People First:  Our investment in Kettle and Fire

People First: Our investment in Kettle and Fire

“Bone broth? What’s that?” I remember asking my partner Brian Balfour when he mentioned what his friend Justin Mares was working on. Justin was part of a group of customer acquisition experts that Brian has known for a number of years and was so impressed by him that...
Wonderschool and Watching A Founder’s Journey

Wonderschool and Watching A Founder’s Journey

Chris Bennett, CEO of Wonderschool, and I have been linked together since 2004, when we both attended U Penn. My first vivid memory of Chris was of him walking through the Penn dormitories with a huge shopping cart (not sure how he snuck it past security…),...
How to Break Up With Your Investor

How to Break Up With Your Investor

I recently heard of two instances of particularly alarming investor behavior. In once instance, a founder was promised a salary increase and equity package for years that  never came. Then, the same investor shared sensitive personal details with a member of...
How To Break Up With Your Co-founder

How To Break Up With Your Co-founder

When an entrepreneur starts their first company, the level of isolation can seem intimidating. It is you against incumbents, other startups, and often many others in your life (who think you are crazy). Such was the case when I set out to start Colingo in 2010....