On optimism.

On optimism.

It’s no secret that the 2023 was...not hope-inducing.

But the job of a VC is to be optimistic. To be hopeful and excited about a future that looks better and brighter.

It’s why we back founders who see the world and say - why don’t we do it better this way? 🤔

In a time with a ton of flashy trends and ins/outs - my hope and goal this year is to go back to basics and invest in some good old fundamental software companies solving real business problems.

One thing that we continue to see here at Work-Bench is that there are still so many parts of the business world that need to be modernized: that still work with spreadsheets and paper, that can still better leverage data, that still use painful legacy software, that still work in silos.

Maybe some of these are venture-scale businesses or not, maybe some of these require AI or not - but there remain underserved pockets across sectors/segments/geos seeking an unrelenting founder who understands these pain points deeply, can see an "a-ha" that others don't, and can reimagine a different and better future⚡🧠

If you're someone who's been marinating on some ideas and think you see something that others don't, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm especially spending time in biopharma/life sciences workflows, retail/industrial workforce management, and compliance with Daniel Chesley, and hosting dinners for these spaces in upcoming months here in NYC - so please say hi 👋