rational vc

Jack Raines is the fastest growing finance & money blogger on the planet right now. He created the Young Money blog (https://www.youngmoney.co/) just 15 months ago and has already amassed 30,000+ subscribers. He has already been offered book deals by world class publishers. Leverage ftw. We discussed numerous topics. Check the timestamps below for topics and enjoy the audio, or you can watch the video over on our YouTube channel where we recorded this in person with Jack: https://youtu.be/F56YIktbMHY

Jack's newsletter: https://youngmoney.co
Jack's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jack_Raines
Jack's travel blog: https://www.backpackin.blog/

00:00 Teaser
01:24 Jack intro
04:29 Jack's childhood
07:49 Deported from Norway
11:23 Vagabonding and European life
21:00 Trading at 21 years old
27:25 F U Money
35:40 Stick men drawings
36:58 6 types of wealth
43:49 Crypto and Balaji
58:00 Young Money monetisation
1:03:18 Writing a book
1:07:23 LinkedIn vs Twitter
1:11:13 Distribution
1:13:50 Pitching your work and meeting Morgan Housel
1:17:25 How Jack writes
1:22:20 Inspiring writers
1:26:27 Book shaming and meaningful insults
1:30:57 Opportunity cost of everything
1:35:32 Value in MBAs
1:40:35 Jack's favourite books
1:41:47 Dating in US vs UK

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Get in touch with us:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/rationalvc 
Our website (essays and podcasts): https://rationalvc.com
Our investment fund: https://rational.fund
Cyrus' Twitter: https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
Iman's Twitter: https://twitter.com/iman_olya

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Disclaimer: The materials provided are solely for informational or entertainment purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

#finance #money #blogger

Luke Burgis has co-created and led four Silicon Valley companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He is the author of the best selling book "Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life", which breaks down the theories of French philosopher René Girard. Luke is currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, where he also teaches business at The Catholic University of America.

Girard's theories explain most human-related interactions, such as the virality of social media, the rise of Facebook, political beliefs, cancel culture and how the best investors pick the best companies. Luke deep dives into mimesis and his life's work with Iman and Cyrus on this latest Rational VC podcast.

Luke's website: https://lukeburgis.com/
Luke's Twitter: https://twitter.com/lukeburgis

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:37 Intro to Luke
02:58 Working in bars
05:30 Luke's background
09:03 Shark tankification of worth
12:13 Mimetic tips for founders
14:52 Mimesis in venture capital
17:17 Cultivating an interdisciplinary mind
21:02 How to write well
25:40 René Girard intro
27:48 Mimesis
31:04 Finding a spouse
34:33 Idols
38:20 Mediators and comedians
41:10 Rituals
48:56 Anti-mimesis
52:54 Negative mimesis
55:20 Mimesis in PR
57:08 Deep silence
1:00:51 Navigating without GPS
1:04:24 How to reach Luke

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

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Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

In this Rational Musings episode, Iman and Cyrus discuss their views on whether setting up a fund or running a syndicate (SPV) makes the most sense. The guys also talk about angel investing, joining a fund and scouting deals as alternatives to running an SPV or fund.

Submit questions for us to cover in podcast episodes: https://www.rationalvc.com/questions

Materials referenced

Samir Kaji tweet 1: https://twitter.com/Samirkaji/status/1522757321809485824

Samir Kaji tweet 2: https://twitter.com/Samirkaji/status/1541979202953433088

Ryan Hoover tweet thread: https://twitter.com/rrhoover/status/1473347361762066438?lang=en-GB

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos on all things tech investing and building. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, SPACs etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/rationalvc

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

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Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Michael Safai is the Founding Partner of Dexterity Capital, an algorithmic high-frequency trading firm focused on cryptocurrencies. The lean team makes between $2 billion and $4 billion in trades per day. Michael is a seasoned operator in tech, with a multidisciplinary background with careers in tech and law, and an academic background in astrophysics and economics from UC Berkeley. Dexterity Capital are defining – and constantly redefining – algorithmic trading for all areas of the cryptocurrency world. They specialise in market neutral strategies. That means they thrive regardless of whether the bulls or bears are winning. With offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and London they run their strategies 24/7 around the globe.

You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel. Dexterity's website: https://dexterity.capital/ Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelsafai/   Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msafai/

https://rationalvc.com Timestamps: 00:00 Michael's background 06:54 Dexterity Capital 11:08 Price inefficiencies 15:40 TradFi vs. DeFi 17:52 Due diligence (Seed & DeFi) 20:00 Is Crypto institutional money? 23:50 Current market situation 25:55 Maximalism vs. rationalism 30:00 The web3 discussion 32:42 Operating: how Michael runs his company 40:00 Career advice trying to get into this space 44:00 Mentors and lessons 45:50 Resources to learn 47:40 Wrap up --

Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/ We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational. We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc. For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out: https://www.rationalvc.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/ https://twitter.com/CyrusYari https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course. ---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

In this Rational Musings episode, Iman and Cyrus discuss antifragile principles of their favourite author - Mr Nassim Nicholas Taleb. The fellas dissect a Seeking Alpha article on managing an antifragile portfolio and also talk how to apply antifragile principles in daily life.

