Marketing means different things to different people. To a founder, it's "get us leads." To a designer, it's brand. To a sales leader, it's collateral. To a CFO, it's a line item that's hard to measure. This ambiguity creates problems. Teams talk past each other. Hiring decisions get muddled. Investment gets misallocated. Here's a simplification: marketing is four distinct functions, each with different outputs, skills, and success metrics. The framework applies broadly, but

What Is Framing? Framing is the context you choose to present your message. It's not what you say—it's the lens through which people understand it. The same facts can tell completely different stories depending on the frame: AI as "productivity tool" → optimize workflows, automate tasks AI as "arms race" with China → existential competition, national survival Same technology. Radically different implications, urgency, and decisions. The Big Idea People don't decide based o

Framework at a glance: Company — Do you own the science? Can you execute the science? Context — Why now? Customer — Who's proving it...

THE BIG IDEA Don Valentine said: "Startups screw everything up." Not because they're stupid. Because they've got: No money. No people. No infrastructure. No experience. So startups can't compete on execution alone. Meta has 'limitless' engineers. You have 5. You can't beat them at execution. So the only way you win? You can only beat them if the market wants something different. The market has to PULL the product out of your hands. That's product-market fit. Nothing else real

You’ve solved a problem that’s baffled researchers for decades.Quantum. Chemistry. Materials. Biotech. Breakthrough technology that...

Pattern matching is not a sideshow in venture—it is the default screening mechanism. Pattern matching is both explicit (team pedigree,...

Founders rightly obsess over perfecting their pitch decks, memorizing market statistics, and rehearsing their delivery when preparing for...

The following is a simple framework for understanding how to frame your pitch depending on your stage of startup development. This...

An investment strategy memo is a crucial document that bridges the gap between your pitch and a VC's investment decision. This is...

David Ogilvy famously said: "Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. I doubt if more than one...

Every venture capital firm develops its own unique framework for evaluating potential investments - systematic approaches that help...

Al Ries & Jack Trout Being First or Creating a Category: "It's better to be first than it is to be better". "If you can't be first in a...

Positioning Is a Strategic Imperative Positioning is not merely a marketing exercise—it's a fundamental strategic decision that shapes...

Creating SaaS websites that convert In SaaS, your website has one goal—to help you sell more software. This post and presentation will...

Series-A VCs are inundated with investment options. To stand out, startups must craft a clear and memorable pitch that captivates and...