Investing in founders transforming the foundational categories of society at @pax_ventures
SF bay area
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Excited to officially announce the launch of Pax Fund I, a $50M early stage vehicle dedicated to founders transforming the foundational categories of society.Β πΊπΈπ
Wrote a bit about my journey and the thinking behind Pax below:
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Just ended a founder zoom call with βbye, love youβ so if you need me Iβll be jumping off a bridge
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Who says VCs canβt do deals over the summer? π€ππ
Most important deal of my life β got to marry my best friend yesterday! Feeling so full of love and gratitude! π₯°
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After an incredible 2.5 years at @a16z, my time at the firm has come to an end. Itβs been an absolute honor to help build and grow the American Dynamism practice and see it flourish into a true venture category. 1/
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Last marathon complete!! β
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My time was fast enough to get the Guinness World Record for βfastest aggregate time to complete a marathon on all 7 continentsβ ππββοΈπ
This is a very obscure and ridiculous record but one Iβve been after for a long time. Thanks to everyone for the positive messages throughout this journey!! Couldnβt have done it without all the support ππ₯Ή
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I got this living stipend at palantir and it was awesome and built a real community in Palo Alto. We worked late because we liked working together and cared about the mission.
Peter Thiel paid staff an extra $1,000 a month if they lived close to the office so they were more likely to work late, book says trib.al/PfDyzmQ
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Three things that took me until my 30's to learn:
1 - if you want something, REALLY go after it, and tell people you want it. Telling people makes it real (and often people will root for you & help you!)
2 - don't be afraid of failure or rejection, be afraid of not putting in real effort to set yourself up for success. Most people don't try that hard because they don't want to fail & then hide behind "if only I would have x, I could have gotten it". This is dumb. Take some risks, it's the only way you can grow. I've been rejected a million times, many times because I gave a tepid effort, and sometimes even when I've tried very hard. It stings, but it made me better.
3 - life & careers are very long and you can do many things, don't stress too much about where things will lead in 10 years (or even 5 years). People can do many things in their life and you just have to have the courage to try new things and put yourself out there. I had no idea where I would end up when I packed up my car and drove from Minnesota to Palo Alto in 2012, and it certainly wasn't always a smooth ride, but I'm thrilled at how things ended up. Would never have happened without me taking some risks and being open to new things / going after the hard stuff.
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The feminine urge to buy a bunch of land in the desert and build a defense tech testing compound
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One day before boarding the plane to run the 2020 Tokyo marathon, they closed off the country to international travelers.
3 years later, finally heading to the start line πββοΈ
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Almost exactly 9 years ago, I did my first international marathon in Berlin and started my quest to run a marathon on all 7 continents.
In 3 weeks, I will be running the Cape Town marathon, my final continent. Having this goal has been a big part of my life over the past decade and Iβm so excited to finally get to the finish line (hopefully) πββοΈπ
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Excited to be partnering with @bridgitmendler and @NorthwoodSpace to make modern and scalable ground stations for the growing space economy π‘π°οΈππΊπΈ
Expect the unexpected!
So excited to announce our $6.3M seed led by @foundersfund and @a16z with participation from @CapitalAlso, @LongJourneyVC , @BoxGroup, @humbavc
At @NorthwoodSpace we have our sights on building a data highway between earth and space. We are designing shared ground infrastructure from first principles to expand access to space.
We have a lot of work ahead of us but thatβs the fun part. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood. northwoodspace.io/careers
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Canβt stop @bridgitmendler, congrats to her and the phenomenal team at @NorthwoodSpace π‘π°οΈπ
Had a lot of fun catching up with @bridgitmendler & team at Northwood about the company's recent testing milestone: techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/brβ¦
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Feels like a lot of people right now are glamorizing being a founder and want to start a company just to start a company.
I prefer founders who are like βholy shit thereβs a problem, why is no one else working on this, goddamn it fine I will.β
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Life update: Iβm moving back to the Bay Area next month! π΄
Iβve loved my time in NYC and will be back all the time but life is calling me back west. Would love to see friends before I move, hit me up! π½
And if anyone has any housing leads in the bay, please send my way! π‘π
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Today is my 2 year anniversary at @a16z.
