11/15/23
Tee up Borne, Goose
My Portfolio
This blog is a reflection of my investing philosophy and approach. When I started writing checks last year, my evaluation of companies shifted. My current push into the Revenue Share world has propelled that further. The evolution of my thought process on startup investing has been a fun aspect to my professional growth in 2023.
For me, maximizing financial return is not the primary factor. It's a relevant consideration, but the far more important factor is the founder. A deep belief in the person that's leading the charge. This also makes investing more fun.
Founders come in many flavors.
I have a type.
Founders that have a winning mindset.
Founders that are willing to put the work in. Belief in what they're building fuels that work ethic.
Founders that take full accountability in their success and failures. That are open and articulate about what those are.
Founders that see the world in a similar way to me. Cool people. Good people. Kind people.
Founders that see the goal of what they're doing as a thing that benefits the world. Impact through a broad lens.
Other considerations for me include:
Financial upside. I want to make winning bets.
Traction. This can come in many forms, but there's demonstrated momentum and it's out of "idea" phase.
Companies I understand. I like investing stuff I've had personal or professional experience with.
Cool stuff. I enjoy the variety and take an industry agnostic approach.
I am not rich. I make small bets. I will only invest if I love the founder. Then it's a simple formula:
$500 is table stakes for a founder I believe in.
$1,000 when you check all of the boxes.
$2,500 when you check all the boxes and I really believe in the financial upside.
Hopefully one day I make more money, and make bigger bets! But for now, this formula allows me to make many bets. And the key to being a good investor is to make a lot of bets.
Below are some of my favorite picks in 2023.
In reference to my last blog post about what I'm doing professionally with Revenue Share, I have a ton of optimism and confidence in my current "base hits" approach to investing. I love all of these, because I believe they'll all eventually win. And I'll feel great about all the small wins.
Lovebox - Jean is as lovely as they come -- and super smart, pragmatic, and savvy.
Sepia - Martell is a winner. Every month he cycles me big updates that signal business momentum. The sky is the limit.
Painterland - Haley and Joanna are an insane tag team. Their revenue numbers are ridiculous for CPG. The story is wonderful. And they layered in profit sharing into their structure. Dynamite.
Neutral Ground - Kenyatta's leads with his heart and cares deeply about his community. And I love New Orleans food and culture.
Lilian Augusta - Jannice is my favorite founder in 2023. It's a risky bet because of how early they are, but I believe in Jannice and she checks all the boxes of mindset. (edited)
On the equity side, I've had some really fun deals in 2023.
Sunday Golf - led by none other than my best friend in 6th grade. Ronan is my guy. This deal represents the vibe of San Diego.
Babe Kombucha - Vinnie has a Brazilian charm that bleeds charisma, hustle, and savvy. Sucked into his orbit of kombucha within seconds. Another great San Diego deal.
Cornbread - Jim and Eric are fantastic founders. I've seen their journey from the early early days, and it's been a joy seeing them win (case study).
Joule - James has been hustling to win for over a decade. He is going to succeed.
Nomad - a happy investment to a cool local business in my neighborhood.
A few vintage investments that continue to keep me stoked.
Sensate - Anna is the real deal. Forever my favorite deal.
ThisWay - Angela is a wonderful human and the momentum about ThisWay always gets me hyped.
Ciari - Jon is a good friend and inspiring dude. Another proud investment in San Diego. Cool to be an investor in a cool guitar company.
Expert Dojo - Brian is the most intense, passionate, high energy guy I've ever come across. He is destined to succeed.
PADL - if Carlos lived in San Diego, we'd be close friends. Another founder that continues to impress.
My one suggestion to investors that read this. Take the time to reach out and schedule time with any founder you want to invest in. 30 minutes of first hand exposure to the person leading the charge. That is the best way to inform the bets that your making. Never invest without talking to the founder. And put a lot of stock in the person running the show.
For the homies, reach out!
619-629-5017