Submit questions for us to cover in podcast episodes: https://www.rationalvc.com/questions

Materials referenced

Seeking Alpha article: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4454512-7-rules-for-an-antifragile-portfolio

Taleb convexity article: https://www.edge.org/conversation/nassim_nicholas_taleb-understanding-is-a-poor-substitute-for-convexity-antifragility

Danial Vassallo Twitter: https://twitter.com/dvassallo?s=20&t=oQi_Tf63eVgWkw04MJ144Q

Naval on asymmetric opportunities: https://twitter.com/naval/status/1054984950192181248?lang=en-GB

Bill Ackman Netflix shareholder letter: https://assets.pershingsquareholdings.com/2022/04/20184527/Letter-to-Shareholders-4.20.2022.pdf

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos on all things tech investing and building. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, SPACs etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/rationalvc

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

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Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Eric Jorgenson is an author and the creator of "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" book. He is also an Angel Investor and Entrepreneur. Eric recently launched his rolling fund on AngelList. He was on the founding team of Zaarly, and has been publishing online since 2014. His blog has educated and entertained over a million readers. The guys discuss everything from Building Wealth and Judgement, to Leverage, Naval, Balaji, Angel Investing, Web3, writing books, content creation, and much more.

You can also watch this episode on youtube at:
https://youtu.be/_LMoWRF-q3E 

Eric's website: https://ejorgenson.com
Eric's Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricJorgenson
Eric's rolling fund: https://rolling.fun
Navalmanack free download: https://navalmanack.com 

https://rationalvc.com 

Timestamps:

00:00 Teaser
00:48 Intro chit chat
03:12 Eric's roots
04:56 Why Eric wrote the Navalmanack
07:23 Babak Nivi and Venture Hacks
11:28 Building wealth, judgement, and happiness
13:52 Improving decision making
17:33 Productise yourself
25:53 Authenticity vs. views
30:44 Leverage and social media
34:24 High leverage side projects
38:03 Leaving the conventional path
43:33 Process of publishing a book
53:02 Writing essays online
58:26 Launching a rolling fund / investment thesis
1:06:57 Angel Investing
1:11:23 Crucial to be an operator before investing
1:15:27 Mindset in private markets vs public markets
1:17:33 Balaji Srinivasan's big ideas / balmanack
1:24:05 The Web3 discussion
1:35:39 Resources that have shaped Eric's world view
1:37:57 Outro chit chat

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

On this Rational Musings, Iman and Cyrus discuss René Girard's mimetic theory and real life anti-mimetic principles. The guys dissect Luke Burgis' article on living a counter cultural life and why being anti-mimetic is important for becoming antifragile.

Submit questions for us to cover in podcast episodes: https://www.rationalvc.com/questions 

Materials referenced

Luke article: https://www.epsilontheory.com/25-anti-mimetic-tactics-for-living-a-counter-cultural-life/#

Luke book "Wanting": https://lukeburgis.com/wanting/

Epsilon Theory: https://www.epsilontheory.com/

Taleb on religion: https://econjwatch.org/articles/religion-heuristics-and-intergenerational-risk-management

Simon Sarris: https://simonsarris.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-the-gods?s=r

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos on all things tech investing and building. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, SPACs etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Mac Conwell ("Mac the VC") is the Founder and Managing Partner of RareBreed Ventures. Mac is a former software engineer and a two-time founder. One of Mac's companies failed, the other went on to a successful exit. He then broke into the world of investing by working for the State of Maryland, before raising a fund of his own in a short amount of time. From homeless to VC, "hacker turned hustler", RareBreed has seen tremendous success in a short amount of time.

You can also watch this episode on youtube at: https://youtu.be/yUZLzY-fyJU 

https://twitter.com/macconwell 
https://rarebreed.vc
https://rationalvc.com 

00:00 Intros
02:32 Psychology from homeless to VC
07:58 How Mac got into VC
13:14 Raising a fund off Twitter
19:07 Overlooked & underserved founders
23:35 Diligence / what Mac looks for
30:41 Biases in Silicon Valley
34:58 Mac's advice for Cyrus and Iman
41:30 Mistakes to avoid after raising a fund
43:15 Technical skills vs selling skills for founders
46:30 Mac's mentors
49:23 Mac's personal values & principles

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Cyrus and Iman are back and they're in person! The Rational VC guys talk to the super impressive founders of Odin, Paddy and Mary. Odin is a platform and community democratising access to early stage investing. In this long-form discussion, Iman and Cyrus talk to the Odin founders about their backgrounds, childhoods, Odin's origin story, Odin's future, community building, the democratisation of access and education.

https://joinodin.com/

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Andrew is a seasoned founder (2 exits) and is now the founder of MicroAcquire, a startup acquisition marketplace that helps startups find buyers and get acquired. MicroAcquire has seen tremendous success in a short amount of time. Andrew explains his tough childhood and formative years that led to him becoming an entrepreneur, what it takes to become a success, building in public as a CEO, the company's future plans, and his thoughts on juggling family life with business.

www.microacquire.com  

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Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for these monthly memo newsletters on the website: https://www.rationalvc.com/

We break everything down to first principles, to simplify the complex technology world. We aim to bring you content that is insightful, logical, and rational.

We cover tech products and tech companies across the lifecycle, from pre-seed to seed, Series A to D+, to IPOs and beyond. We also cover all investing methods including Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Public Markets, etc.

For more information on Cyrus, Iman and the channel, check out:
https://www.rationalvc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusyari/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanolya1/
https://twitter.com/CyrusYari
https://twitter.com/iman_olya

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rational-vc/id1537462327

Your feedback and comments are very welcome. We hope you enjoy listening as we embark on a journey to understand this space; clearly, and rationally, of course.

---

Disclaimer: The content and materials provided are solely for informational purposes and do not constitute investment or legal advice. All opinions expressed by hosts and guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of their employer(s). No copyright infringement intended.