The ramblings of a 25+ year FinTech Veteran
Like most children who were growing up in the early 1980s (I’m dating myself fiercely), one of my life’s goals was to be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube. Sure, I could have easily bought a book that mapped out the various solution methods (a book was required since YouTube wasn’t around then!), but I wasn’t that type of kid. […]
If you were to spend enough time with me you’d very quickly realize that I’m a bit of a broken record when it comes to giving advice. I’ve found that some of the concepts that I’ve been able to crystallize into simple phrases over the years seem to apply very broadly in the business world. I’ve shared most of these […]
Rabbit holes and parentheticals can be quite annoying and I know I’m guilty of one here. Part III of my “Ramblings About VC Investing” will be coming out next week but I thought it would be worth sharing a few observations about the LendIt Conference given it just ended and is fresh in everyone’s mind. To be very clear, I’m […]
Every Investor eventually finds his or her sweet spot in terms of sector, stage and traction and typically does best by sticking to a personal strategy and process for investing. For instance, I’m an early stage Fintech Investor and love backing companies that still have a lot to figure out. It’s where I can be differentially helpful to companies and […]
Believe it or not, one of the most profound pieces of advice that I’ve given over the years when someone I know and like is facing adversity is to “go ahead and quit”. Taken out of context, this might sound like a horrible piece of advice, but I truly believe that presenting the option of quitting is almost always better […]
Have you ever gone to a party and “that guy” showed up who everyone wanted to be around because of their fascinating stories and charisma? To be clear, I’m not that guy. Not even close. My cocktail conversation go-tos include topics like how to fix the federal student lending program, the emerging opportunity to invest in back-office technology companies that […]
I’m broken. Broken with a capital B. The type of broken that can’t be fixed. Humpty Dumpty had it easy compared to my type of broken. I’m FUBAR broken (look it up) and it’s taken me decades to come to terms that there’s nothing I can do about it. But instead of starting with the conclusion, I’ll do my best […]
Apologies for being so delinquent in posting but it’s been a busy start to the year. In addition to working on time intensive projects with a few of our portfolio companies, QED formalized a very exciting relationship with Fifth Third Bancorp. You might or might not have read about it (Fifth Third Bancorp Partners With QED Investors), but hopefully it explains […]
As a longtime fan of Alice and her Adventures in Wonderland, I can’t help but draw upon the well-known imagery from time to time. And it just so happens that I find it appropriate to use for this post so feel free to smile like the Cheshire Cat and read on. At QED, we pride ourselves on being operators disguised […]
For those of you who have spent time with me, you know that I’m very much a “centrist” when it comes to the Banks vs. Innovators debate. It’s not difficult to imagine a world in which some Banks find ways to reinvent themselves, some Innovators become household names, and some companies work together in harmony to create a one plus […]
Jolly Fun Mistakes Made in Pitches – Third Entry There comes a time in the diligence process when I ask a Founder to review his or her financial plan with me. It almost never takes place during the first or second meeting because I need to understand the opportunity at a pretty deep level before running through the forecast. To […]
Before launching into the heart of this entry, I wanted to give a shout out to Caribou Honig, a fellow Partner at QED Investors who happens to have a passion for data-driven marketing. My last entry attempted to make a point about the woes of undifferentiated marketing channels (i.e. – fishing in the open waters of the internet) and while Caribou was […]
Confessions of a FinTech Junkie 