E265: What the Coach to Sequoia, A16Z and Benchmark Learned About Power and People

Dec 18, 2025

In a compelling discussion, Patrick Ewers, founder of Mindmaven and an early LinkedIn employee, reveals why relationships are the cornerstone of professional success. He highlights how urgent tasks often overshadow building meaningful connections, leading to missed opportunities. Patrick shares practical strategies like delegation for effective relationship management, empowering leaders to save time and enhance their authenticity. He emphasizes the importance of follow-ups and provides insights on how thoughtful interactions can strengthen bonds over time.

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INSIGHT

Relationships Are The Core Leverage

Relationships are the highest-leverage asset because nobody reaches the top alone.
Important relationship work often loses to urgent tasks and therefore gets neglected.

ADVICE

Dictate Follow-Ups Immediately

Dictate follow-up emails immediately after meetings and send drafts to your EA.
Read and click send to convert a 10-minute task into a one-minute habit.

ANECDOTE

Deals Built Without In-Person Meetings

Patrick sent five companies to a growth partner who funded them without coffee meetings.
The relationship deepened through consistent transactional value rather than in-person niceties.

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Why do the most successful investors and founders still miss their best opportunities—and how much of that comes down to poor relationship management? In this episode, I talk with Patrick Ewers, founder of Mindmaven, about why relationships—not intelligence or effort—are the true limiting factor in professional success. Patrick shares lessons from being an early employee at LinkedIn under Reid Hoffman, coaching partners at top firms like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz, and building a systemized approach to relationship management that scales. We break down why important things lose to urgent ones, how delegation and leverage unlock effectiveness, and why small, consistent actions compound into billion-dollar outcomes.

Highlights:

Why relationships are the highest-leverage asset in investing and leadership
The “importance vs. urgency” trap that causes missed opportunities
How poor follow-up—not bad judgment—creates most investing regrets
Practical delegation systems that free up 10–12 hours per week
Why dictating follow-ups is more thoughtful than typing them
Inbox shadowing and decision triage for leaders
How to make people feel valued without fake niceness
Why efficiency enables deeper, more authentic relationships
The role of thinking time (“white space”) in elite performance
Why relationship management is the CEO’s final job

Guest Bio:

Patrick Ewers is the founder of Mindmaven, an executive coaching firm focused on helping leaders unlock their full potential through relationship management. He was one of the earliest employees at LinkedIn, working closely under Reid Hoffman, and later became one of Silicon Valley’s most sought-after relationship coaches. Over the past 15 years, Patrick has coached hundreds of founders, executives, and investors, including leaders from firms such as Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark, and First Round Capital, as well as companies like Reddit, Roblox, and Thumbtack. He is the author of Radical Delegation and has been recognized by Forbes as one of Silicon Valley’s top relationship management experts.

Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com.

Stay Connected with David Weisburd:

X/Twitter: @dweisburd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Weisburd Capital: https://www.weisburdcapital.com/

Stay Connected with Patrick Ewers:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to participate in any investment strategy. All opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the views of Weisburd Capital. Participants may hold positions or have financial interests in the companies, funds, or investments discussed. Any references to specific investments are for illustrative purposes only. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Any third-party data or opinions have not been independently verified. Listeners should conduct their own research and consult their own advisors before making any investment decisions.

(0:00) Introduction (1:00) Early career and importance of relationships in business (2:40) Challenges and consequences of neglecting relationships (6:50) Best practices for managing and delegating relationships (10:48) Techniques for efficient business communication (18:25) Balancing transactional and thoughtful relationships (24:29) Strategies for effective meetings and scheduling (27:08) Principles and tools for effective delegation (35:59) Psychological aspects and predictability in email management (41:07) Democratizing executive-level efficiency and avoiding micromanagement (44:26) Leveraging recruiting for sustainable advantages (47:32) Role of relationship management in founding a company (49:09) Best practices for unstructured thinking and managing time (54:19) Overcoming work ambiguity and optimizing thinking environments (55:47) How to collaborate with industry experts (57:36) Closing remarks