Tag Archives: Venture capital

06/27/17

VC Frat Boy Bad Behavior

Frat boy bad behavior?

Big Red Car here getting ready to unload on venture capitalists who engage in or tolerate frat boy, bro-culture, bad behavior in their firms and in the firms they fund.

Let’s cite examples, shall we?

Take the case of one Justin Caldbeck, formerly a co-founder of venture capital firm Binary Capital. BC is a seed stage firm with $300MM under management, a new $75MM offering in the marketplace. Put money in Snap.

Caldbeck, Harvard guy, was one of two partners with another partner recently joined. The new guy has already resigned. The firm is, essentially, wrecked though when you have $300MM of OPM, it has to be wound up carefully.

Hustling Justin stands accused by six women of inappropriate conduct from staying uninvited overnight at a woman’s apartment to running a hand up a woman’s thigh at a dinner, and engaging in sexually explicit text messaging. Typical frat boy, bad behavior. No style points. No charm. Just a groper with a Harvard sheepskin.

These incidents were all promulgated by Hustling Justin’s ability to do something good for these women. He helped them and he wanted them to “help” him? Ugh!

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05/15/17

Writing = Discipline

Writing = discipline, Big Red Car? Tell me more.

Big Red Car here on a lovely Monday morning, waiting for the painters to show up. House getting painted, not the Big Red Car. Alas.

So, The Boss is doing some writing. He’s been a writer for a long time, but now he’s out of the closet. Had a few things published and is working hard.

Learned it takes about five years to find one’s voice and to find a focus which is worthy of one’s talent. You have to become a story teller.

JLM Storyteller hand lettered logo

But, here’s the big thing — writing requires discipline and there is both art and science to it.

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09/5/16

Delegation — For CEOs Only

Delegation. Today we talk about delegation.

But, first, a weather report. It is a perfect day in the ATX because the Texas Longhorns beat the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame last night in a fabulous game decided in two overtimes. Go Horns! It is the start of the Shane Buechele era in Longhorn football but it was a great win all around. OK, that’s enough. Sorry. Hook ’em, Horns!

The ability of a CEO to delegate tasks effectively is a force multiplier and one of the most important skills a CEO can develop. It is a mechanical skill and today the Big Red Car is going to help you learn how to do it. It’s like being able to fly fish. A bit of local knowledge plus a ten-to-two cast and you are eating smoked trout whenever you want. Listen.

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01/11/16

Show Time v Go Time

Big Red Car here. Brrrrrr, winter in the ATX is cold, y’all. It is 33F headed to 54F. This is winter. Of course, it’s going to be sunny because it is Texas after all.

So The Boss is talking to a couple of brilliant CEO entrepreneurs and he says to one of them, “You have to know when show time becomes go time.”

The CEO, who is brilliant, says, “What does that mean?”

The Boss ‘mansplains it to him. If you are around The Boss for any length of time, you will hear him say, “Get in the moment. Stay in the moment. Make something happen. Now.” Continue reading →

01/9/16

Founders, Co-founders, Sub-founders

Big Red Car here on a wintry but sunny to be day in the ATX. Little before dawn in that quiet moment when the wind is blowing and the house is creeping and The Boss is typing.

It is 50F headed to a high of 52F. Brrrr, Big Red Car, winter is here.

Haha, winter in the ATX is 52F and sunny. Sorry.

So, The Boss has been hearing a lot of chatter about founders and how they are going to work with co-founders. Today the Big Red Car invents a new category of founder, the sub-founder.

Read on, dear readers. Continue reading →

11/7/15

A Story for You

Big Red Car here in a dripping ATX day. It is the kind of day for a long nap and some football.

The Boss is down in Houston for a wedding and I’m left with the house sitter and NO prospect of a ride with the top down.

The house sitter is usually good for a bit of wilding but not today. Too much rain.

So, I was rummaging through The Boss’s computer and found his stock of short stories. Continue reading →

01/3/14

Emotion — An Essential Element in Investing?

Big Red Car here.  Hey, ya’ll, it’s as cold as a witch’s titty in a brass bra here in the ATX.  The 30’s are doing battle with the 40’s and there is some chatter about it getting to 60F today.  Brrrr!

[Haha, STFU, Big Red Car, the folks in NYC and Boston are dealing with a freakin’ blizzard.  So stop your whining.]

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