Itβs been incredible to watch American Dynamism spread across the venture ecosystem and see the early companies weβve invested in grow and create new categories. The talent and enthusiasm for the space continues to amaze ππΊπΈ
Fitting that this is also my last week living in New York. Very sad to go but excited to start a new life chapter back out west and reconnect with old friends (and trails and trees!).
I will always consider NYC a home and will be back often (canβt keep me away!). Fun island forever π«Άπ½ποΈ
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Time for a new era of @a16z ππΊπΈ
Excited to invest out of our new dedicated American Dynamism fund β it's time to build ποΈβοΈπ‘οΈππ€π°οΈπ‘π¦Ύβ‘οΈ
We thank our LPs and Entrepreneurs for having the faith to enable us to continue our journey. We appreciate you so much. a16z.com/new-funds-new-era/
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At every startup, thereβs always too much to do and not enough time, everything is always on fire. The best founders quickly decide on what is the most important thing and get back to executing.
One of the hardest lessons to learn is to be okay with letting some fires burn.
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Thrilled to announce our Series B investment in @RadiantNuclear! @davidu and the whole @a16z American Dynamism team and I couldn't be more excited to work with the Radiant team on ushering in a new nuclear renaissance ππΊπΈβοΈ
a16z.com/2023/04/24/investinβ¦
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This is incredible advice.
I had no idea that running a marathon in Antarctica would be the icebreaker for >50% of my professional interactions π§
βBuild identity capital. In your 20s do three fascinating things that job interviewers and dinner companions will want to ask you about for the rest of your life.β
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The only guaranteed things in life are:
- death
- taxes
- a tiny monthly aws bill from a side project you forgot about and donβt have the energy to cancel
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Thanks to everyone who came out to our defense tech club party! We were overwhelmed and overjoyed by the response, so much energy.
Never been more bullish on American dynamism! πΊπΈπβ€οΈ
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πIntroducing: American Dynamism 50 πΊπ²π
Here's a16z's list of exciting tech companies tackling some of the nation's stickiest and most pressing challenges a16z.com/american-dynamism-5β¦
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Who will be in NYC for @Techweek_ ? Have a few extra spots at our American Dynamism happy hour on the 18th, would love to meet some new people (or catch up with familiar faces π)
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Talking to the guy next to me on the plane when suddenly the flight attendants frantically ask if there are any doctors on board.
This man casually pressed his call button and they come grab him and he goes on to SAVE A LIFE. I thought this only happened in movies.
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Who is hiring in defense tech? I know a bunch of incredibly smart people looking to work at companies or investment firms working on the nations most important problems.
Post your job below πΌπΊπΈππ
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Visiting companies in person is huge β loved seeing @ApexSpacecraft and @HadrianSpace hard at work in LA π
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Big day of American Dynamism events at NYC @Techweek_ !! Such a great turnout for our happy hour, thanks to everyone who made it out! π₯πΊπΈπ
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In NYC, I can pass the most attractive person Iβve ever seen and the worst thing Iβve ever smelled in the same walk
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Planning a few summer events β who are some great American Dynamism founders in NYC? πΊπΈ
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Race day eve! Tomorrow I run a marathon on my last continent to hit all 7 at the #CapeTownMarathon ππΏπ¦πββοΈ
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In light of our overwhelming amount of apps & enthusiasm around our CoS role, Iβm going to start posting weekly jobs from companies that fit the American Dynamism thesis (both in & out of our portfolio). πΊπΈπ
This weekβs theme is *operations* roles! Check out the jobs below π
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power has always belonged to those who can build β and history does not wait for those who cannot
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We have an existential risk of not being able to manufacture critical components of our military arsenal if we donβt change the way things are built in the US and rebuild the talent pool.
Loved seeing @2112Power and @oyhsu discuss the future of manufacturing at #LATechWeek πΊπΈπ
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Took a slight break to pop over to Australia to knock out another continent marathon! Only one more to go after this π
The Gold Coast is beautiful, highly recommend π¦π¦πΊπ΄
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Have a few spots left for a NYC tech founder dinner I'm hosting in Tribeca tomorrow β DM me if interested! π€
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So sorry for the delayed response, had to do a quick trip to make sure I could live off the land in the event of an apocalypse or alien invasion or whatever π£
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Venture is a relationship business. If you optimize for the short term, youβre ngmi in the long term.
