To end our last day of VC visits in the Valley we spent the afternoon with Adam Nash. Adam is a true Silicon Valley veteran who has led product for some of the top companies including LinkedIn, Ebay, and Apple.
He was most recently an EIR at Greylock, and has recently joined WealthFront – a company dedicated to democratizing access to the financial instruments currently available to high net worth individuals.
It was a unique opportunity to talk with such a thoughtful and experienced person at a time of transition. During the course of our conversation Adam honed in on the reason for joining WealthFront. He said that if he didn’t join the team their vision of the future – one he was deeply passionate about – may not come true.
This criteria resonated completely with me and will be carried forward as the new lens of legacy to evaluate my ventures moving forward. Whether founding or joining a startup – being a part of an early team requires a complete investment of your energy, time, and reputation. And – it often will last far longer than one would expect.
Most entrepreneurs are inclined to act. They want to jump in and get stuff done. In almost any business this is a great attribute. However, in the quiet time, the time before the business has been chosen or formed – we all need to take the time to make sure we choose a path that we’ll be happy walking for the next decade.
I’m very happy that BuildAFlock meets that criteria for me. If we can create a world – where in the next decade – I can get up and go to a great dinner party any night of the week – I would be ecstatic. I know I’d be having more fun, and I know this would create the closer communities we all crave.
So let this be the premier test for what is worth making the all-in investment of your entrepreneurial energy:
Will you be a critical member of a team that is making a vision of the future that you are passionate about reality?
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