like the “dead bug” for core strength.

    But it did not cite a single source. So, it’s hard to know how good this information is. 

    Are these really the best exercises for my goals? Or are they just random things GPT 5.2 came up with?

    I also would like to see GPT 5.2 respond with some videos, not just still images. When it comes to learning an exercise, there’s nothing like a video.

    I’m giving this round a C. 

    Wrap-Up

    Overall, GPT 5.2 earned a B+ in my testing.

    It seems to be tuned toward white-collar work, like investing and medicine. OpenAI alluded to this in their announcement.

    But when I use it for anything else, GPT 5.2 is pretty weak. It wasn’t very helpful in helping me plan a workout.

    Our goal is Artificial General Intelligence. AGI would give great answers to all sorts of questions.

    GPT 5.2 doesn’t do that. 

    OpenAI’s latest model isn’t bad, but it’s still behind Grok and Gemini. Grok scored an A in my testing and Gemini scored an A-.

    No wonder Sam Altman called the code red. OpenAI may have started the AI revolution, but today, it’s falling behind. 

    Have you tried GPT 5.2? 

    More on tech: 

    Grok 4.1 Thinking Beats Gemini 3.0 Pro in Real World Test

    Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

    How to Make a Great AI Product: Oboe

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • How to Make a Great AI Product: Oboe

    I just used an incredible new AI education app called Oboe. If you want to learn how to design great software, read on… 

    Oboe just launched in September. The founder, Nir Zicherman, also founded the podcasting tool Anchor. 

    Oboe can spin up a course on any subject you want, using AI.

    Several of the most successful people I know studied psychology. So today, I used Oboe to give me an intro to psych…

    A Slick UI, a Powerful Application

    Oboe’s design is world class. 

    All I had to do was write a one-sentence prompt: “Give me a basic introduction to psychology.” Suddenly, an entire course appeared!

    The course is structured in brief units that take just a couple of minutes to read. The material is clear, engaging, and useful.

    You can even hear the lessons as a podcast! 

    This is awesome if you’re busy doing dishes or working out. The podcasts are so good it’s very difficult to tell they’re AI.

    Time for a Pop Quiz

    After reading through the first lesson, I thought to myself, “I need some flashcards for this. I wonder if there’s an AI app to make flashcards.” 

    Oboe read my mind! 

    Just below, Oboe embedded some flashcards in the page. Click on them, and you see the answer.

    Putting this flashcard application into the course automatically is absolutely genius product design. As soon as I saw this, I knew Oboe could be really big.

    How Oboe Can Improve

    One problem Oboe has is sourcing.

    Take the section on research methods in psychology…it links to only one source. 

    When I click on the source, all I get is an outline of a psychology course. I don’t see any information on the topics in the course, so it’s hard to tell whether Oboe’s information is accurate or not.

    This is a new product, so I’m not expecting it to be perfect. But better sourcing would be a great way to improve.

    I’d also like to see flashcards and quizzes in every single section. Right now, Oboe includes them in some sections but not others. 

    Wrap-Up

    Overall, I’m giving Oboe an A. 

    If it could do a little better with sourcing and quizzes, I’d bump that up to an A+. I’d also love to see an iOS app. 

    Oboe is incredibly powerful. It gives every single person free access to a great education on any subject.

    Think about all the kids stuck in rotten schools. 

    Maybe their teachers are terrible, their classmates unruly. But if they can somehow get access to the internet, they can learn with Oboe.

    Oboe is already better than most of the teachers I’ve had, even at good schools. 

    I made it halfway through my course this morning. I’m looking forward to finishing it soon!

    If you want to take my Intro to Psych course on Oboe, here’s the link. We can learn together.

    Have a great weekend, everybody!

    More on tech: 

    Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

    Grok 4.1 Thinking Beats Gemini 3.0 Pro in Real World Test

    Kimi 2 Thinking — A Real Threat to ChatGPT and Grok

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • How I Fixed My Sleep (and Started Making Better Decisions)

    My entire job is making decisions. If I want to make good ones, I need sleep. Here’s how I make sure I get it…

    Cut the Lights

    When evening rolls around, it’s all about winding down.

    One of the best ways to do that is to lower the lights. Come evening, I only have dim lights on. This helps me relax. 

    When it’s time to go to sleep, I go even further.

    I have a wonderful eye mask that blocks almost all light. This makes falling and staying asleep much easier.

    I’ve tried quite a few eye masks, including a fancy $40 one from Manta Sleep.  But this $10 one from Amazon is my favorite. 

    Showering Japanese Style

    Every night, I like to take a nice hot shower.

    I picked up this habit in Japan. Most Americans shower in the morning, but Japanese usually shower at night.

