I think greatness in a founder is subtle but not invisible early. I'm most moved when a founder can articulate why their vision matters to the world with a conviction that's genuinely intimidating, the sense that no one else could possibly pursue such a journey.

I'm a generalist investor because I'm drawn to founders who have been learning machines their entire lives and, through that process, will pursue the most important markets. I lean in when a founder can dissect the history of a market, how market share has been won and lost, and how the winds of today have created an opening with a strategy that feels like a secret to them. I look for the anecdotes that plot the line of how their competitive advantages have been shaped, and it's often before their career.

I grew up in New Jersey, where the internet shaped my youth, letting me build an online bike e-commerce business in middle school that I managed between classes. That energy led me to seeing and working with greatness early in NYC, helping build a business with Kevin Ryan (MongoDB, Gilt Groupe) from zero to a near-billion-dollar run rate in just a few years. Seeing the potential of technology across every market led me to early stage investing, including journeys at Primary Venture Partners and Canaan, before partnering with my longtime friend and coinvestor Taylor in building Twelve Below.