"The only constant really, in my view, is like, well, who's the CEO of the company?... I find that when I look back at a lot of my investments... if I was really excited about the product, really excited about the market, but the CEO wasn't that strong... almost never does that work." - Sahil Lavingia

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Takeaways

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• Bet on the right people when investing in startups. The CEO’s ability to build and hire a strong team is crucial for success.
• Invest in products and companies that align with personal interests.
• Consider equity crowdfunding opportunities as a way to invest in early-stage technology companies and gain exposure to the best asset class in the world.
• Diversify your portfolio by following smart people on Twitter, reading books, and building relationships with like-minded individuals in your industry. 
• Consider a future with a billion Americans and the potential for more wealth creation.

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Bio

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Sahil Lavingia is a founder, investor, and author. He is founder & CEO of Gumroad which exists to help every creative earn a living selling the stuff they make directly to their audience. He used the new equity crowdfunding rules in 2021 for Gumroad to be the first ever company to raise $5m from the crowd. He also founded SHL Capital, which invests more than $15 million a year in early-stage startups. Previously, he was Pinterest employee No. 2. In his spare time he wrote a book, “The Minimalist Entrepreneur: How Great Founders Do More with Less.”

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