Benjamin Shaw

Curiosity hasn't killed me yet
Founder / Fellow / Investor / Author / Host

[Benjamin Shaw @B_D_Shaw]

Loving the feedback on The First Kudu so far. If you haven't yet read it - find it at EB, Takealot or Amazon and let us know what you think!

[Gareth Cliff @GarethCliff]

Love it 🤣🤣🤣

[Hugh Laurie @hughlaurie]

Congratulations to PSG - although, honestly, I thought the Arse had the best of it. Back 4 immense. Back 5, in fact. And Gabriel is a giant. Standing straight and accepting. Incredible.

[HandofArsenal @HandofArsenal]

Motionnnnnnn

[HandofArsenal @HandofArsenal]

Greatest picture I have laid eyes on

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

Good morning from your Premier League champions 👋

[Tim Stillman ⭐️⭐️ @timstillman_]

Just blow for full time imo. That’s quite enough.

[Benjamin Shaw @B_D_Shaw]

This is it. After 22 years. Tears.

[Neal Mintz @NealMintz1]

There’s a quiet exodus happening of some of the smartest non-partners from VC funds. Anecdotally, I’ve counted 20+ friends who’ve been in venture for years leave in the past 6 months, and mostly for operating roles. The feedback is consistent:

1. Building an enduring VC career requires a track record, which requires deal volume. At many funds, the best non-partners are doing ~1 deal/year max. In early stage, where feedback loops take years, that’s just not enough reps.

2. Companies are better funded than ever. Seed rounds for consensus teams are $10M+. Operators can often get paid the same, if not more, with a clearer path to liquidity than the ambiguity of carry ever showing up down line.

3. Tons of category-defining tech companies are forming in this cycle, and it is easy to spot which are being king-made. As technologists, some feel it’s hard to sit on the sidelines while the next wave gets built.
___
As someone who genuinely loves his job and wants to build a long-term career in venture, this isn’t a knock on the industry. But the risk/reward calculus does seem to be shifting.

[Shapers Podcast @BuildersMakers]

80–90% of the world risks being left behind by emerging technologies. That’s a concern raised by @Prof_HN, @B_D_Shaw’s guest in Episode #59 of the #ShapersPodcast, as he reflects on how uneven access to tech could deepen global inequality. https://t.co/9s8mqiAvsw #FutureSkills

[Bruno Faviero @Bfaviero]

The VC GP Metrics Hierarchy:
If you have great DPI, report DPI
-> otherwise report net TVPI
-> otherwise gross TVPI
-> gross IRR
-> gross MOIC
-> gross IRR (realized only)
-> Deal IRR
-> Selected Deal IRR
-> Loss ratio
-> "top quartile" vs vintage
-> "top quartile" vs vintage+1 (especially for 2021/2022)
-> unrealized markup multiples
-> logos
-> portco revenue growth
-> # of deals
-> "proprietary deal flow"
-> "we're seeing incredible opportunities in this market"

[Shapers Podcast @BuildersMakers]

This #ShapersPodcast conversation between @B_D_Shaw and @Prof_HN steps beyond the scoreboard and into something deeper: how lessons from sport help us make sense of business, #leadership and life itself.

🎧https://t.co/9s8mqiAvsw

[Shapers Podcast @BuildersMakers]

#NEWEPISODEDROP

In this #episode of Shapers, @B_D_Shaw is joined by @Prof_HN – sports scientist, #innovator & #entrepreneur.

🎧 https://t.co/9s8mqiAvsw

#HabibNoorbhai #SportsScience #HumanPerformance #AfricanLeadership #Biomechanics #FutureOfSport #AppliedScience #Podcast

[Aakash Gupta @aakashgupta]

The math on this image is insane.

New Horizons transmitted at 2,000 bits per second from 3 billion miles away. Slower than a 1990s dial-up modem. It took 16 months to download all the flyby data.

The spacecraft had to hit a target box 100km wide, arriving within 150 seconds of schedule, after 9 years of flight. Miss it and the preloaded observation commands point at empty space.

Ten days before arrival, the spacecraft crashed and went into safe mode. Engineers had 72 hours to restore everything.

The probe is now 5 billion miles out, still whispering data back to Earth. We got 50 gigabits of Pluto photos using technology slower than your phone’s bluetooth.

[Benjamin Shaw @B_D_Shaw]

Interested to know the contribution of South Africans. Nearest trillion is fine.

[The American Tribune @TAmTrib]

If they're coming from a European country or Japan, there's a better than not chance that they might actually "work and give back"

Pretty much all the others--which is to say the vast majority--just act as leeches and are huge net drains on the Treasury, along with decreasing quality of life for average Americans by overburdening public services, driving up the cost of housing, making public schools multilingual zoos, etc.

An immigration moratorium would be vastly more beneficial than the present situation, by every metric imaginable. Returning to the Immigration Act of 1924 would be even better

[Andrew Yeung @andruyeung]

This is @a16z’s plan for domination.

It’s the reason they’re the world’s #1 venture capital firm with $56B under management.

They didn’t just build a fund ... they built an ecosystem

Instead of only offering capital, they built:

• Owned media – podcasts, newsletters, and social channels that help founders build visibility and distribution.
• Private founder circles – curated chats, communities, and events that offer real support through the lonely founder journey.
• Talent communities – pipelines of top operators and executives for founders to hire.
• Expert networks – advisors and specialists who help with product, strategy, and diligence.
• Investor networks – trusted and valuable co-investors for founders to round out their cap table.

You’ll notice the two forces driving all of this: media and networks.

Today, capital is abundant ... especially for the top founders.

The top venture firms aren’t competing on money anymore.

They’re competing on what’s scarce: attention and community.

[afcstuff @afcstuff]

Happy Birthday to legendary former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who turns 76 today.

Enjoy your day, boss! 🥳

[♟️ @aegonthefirst_]

can't tell me "I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous" isn't right up there with "I had Benzes before you had braces."

[Shapers Podcast @BuildersMakers]

“AI won’t take your job. But someone who knows how to use it might.”

In Ep 57, Prof Japie Greeff & @B_D_Shaw talk responsible optimisation, AI fluency & the skills that still matter.

🎧 https://t.co/lPY6XBFuKo
#ShapersPodcast #FutureOfWork #AIFluency #DigitalLeadership