    Showering at night helps promote sleep. It’s also nice to be super clean before you lay down!

    Winding Down

    After my shower, I like to put on a little mindless TV.

    I’ve tried reading before sleep, but reading makes me too mentally active. I’m trying to shut my brain down, not ramp it up. 

    Some people say to avoid screens before sleep. But for me, it’s what I’m doing with the screen that matters.

    Avoiding social media is definitely a good idea. It’s too interactive.

    But mindless TV is perfect. 

    Lately, I’ve been enjoying 90 Day Fiancé. It doesn’t get much more mindless than that! 

    Soon, I find myself nodding off.

    Different things work for different people. If reading a novel before bed helps you fall asleep, by all means do that! 

    Bedroom Is for Sleep

    I’ve finally watched enough 90 Day Fiancé, and it’s time to hit the rack. 

    When I lay down at night, I want to feel relaxed. Part of that is associating my bedroom with sleep.

    So I never, ever work in my bedroom. Not a single Zoom call or e-mail ever happens there.

    When I come into the bedroom, I want to be thinking about drifting off to dreamland. 😴

    The 8 Hour Sleep Opportunity

    I almost always leave eight hours for sleep.

    Once in a while, I’ll find myself rolling around. But usually, I’m out like a light.

    Everyone sleeps fitfully from time to time. The key is to give yourself enough time to sleep.

    Try your best to allot eight hours a day. If you make the time to sleep, sleep will come eventually. 

    Wrap-Up

    I used to only sleep about four hours a night. But for the last six years, I’ve been making sleep a top priority.

    The quality of my work has gone through the roof.

    I know it’s hard to find the time for sleep when you’re running a company. But you’ll do a better job when you’re healthy and well-rested.

    Pick one thing from this post and try it tonight — dim lights, hot shower, or banning work from the bedroom. Then let me know how it goes! 

    More from the blog:

    My Christian Health Share

    What Is the Ideal Amount of Exercise?

    What the Best Founders I Know Have in Common

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • How First-Time Founders Can Master Fundraising

    Venture capital can feel like a secret club with its own language. How do you actually get money?

    Here are three great ways to get up to speed on how fundraising works…

    Founder University

    “Where did he learn to pitch like that?”

    Founder University, that’s where. 

    I was at a demo day in NYC a while back, and one founder blew everyone away. His pitch was clear, crisp, and concise. His deck was polished to a fine sheen. 

    Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator program run by Jason Calacanis’ venture firm, Launch. Founder University helps you with sales strategy, marketing, and fundraising — everything you need to run an awesome startup. 

    The program costs $500. Launch will give that $500 back if you attend all the sessions.

    Best of all, Jason invests $25k into the top companies.

    You can apply for Founder University here. The next cohort starts in early 2026. 

    YC Startup School

    Not everybody gets into Founder University. But anyone can take courses from Y Combinator Startup School, an online program that teaches you how to run a startup. 

    If you haven’t heard of Y Combinator (YC), it’s the best startup accelerator in the world. Massive companies like Stripe and Airbnb are YC alumni. 

    Sign up here!

    The Founder’s Library

    Another fantastic way to learn about raising venture capital is by reading books written by insiders. Here are my three favorites… 

    • Angel by Jason Calacanis. This book got me into angel investing. Jason explains what venture capital is and how to get it. This book is targeted toward investors, but getting inside their heads is the best way to get a check.  
    • Secrets of Sand Hill Road by Scott Kupor. A friend of mine bought me this book as a gift, and what a wonderful gift it is! This book does a great job of breaking down how venture capitalists think and what they’re looking for. 
    • Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson. This book breaks down everything you need to know about fundraising in incredible detail. Don’t know what a term sheet is? Not familiar with SAFE’s? Brad and Jason have your back. 

    Wrap-Up

    If you’re an outsider, venture capital seems like a dark art. Luckily, it’s never been easier to learn about fundraising.

    There are whole schools like Founder U devoted to teaching you how to raise money. There are wonderful self-paced courses like YC Startup School to guide you. And there are fantastic books like Angel to give you an insider’s view.

    If you’re a first-time founder, sign up for one of these programs and read one of these books. In just a few weeks, you’ll go from newbie to savvy fundraiser. 

    More on tech: 

    Your Deck Probably Sucks. Here’s How to Fix It.

    How to Tell If Investors Are Really Interested

    The Perfect Pitch

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • My Top 3 Startups from Launch Accelerator Demo Day

    I never miss JCal’s Launch Accelerator Demo Day. Yesterday’s event was one of the best yet. Here are my three favorite startups… 

    3. NextVisit. NextVisit helps psychiatrists document their visits easily using AI. The app listens to the doctor and patient speak, completing notes and other charting for you.

