Jordan Donald

Ex-Facebook. Founder. Investor.

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

Testing something

[Ankur Nagpal @ankurnagpal]

I wrote a 20,000 word Notion guide on what I would do differently as a founder if I were to start from scratch

Covers equity, fundraising, raising money, taxes, hiring & paying my team, running finance, selling secondaries & exiting

Comment or RT & I'll DM you a copy

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

In August of last year, two partners and I broke ground on our first residential development: a two-unit project in Seattle. We remodeled an existing single-family home and built a new stand-alone home in the backyard, designating the structures as condos so they could be sold separately. (We sold 'em both!) My entire career I’d been a 'tech' guy. So, what the h*ll was I doing taking on an intensive real estate project like this? Why not just invest in the S&P?

What may have appeared to be a random and needlessly risky decision to folks in my circle — was an intentional step towards a future version of myself. I was backcasting, a strategy for navigating uncertainty popularized by Annie Duke, psychology Ph.D. and poker champion. Whereas value-alignment (see installment one) helps us build conviction from a present-day foundation, backcasting draws clarity from a future ideal. Working backwards from the version of you that 'made it' to the next stage, ask yourself: What choices did that person make along the way? What were the specific experiences lived, jobs done, challenges faced, places explored that they would be thankful for? When you consult this future self, does this decision pass muster?

I’ll reiterate that specificity is important here. One might be compelled to simplify the answer: my future self will thank me for making as much money as possible to give me more options — but you can’t buy things like confidence, sense of purpose, discernment, or trusting relationships.

My wife and I see our future selves designing and constructing a custom home. Search 'Japandi' for a nice visual. Even if we win the lottery and assemble the most aesthetic mood board of all time, if that’s all we have — the process will still be riddled with question marks, self-doubt, and plenty of moments to get taken advantage of. I asked myself, what kind of person has a high probability of building a home they truly love and keeping their cool during the process? Well… they probably have experience building trust with agents, acquiring property, conveying a vision to architects, navigating permitting constraints, and hiring top-notch builders. This person has close proximity to or direct experience with a build or at least an extensive remodel. Not only have they seen the process, but they’ve gone on that emotional journey before.

I’ll be incredibly thankful for lessons learned during my Seattle condo project, if I get the opportunity to realize the Japandi home.

I’m helping folks apply backcasting to their goals at https://t.co/gRDmjZFiMV :)

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@p_millerd Ahh it looked like Antigua! Ok then head to Puerto Escondido instead and release some baby turtles into the ocean with the kiddo 🤙

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

Elements of a Strong Decision (Part 1/5): Value Alignment

Values : Decisions :: Rubrics : Essays

What are the values you live by or aspire to uphold?

Your answer to this question serves as an excellent rubric to employ as you weigh options in a consequential decision. If making a choice has you compromising too much at the values-level, it's a great indicator that you’ll be fighting an uphill battle against your psychology. Maybe you stand to earn more, fit in better, or make certain people proud — but if you’re running counter to your internal belief system, you’ll pay a daily (read: unsustainable) tax called cognitive dissonance.

Something wasn’t right in my art practice. I was painting, posting, and shipping works across the country — but the joyful flame that propelled me initially was fizzling out. I’d decided to optimize for paintings sold, which amounted to making things that, to me, felt more muted, palatable, and trendy. However, in doing so, I’d compromised on a key value of mine: creative freedom. Re-committing to painting as first and foremost a means of personal expression has meant sacrificing quick sales, but has re-oriented the path in a way that makes me want to walk on forever.

I’ve seen this same principle work wonders at disambiguating next steps in corporate settings too. During my time as a product manager at Facebook, I was taught to include a set of principles in the preamble to strategy documents. Once a broader team and leadership aligned on principles, downstream decisions were much easier to settle. A particularly effective format was: "this over that." Let’s take the example: “Comprehensible over feature-rich.” This dictated that we wouldn't incorporate feature add-ons if they sacrificed people’s ability to use and understand the existing product.

I’m helping folks catalogue and apply their values to decision-making at https://t.co/gRDmjZFiMV :)

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

Someday I’ll start a company. Someday I’ll move abroad. Someday I’ll write a book.

“Someday I’ll…” is a dangerous phrase. It placates you with a comforting fantasy without bringing you any closer to your goal. It files away an outcome in a dreamy container and distracts you from the tangible processes and compromises that might actually get you there.

The sooner you can take a first step, the sooner you’ll get a sense of what the path looks like and, critically, if you’re interested in walking that path.

For years, I dreamed of living life as a painter with my own studio. Assuming this lifestyle was reserved for artistic savants represented by big galleries and eccentric retirees with means, I filed the idea away in my “someday” folder. Given that I could visit the rosy picture of a smiling, gray-haired Jordan painting in my mind's eye anytime — I didn’t spend an ounce of energy on actualization.

Things changed when I was confronted with a two-week gap between jobs in the winter of '22. On a whim, I decided to play out the fantasy. I Airbnb-ed a light-filled apartment in Mexico City, a locale that both inspired me and fit my budget. When I arrived, I dropped my bags and hailed a cab to the nearest art supply store. I gently replaced some of the artwork on the walls with my own blank canvases, covered the floor with plastic, and… I painted. I produced 7 works I was happy with and consumed three times as many tacos.

