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Sure Shot Entrepreneur Newsletter

Deciens, K9 Ventures, Lumber: The Sure Shot Entrepreneur Newsletter

Published 12 months ago • 2 min read

Hello Reader,

Happy Fourth of July! The great “American experiment” is a year older. There are two great ingredients in the American way: independence and freedom. Individual independence enables the pioneers to choose where they go. Freedom lets the pioneer wander away from the security of the traditional community and seek newer pastures. Both of these are critical to the success of the American experiment.

Startups thrive when they have the independence to strike their own path and the freedom to execute in their own way. My guest in the podcast episode is Dan Kimerling. He says that boldness is a key characteristic that he looks for in founders. They are the ones that are able to wield the freedom and independence that venture funding offers in the best way possible.

On to our new podcast episode with Dan Kimerling.

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Have a safe, enjoyable, and happy Fourth of July,

– Gopi Rangan, Host of the The Sure Shot Entrepreneur podcast​

Courageous Entrepreneurs Are Heroes, Not Consensus Seekers

​My guest in this episode is Dan Kimerling, founder and managing partner at Deciens. Deciens has a strategy of leading financing deals with a concentrated portfolio, allowing for deep partnerships with entrepreneurs. Dan credits Deciens achievement of better than the average venture capital returns to its bold, non-orthodox strategy. He emphasizes the importance of alignment with entrepreneurs and LPs, advocating for a venture capital model that values courage, commitment, and long-term relationships over diversification and transactional interactions. No wonder that Deciens has led 23 out of the 24 investments it has made. On the other end, Deciens is very concentrated and committed to its LPs too. Dan is very accessible to his LPs and practices a “streets kind of venture capital” in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Connected Insights: Do you need a business card at conferences?

​Manu Kumar, Founder and Chief Firestarter of K9 Ventures, was my guest on episode 111 of the podcast. He talked about how he balances being an investor and a founder. He shares unique insights from his experience founding Carta, HiHello and his other startups, and lessons from his high-conviction type of investing. In the episode, he had recently started HiHello. It is a new software platform for personal and brand identity. HiHello takes on an entirely digital approach to the business card. He has some advice on how to use the platform at professional conferences. It aligns up neatly with his advice to founders : “Don’t Lose Contact with Investors, Stay in Touch”

Startup Corner: Lumber makes The Business Case for Supporting Women in Construction

​This spotlight report delves into critical issues surrounding women in the construction industry, shedding light on topics ranging from pay disparity to leadership opportunities. Gain valuable insights from the firsthand experiences of 100 women in construction, as revealed through our comprehensive survey.

Community Involvement: Albuquerque Community Foundation

Albuquerque is a beautiful place with a lot of natural beauty and enchantment. However it is not a great location for financial resources. Dan felt that community foundations are incredible resources around the country. He is a strong advocate of community foundations who help support local nonprofit organizations and communities around the country. The Albuquerque Community Foundation is the community he supports.

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Sure Shot Entrepreneur Newsletter

Gopi Rangan

Enable Peace of Mind for all. We believe in mission-driven entrepreneurs at the earliest stages before the rest of the world realizes the impact of their visionary ideas. This newsletter pairs well with our podcast that shares all the funders and founders' knowledge to startup and scale your ideas. All the best, Gopi

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