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Every time I visit LA I come away feeling more inspired about the founders here and the futures they are building.
Thanks to everyone for hosting factory tours, grabbing coffees, and coming to our @a16z happy hour β we are going to make it ππΊπΈπ΄
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My parents retired and decided to hike the PCT. They are badass and so freaking cute, Iβm so proud of them π₯Ήβ°οΈ
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Great companies have to have great swag, I donβt make the rules
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Quick midday run. Tune in tonight for my 9pm Netflix and email.
Can I put this in a job description without being destroyed? "You prefer a job where nobody cares if you need to leave for a dentist appointment in the middle of the day, but you also donβt blink when replying to an email at 9pm while watching Netflix on your couch."
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More capital π€ more startups π€ more winning πΊπΈπ
π£π𧡠@KTmBoyle and I are thrilled to announce our new American Dynamism fund! Since creating this movement we've seen incredible founders flock toward the mission of building in the national interest. More capital means more startups means more winning.
a16z.com/new-funds-new-era/
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If any engineers in NYC are looking for exciting roles at early American Dynamism focused companies, reach out! I have some options for you πΌππΊπΈ
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Was so great to spend a day with our team and talk about the future of American Dynamism. Feeling inspired and excited about what weβve done and whatβs to come πΊπΈπ
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Loving the energy at our @a16z American Dynamism summit - endlessly inspired by all our founders and all the people who believe in this mission, letβs goooo! πΊπΈππ₯
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As for what's next for me, more to come on that soon. π
Until then, here's to a new Pax Technica. πΊπΈπ
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This has been sitting on my to-do list for years but I finally finished my race recap of the Zion 100K ultramarathon. It was my first ultra and longest run of my life and ended with a medical tent (but also a win!).
marathonninja.com/zion-100k-β¦
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Excited to see everyone in Detroit (go Midwest!) for Reindustrialize! ποΈπ§±
@MikeSlagh absolutely crushed it, the lineup and attendees are incredible. See you all soon π ππΊπΈ
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I just did an independent survey of my friends and they all said @a16z was the top, weird
I got my hands on a survey of 91 people at 69 different venture capital firms conducted by a well-respected investor in venture capital firms newcomer.co/p/sequoia-foundeβ¦
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I walked out of the subway this morning to pouring rain and some man looked at me and said do you need an umbrella and just⦠gave me a spare umbrella. Said to pass it forward.
NYC is the best ποΈπ½β€οΈ
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Excited to see everyone in DC this week for our annual American Dynamism Summit!
Last yearβs event was amazing and this year is geared up to be even betterπΊπΈπ
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Happy Fourth of July! πΊπΈ
Proud to be part of a team investing in American dynamism, and thankful for all the founders out there working tirelessly to build technology that supports democracy and freedom πΊπΈπ
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We are in the midst of an industrial renaissance.
It's time to literally build.
HADRIAN DEEP DIVE DOCUMENTARY
It covers:
- Competition with China
- The massive $117 million Series B
- Why America must win space race 2.0
- How to combine manufacturing & software talent
- Why an Australian is fixing American manufacturing
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Thrilled to deepen the partnership with @Saronic, securing maritime dominance is critical for US defense and we couldnβt be more excited about where this team is going ππΊπΈπ€
We are proud to announce weβre leading the Series B round for @Saronic.
In less than two years, Saronic has turned unmanned surface vessels for maritime autonomy from theory to reality β with an extraordinary team of engineers from companies like Anduril, SpaceX, and Liquid Robotics β and met the requirements needed to build for the U.S. Navy.
Weβre proud to support founder and CEO @MavrookasD and the entire Saronic team.
Letβs go!
Read more from @KTMBoyle: a16z.com/announcement/investβ¦
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Feeling extra dynamic today, might be the sugar, might be working with my amazing team π§πΊπΈπ
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Coast to coast dynamism πΊπΈπβοΈ
Huge turnout in NYC. Thank you all who attended our breakfast and career fair this am. Thank you @MichelleVolz @a16z an amazing cohost!