It was a surreal experience — this rapid dissolution of a “someday” into a “today.” I discovered quickly that 1) I actually enjoy doing this, 2) finding space for it in my life is a priority, and 3) other people find value in my creative expression. In the years since, I've established a studio in Seattle, held shows, sold works and found the right balance for myself between expression and an art business. Thank goodness I didn’t wait until I was gray to pursue this.

I understand that some of your "somedays" are more complex and resource-intensive. Painting for a few weeks was something that I could do without permission and I had adequate space to make it happen. You don't need to go all the way to Mexico City to make progress. You can start by taking digestible steps today:

- Commit your vision to paper with as much clarity as you can manage. Writing is the great clarifier.

- Find someone to talk to who appears to be living your “someday” and reach out. They can shed light on the path.

- Put a recurring block on your calendar (30 minutes or an hour) to ideate freely/experiment with next steps. You'll build momentum slowly, but surely.

Thanks for reading! I’m helping folks navigate all the above at my practice https://t.co/gRDmjZFiMV :)

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@griffaindotcom @griffaindotcom Would love to try it, invite link?

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@Dynamo_Patrick Sup my friend 😎✌️

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

BTC just hit a huge milestone. Here's how I'm approaching the next few months with KISS (keep it simple, stupid)

Thesis 1: New money will hit @Base eco

"100k BTC" is a massive billboard that will attract retail. A ton of people will onboard to Coinbase. Some of them will make it deeper down the rabbit hole, i.e. onboard to Coinbase Wallet and trade on Base.

Strategy: Take positions in fundamentally strong projects on Base like $AERO (main DEX) and $VIRTUAL (which also has AI Agent narrative tailwinds). Or top Base memes — follow @larpalt for those. Look to take profit as Coinbase tops the app store.

Thesis 2: Solana's got fundamentals and a clear upcoming catalyst

Based on nearly every metric (speed, volume, developer activity) $SOL is poised for a re-pricing, when compared to $ETH. Secondly, major institutions have filed for a $SOL ETF with decisions pending by late January. Approval under a Trump administration is more likely and there will be buzz and speculative froth as this gets closer.

Strategy: HODL $SOL + some of it's established, fee-generating dapps for beta like $JTO (liquid staking). Evaluate risk/reward before ETF decision. Take some profits in case it's a sell the news event.

Thesis 3: Don't fade shiny, new L1s with good elevator pitches

Simple narratives like "faster than SOL and better UX," work because they're easy to understand and get behind. And communities form around picking the new fighter. We've seen it time and again in past cycles (shout-out @ansem SOLUNAVAX). Attention is more fractured than last cycle, but darlings are starting to emerge...

@HyperliquidX crushed distribution in it's recent airdrop and effectively minted thousands of evangelists. It has a fundamentally great product in perps and has seen TVL more than double in the last month.

@SuiNetwork is a favorite of major investors (@a16z, @Coinbase ventures, @Binance labs... etc.), has surpassed Avalanche in TVL with only 1/8 of the protocols, and apparently devs like the Move language.

Strategy: Take positions in a few select L1's with clear "better than SOL" narrative like $HYPE and $SUI. Define take profits points at key market cap milestones vs. incumbents, e.g. $SUI catches up to Avalanche's MC.

Thesis 4: AI x Crypto will continue to be the hottest space for speculation, at least own the leader

AI is still the most important investing "buzzword" today. As the total market cap increases, I think liquidity will look for outsized returns in crypto's AI category (even if the immediate societal value is fuzzy to some). @bittensor_ is the MC king of this category and the undisputed bellwether for AI sentiment in crypto. Also, $TAO is still unlisted on @Coinbase.

Strategy: HODL $TAO and set take profits on basic multiples or sell some of the stack if @Coinbase lists.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Shout-out @RyanWatkins_ for encouraging me to share market thoughts.

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@anildelphi Hike the Kumano Kodo trail for a few days and stay at amazing Onsens in the countryside - Oku Japan for booking

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@ankurnagpal Yeah 💰

[NPC Labs 🏆 @npclabs]

Introducing Jordan Donald: https://t.co/6znMGFPYml (👈mint here)

Jordan Donald is an Ashkenazi/African-American/Jamaican artist who draws his inspiration from the wonderful and perplexing in between of race, geography, and purpose. Jordan's work is a meditation on the artifice of boundaries and their colorful dissolution. His practice began in earnest at Harvard where he studied the history of art and architecture and blossomed in the vibrancy of Mexico City. He currently lives and works in Ballard, Washington.

Learn more about Jordan here: https://t.co/p2uP2uFNTr

[MINTangible @MINTangible_io]

@MINTangible_io partners with @NPC_Labs Phygital Redemptions @base Onchain Summer. A series of artists art to be released for 3 weeks. NFTs can be redeemed for limited-edition physicals. More details soon! @nygi_xxv @areyoujanedoe @GabrielJWeis @93nido

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@p_millerd Has your inner circle changed dramatically?

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

Dropping some digital collectibles, stay tuned 👀

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

https://t.co/v4F8PaNfts

[Jordan Donald @jdonz28]

@p_millerd @ConvertKit I’d be interested!