Pratyush’s Newsletter

Pratyush's Newsletter explores intersections of technology, investing, decision-making, and personal growth, particularly within the venture capital and startup ecosystems. It delves into societal trends, AI's impact, vertical SaaS, the importance of storytelling for founders, and personal reflections on life changes, emphasizing service and values over wealth.

Technology Investing Decision-Making Personal Growth Venture Capital Startup Ecosystem Societal Trends Artificial Intelligence Software as a Service (SaaS) Storytelling in Business Life Transitions

The hottest Substack posts of Pratyush’s Newsletter

And their main takeaways

What Do You Invest in?

79 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
💼 Business Investment Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Startup Founders
  1. Investors should look for unique founders who stand out with exceptional traits, like intelligence and grit. A well-rounded person often doesn't lead to great investments.
  2. Successful companies often become the top choice in their category and have strong characteristics that help them stay ahead. These can include tricky competition or special technology.
  3. Timing is crucial; it's better to invest in companies before they become popular in the market. If everyone's already paying attention, it might be too late to find a winner.

The Most Contrarian Bet in Venture Capital

178 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
  1. Thrive's investment in OpenAI at $80B is considered a highly contrarian bet in venture capital.
  2. The investment is driven by the belief in an oligopoly of foundation model providers and the dominance of OpenAI in the AI space.
  3. Investing in 'Fifth Avenue' like OpenAI may prove more fruitful than pursuing alternatives in the AI ecosystem.

On Cards, Crypto, and Christ

1210 implied HN points • 01 Nov 21
  1. The author's journey from skepticism towards Christianity through personal struggles and experiences.
  2. The importance of finding meaning beyond wealth and success in life.
  3. Transitioning from a pursuit of money and status to a focus on service, stewardship, and faith in the field of venture capital.

Why Now?

198 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
  1. The most important question in venture capital is 'Why now?'
  2. Venture capital is meant for uncertain high-potential opportunities that require explosive value creation.
  3. Consider whether your business idea truly requires venture capital funding.

Founders of Paradox

158 implied HN points • 02 Oct 23
  1. Right-tail founders excel at traits that are usually opposing extremes.
  2. Founders should have hyper-ambition but also be hyper-realistic.
  3. Being a pioneer who invents the future is more valuable than just being an expert.
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There Are No Rules

79 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
  1. Innovation thrives on innocence or ignorance
  2. Exceptional companies break the rules rather than follow them
  3. For founders, thinking for yourself and not always differently is crucial in creating groundbreaking success

When Public Success Is Not Enough

317 implied HN points • 17 Jan 23
  1. Fatherhood brings immense joy but also overwhelming fear of responsibility.
  2. Transitioning from a self-oriented life to family life can be challenging for some men.
  3. Balancing career success with being present for family requires making continuous intentional choices.

Thanksgiving

79 implied HN points • 26 Nov 23
  1. It's important to express gratitude and thankfulness for the good things in life.
  2. Family, loved ones, and support systems are valuable reasons to be grateful.
  3. Reflecting on and appreciating the positive aspects of life brings joy and fulfillment.

Abundant Energy, From the Earth to the Asteroid Belt

59 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
  1. Nuclear energy can reject de-growth, economic regression, and energy poverty.
  2. Choosing nuclear energy allows for growth, progress, and energy abundance while maintaining a thriving planet.
  3. Investing in visionary founders with a mission-driven mindset can lead to impactful companies.

Avoiding the Downward Spiral

79 implied HN points • 23 May 23
  1. Accept the present situation and reflect on reality for clear insights.
  2. Let go of attachment to past successes or expectations and focus on present reality.
  3. Avoid spiraling downward by pausing, reassessing, and learning from mistakes.

The Vertical Opportunity

158 implied HN points • 08 Sep 22
  1. Vertical SaaS companies in SMBs have multi-product opportunities for growth and higher revenue.
  2. Vertical SaaS companies can become dominant solutions across multiple products, creating market share.
  3. Investing in vertical SaaS for small businesses can be as impactful as funding flashy startups, serving an important mission.

The AI Moment, Part I: Purpose

99 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
  1. The goal of AI is to decide between a mediocre human or a hyper-intelligent machine assistant.
  2. Differentiate between workflows where a machine can replace a mediocre human and where it can serve as an intelligent assistant.
  3. Consider if it is better to have a giant monolith AI model or a more specialized, efficient AI agent to solve real-world problems.

The AI Moment, Part II: Infrastructure Layer

79 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
  1. Building an AGI is more important to foundation model providers like OpenAI than focusing on enterprise use cases.
  2. Cheaper open-source models are likely to be more widely adopted in enterprise for LLM deployment.
  3. Startups have opportunities in providing infrastructure for deploying open-source models internally within enterprises.