#investedinthemission @decisivepointvc
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Helping start the Defense Tech club at @MITSloan was probably the best thing I did in grad school. The amazing community there has only continued to grow since then.
Excited to come full circle and celebrate the unofficial defense tech club kickoff at @StanfordGSB next week β only up from here! πΊπΈππͺπ‘οΈ
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Chatted with an Australian man who wanted to move to the US because βthe whole world watches America. I want to be in the place where things happen and live the American dream.β
Happy fourth everyone πΊπΈπ
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Toured the @Astranis HQ today with my childhood friend who I havenβt seen in 15 years, @pronounced_kyle π
Lakeville, Minnesota out here reppinβ πΊπΈπ
(Also their office / factory is incredible, they are hiring π)
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Loved seeing a bunch of software engineers get fired up at Hadrianβs factory tour at #LATechWeek πΊπΈπ
if you want to work on something challenging and meaningful π hadrian.co/careers
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Nothing better than recharging out in the woods to start the new year. Ready for 2024 πποΈ
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Have a ton of very cool jobs Iβm helping founders with:
- Two CoS roles, one series A, one later stage (coolest team at a verrry hot co)
- Head of Engineering at series b company
- Founding software engineers for a few amazing new companies
- Perception engineers
If you are looking for a role, DM me!
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The worst part of my day is when someone uses Google Meet and I realize how much Zoom is touching up my appearance
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Is everyone gone from NYC this summer? Organizing a few events over the next 2 weeks and so many people are traveling!
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Friendly reminder for founders, donβt tell other investors that [big firm] is looking to lead your round if you donβt have a term sheet and are trying to build hype.
Investors will talk to each other. Bad for future credibility when the big firm tells others βno definitely not.β
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The nuclear renaissance is becoming mainstream, we love to see it βοΈ
Despite the fear around nuclear power, the technology has proven to be a reliable and emission-free way to produce electricity on a small footprint. Watch the video to see why nuclear energy is on the verge of a renaissance. cnb.cx/3H4TIJz
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Betting on American Dynamism πΊπΈ
Uncut full video: the call to arms we've been waiting for from @KTmBoyle at the Defense Ventures Summit
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Iβm optimistic we are going to see an incredibly exciting and different world in 45 years
This is the best time to be alive πΊπΈπ
The Wright Brothers built the Wright Flyer in 1903. Orville Wright then went on to live until 1948.
He got to see planes go from a bicycle with wings, to jet powered airplanes flying at the speed of sound at 50,000 feet.
Imagine that rate of progress again, starting now.
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Happy Fourth of July to everyone, but especially to @ArcBoats for making the absolute best sports boat of all time. π€
Thanks @dontmitch for making this 4th a special one!! πβ°οΈ
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So glad to have you on the @a16z team @jaimalik ππΊπΈ
One of my favorite people in the industry π
Thank you to everyone who reached out over the past couple of months. A few life updates:
1. Iβve officially wound down Countdown's operations and delivered a highly profitable outcome for our LPs. Mostβif not allβof our investors are pleased with our returns.
2. Iβm in the early stages of thinking about and building my next business. In the interim, I've temporarily joined @EquipmentShare, working with and learning from the founding team. Willy and Jabbok have impressively built and scaled a multi-billion dollar, cash-flowing industrial technology business in under a decade.
3. I've also decided to spend part of my time with @a16z as a Special Advisor. Iβve enjoyed learning how @davidu and @KTmBoyle are building out their American Dynamism practice. I expect a16z to be at the forefront of companies in numerous, highly-regulated sectors domestically.
4. Even though Countdown is no longer investing, my DMs are always open to founders of "hard tech" startups. If time allows, I'm always happy to ask tough questions, get your team in front of the right customers and investors, and chat through fundraising.
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Itβs time to build [nuclear reactors]
American Dynamism partner @michellevolz sees new opportunities across the nuclear supply chain, from fuel sources to mining to manufacturing vendors and beyond, led by the emerging area of small modular reactors.
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