Michael Gibson, General Partner of 1517 Fund, talks about the 'pay it forward' mentality in Silicon Valley, the value of personal libraries, his experience at Oxford University, the surprising job opportunity he almost took at the CIA, and reflections on missed investment opportunities.
Silicon Valley has a pay-forward mentality fostering collaboration, unlike other cities with expectations of reciprocity.
Having a personal library of books provides valuable resources and insights for research and inspiration.
Deep dives
The Pay-Forward Mentality of Silicon Valley
In Silicon Valley, there is a pay-forward attitude where people are willing to help others without expecting anything in return. This mentality fosters a collaborative environment for innovation and idea-sharing, unlike other cities where there is often an expectation of receiving something in exchange for assistance. The Bay Area has cultivated this attitude over the past few decades, which has contributed to its success in the tech economy.
The Value of Building a Personal Library
The speaker, Michael, discusses his Venice Beach bungalow that has been transformed into a personal library. He emphasizes the importance of having a collection of books as a valuable resource for research and inspiration. With a multitude of books readily available, he can easily refer to them when he is writing and needs to find specific information or ideas. Despite being overwhelmed with the number of books he acquires, he acknowledges the tremendous value of these resources and often finds valuable insights tucked away in unexpected places.
The CIA and Talent Sourcing
The speaker shares his experience applying for a role at the CIA and the unconventional traits they seek in candidates. Contrary to popular belief, the CIA looks for compensated introverts, individuals who possess high levels of ambition but also have introverted tendencies. These individuals excel at establishing rapport and trust with others, as well as carefully observing and studying human behavior. Additionally, the speaker draws parallels between this approach to talent sourcing and his own strategy in evaluating startup founders. By having a mix of individuals who can establish relationships and gather information, he believes they can strategically assess the startup's fit within larger trends and make better investment decisions.
In this episode, Michael Gibson, General Partner of 1517 Fund, talks about the “pay it forward” mentality in Silicon Valley, why his Venice Beach bungalow has turned into a personal library, and reminisces about where he spent the most time when he was at Oxford University. He even lets us take a peek into 1517’s shadow portfolio. Oh, and he almost became a CIA agent!
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