Hi,
Welcome (back) to MWAVC for my 554th post on finance, investing, venture capital and all that jazz. My name is Ato (more about me here and here) and I try to write every single day, inspired by Seth Godin (Seth’s Blog) and Fred Wilson (AVC) but the schedule got crazier and I had to pull back a bit. So please set a reminder to read these newsletters on Mondays, Wednedsays, Fridays and Sundays 😬
In case you’re new here, quick introduction: I’ve been investing in some way shape or form for the last 12+ years and now work with one of the pre-eminent VC firms in Africa - Microtraction, and the family office that acts as the GP - Pave Investments. Read more on us here and here. Much of the writing I’ll share here are based on things I find interesting that I’d like to share and hear your thoughts on. This is also an outlet for my thoughts, lessons, asks etc. and I think you’d find most of it valuable if you’re remotely interested in learning about venture capital.
I’ll be developing the content further, including things I think will be helpful and would appreciate any feedback on what’s working vs. not, and what could be helpful for you over the long term. If you’d like to sign up, you can do so here. Or just read on.
Some smart founders just picked my email and decided to add me to their investor updates. I suggest you do too 😉
The Randomness of Life
During my millionth time (😏) reading reading Olumide’s Vantage, I particularly noted this extract that his dad shared with their family during a particularly trying time in their lives. Check it out below:
Iconic tennis champion who suffered a heart attack at 36 and had to retire from the game. Suffered another 4 years later and had treatments, including a blood transfusion that he believed led him to contract HIV. When he revealed this to the world, he received thousands of messages of support from all over the world. One of the letters he received contained a question: why did God select you for such a bad disease? He shared a powerful message reproduced below :
The world over, 50 million children started playing tennis, five million learnt to play tennis, 500,000 learnt professional tennis, 50,000 came to the circuit, 5,000 reached Grand Slam, 50 reached Wimbledon, four reached the semifinals, two reached the finals and when I was holding the cup in my hand, I never asked God, 'Why me?' So now that I'm in pain, how can I ask God, 'Why me?'
Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong. sorrows keep you human, failure keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only faith keeps you going. Sometimes you're not satisfied with your life, while many people in this world dream of living your life. A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead, dreams of flying, while a pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home.
That's life. Enjoy yours. If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that. If power ensures security, then VIPs should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly. If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships, then celebrities should have the best marriages. Live simply, be happy. Walk humbly and love genuinely.
Be grateful for the opportunity to live, always.
This is the extraordinary story of Arthur Ashe who was the first African American male tennis player to win Wimbledon and the US Open singles titles. He remains the only African American male with this record, amongst many other firsts. Post tennis, he combined his work fighting for racial equality with a relentless effort to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Be grateful. Always.
Currently Reading 🎒
Started reading PG’s essays. Every startup founder needs to read these. Favorite ones so far are How to Lose Time or Money and How to Make Wealth. Check them out.
Currently Listening 🎧
Invest like the Best ft. Chamath
I hope this is helpful to some founders out there. I’m happy to speak more on this with anyone looking to build a company and wants feedback.
Remember: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”
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Till next time,
AB