The AI Moment Part III: Application Layer

59 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
  1. GPT-4 has shown impressive improvements, but may not be a huge leap from GPT-3 in intelligence.
  2. Microsoft is likely to dominate in large enterprise and F500 use cases for AI-enabled productivity suites.
  3. For startups, opportunities may lie in highly regulated industries, new unserved markets, and consumer sectors.

Lessons in Storytelling

158 implied HN points • 18 Jan 22
  1. When pitching, create a contrast between the 'what is' and 'what could be'.
  2. Tell a story that focuses on the current world's issues and the new world your company will create.
  3. Focus on painting a vision of success that investors can emotionally connect with.

It's Time to Lead

198 implied HN points • 07 Oct 20
  1. American values and culture are worth fighting for
  2. Independence and entrepreneurship thrive in America
  3. Take ownership and responsibility to fix the country

Lessons in Storytelling

99 implied HN points • 10 Jan 22
  1. Founders should focus on storytelling to attract investors, customers, and employees by inviting them on a journey.
  2. To succeed, one must shift mindset to being willing to learn and improve continuously.
  3. When pitching, founders should make investors the heroes and show how they can be part of a special, new world by investing.

The Gigascale Founder

79 implied HN points • 19 Apr 22
  1. Gigascale founders think from first principles, not trends or existing solutions.
  2. These founders are relentless builders, always taking on new challenges.
  3. They tackle big problems for the long term, with full-stack solutions and a chip on their shoulder.

The AI Moment, Part IV: Lightning Round

19 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
  1. AI can lead to a shift in what we fear most in society.
  2. The concept of AGI involves the desire to achieve infinite intelligence.
  3. AI tools could reshape future business landscapes and industries.

The Soaring Twenties: Part One

79 implied HN points • 06 Jan 21
  1. The book discusses historical cycles where civilizations go through similar patterns over 80-100 years.
  2. It explains the stages of history from times of victory and prosperity to periods of cultural upheaval and individual fulfillment.
  3. The book projects a future crisis in America, setting the stage for either a new civic order or dissolution.

Beyond Reason

59 implied HN points • 13 May 21
  1. Great decision-making sometimes requires breaking the rules and trusting your intuition.
  2. In high-stakes games like poker and venture investing, relying on intuition can set top performers apart from the rest.
  3. In venture investing, being non-consensus and trusting intuition in key moments can lead to exceptional results.

DeFi Market Map

19 implied HN points • 20 Jul 22
  1. DeFi landscape is expanding with multiple chains, Layer-1s, Layer-2s, and sovereign chains forming a multi-chain future.
  2. Promising areas in DeFi include exchanges, insurance, money markets, bridges, GameFi, and NFT x DeFi.
  3. Opportunities in DeFi gaming lie in well-designed economic games and projects using crypto for development funding.

Can VCs Predict the Future?

39 implied HN points • 21 Oct 20
  1. Venture capitalists focus on judgment, dealflow, winning competitive deals, and unfair personal advantage.
  2. Benchmark stresses the importance of understanding the present over predicting the future.
  3. Investing in specific sectors or trends should be based on a solid thesis to ensure success in venture capital.

Murder Your Darlings

19 implied HN points • 15 Feb 22
  1. Shorten your presentations to 5-10 minutes for better engagement
  2. Focus on the most essential information and storytelling in your pitch
  3. Cut down on excess information and 'murder your darlings' to keep your pitch clear and compelling

Do You Have A Source For That?

19 implied HN points • 16 Nov 20
  1. A singular company vision is crucial for success.
  2. Understanding the 'source' of a company is essential for its purpose and direction.
  3. Founders play a vital role in driving the vision and culture of a company.

Church's Theory of Social Class in Education

1 HN point • 06 Jul 21
  1. Improving education is vital for creating equal wealth access, but oversaturation with degrees could devalue the credential.
  2. Social class impacts education, with different ladders like Labor, Gentry, and Elite defining pathways to wealth.
  3. While traditional colleges will remain popular as a status symbol, alternative education paths could broaden access and opportunity, catering to both Elite and Labor classes.

Can DAOs Unlock Democratic Decision-Making?

0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 22
  1. DAOs in crypto are seen as the future of governance and aim to distribute power among stakeholders.
  2. Organizations, including DAOs, tend to be led by a coordinated minority, not a fully democratic majority.
  3. Effective DAOs will have centralized leadership with decentralized implementation, allowing for accountability through both voice and exit.

Understanding the World of VC

0 implied HN points • 07 Oct 20
  1. The author is a former pro poker player and National Spelling Bee Champion.
  2. The newsletter focuses on the author's journey to understand the world of venture capital.
  3. The content will also cover miscellaneous topics of the author's interest.

The Soaring Twenties, Part Two

0 implied HN points • 20 Jan 21
  1. The article discusses a vision for the future amidst current societal and political challenges.
  2. It presents two potential future scenarios: Fragmentation into Federated States or an Uneasy Bipartisan Consensus.
  3. The author explores implications for governance, technology, and cultural shifts in the coming years.