    Some doctors have to work late into the night just to finish their charting. I saw this myself when I worked for Epic, an EMR company.

    NextVisit could make their work much easier. 

    What struck me most in founder Faisal’s pitch was how much he cares about this problem. I could see it written on his face.

    No wonder — Faisal is a psychiatrist himself! A founder this committed won’t give up.

    2. Redii. Redii helps you create retirement plans for remote employees based outside the United States.

    Some of my startups employ folks in Argentina, Colombia, India, just about anywhere you could think of. Imagine trying to set up retirement plans in all those different countries!

    Now you don’t have to.

    Redii was Roelof Botha’s top pick in the Launch Accelerator when they presented at Sequoia recently. With so much potential in this market, I can see why!

    In particular, Redii will be great for AI data labeling companies. They’re hiring folks all over the world at an incredible pace. 

    If AI data labelers could provide employees with great retirement benefits, it would be easier to attract and retain great people.

    1. Path. Path makes it easy for companies to create internal apps.

    Say you want to build an application to track problem tickets at your organization. Path can help you create a new app without using code. 

    You can spin up any app you want easily and include enterprise-grade profiles and security. 

    Lovable makes it easy to create an MVP using no code. But Lovable apps don’t have the scalability and security enterprises want.

    Cursor, on the other hand, is wonderful for developers. But if you don’t have a strong coding background, you’ll probably find it difficult to use.

    Path gives you the best of both worlds. You can build enterprise-grade apps easily with no coding background.

    Companies all over the world will create apps on Path. This is a startup that could grow at incredible speed.

    With strong early traction and a great technical team, Path is off to a great start. That’s why it’s my number one pick in this cohort.

    Wrap-Up

    Jason’s program produces some of the best startups in the business. At every Launch Accelerator Demo Day, you’ll find strong technical teams with great traction raising at reasonable valuations.

    I find a great investment in almost every cohort.

    If you’re a founder, I strongly encourage you to apply to the Launch Accelerator. And if you’re an investor, join me at the next demo day!

    What was your favorite startup in this cohort?

    More on tech: 

    Request for Startups

    Raise Money Faster by Targeting the Right Investors

    Should You Take a Low Ball Offer from a VC?

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order. 

  • Request for Startups 

    The solution to every problem is a startup. Here are three problems I’m itching to solve. If you’re working in any of these areas, hit me up… 

    1. Capturing Data on Mass Production. I dream of androids in factories making us everything we need. But to do that, we need very specialized data.

      I’m looking for startups that are collecting data from factories to help train AI models.

      You could have the workers wear something like Meta Ray-Bans, which would capture their movements. But that could be very controversial — the workers will know you’re trying to replace them.

      A better approach might be to outfit factories with tons of high-res cameras. They could capture everything that happens and use it to train AI.

      You could even create small factories solely for AI training. The purpose of these factories would be to generate data on production processes, not to make actual products.

      A good place to start is textiles. This is one of the simplest forms of manufacturing. When a country begins to industrialize, they often start with textiles.

      Replacing factory workers will be a painful transition at first. But you can’t stop progress.

      What if we’d never adopted tractors for fear of displacing farm workers? We’d all still be doing back-breaking labor on farms, barely scraping by.
    2. Help for Endometriosis/PCOS. Hundreds of millions of women worldwide suffer from endometriosis and polycystic ovary system (PCOS). These conditions are major causes of pain and infertility.

      What if a platform could help women get better treatment? It could guide women to specialists and help them with medication and lifestyle changes.

      In the world of startups, we look for big opportunities. Helping hundreds of millions of people avoid crippling pain is one of the biggest opportunities I can think of.

      Moreover, fertility across much of the world is at rock bottom. Better care for women with these conditions would make it easier for people to start families.
    3. Superpower for Dogs. As much as we love our pets, the care available for them is rudimentary.

      Humans have services like Superpower, which provide tons of lab tests and health advice. We need Superpower for Dogs.

      I’m picturing a platform that would get dogs lab tests, telehealth visits with vets, and in-person appointments. The platform could make a deal with certain vets to get a bulk discount.

      Veterinary care these days is incredibly expensive. Superpower for Dogs could help. 

    Wrap-Up

    We’re really lucky here in startupland. Every day, we have an opportunity to solve the world’s biggest problems.

    Automating manufacturing, helping women have better health and fertility, and helping our little friends live longer — these are three problems I’d love to solve. 

    If you’re working in these areas, contact me on X or LinkedIn. Looking forward to hearing from you!

    More on tech:

    Raise Money Faster by Targeting the Right Investors

    How to Get Warm Intros the Easy Way

    Should You Take a Low Ball Offer from a VC?

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Misfits Market

    I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

    I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

    Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order.