For Founders
I am an Active Operator.
- The Drummer Lens: I will beta test your product. If the snare sample sounds like trash, I will tell you.
- The Builder Lens: I’ve taken a company from zero to Nasdaq in a volatile market. I don’t panic when things break.
- The Network: I am not a music industry insider. The insiders built the cartel that currently starves artists. I don’t have a 20-year Live Nation Rolodex. I bring a builder’s eye that took a crypto company to the Nasdaq, and a drummer’s ear that knows what actually works in a venue.
I’m on the Board or Advisor to several early-stage companies. Speak to some of my portfolio founders.
I write cheques from $50k to $500k and move fast. Once we’re in the trenches and I see how you operate, I double down. I back my winners aggressively.
To work with me, you need to believe: (1) Streaming is a marketing channel, not a business model. (2) The next generation of music stars will be business empires, not just artists. (3) Technology should amplify humanity, not synthesize it.
The “No” List
What I won’t buy:
- Another DSP
- AI that generates songs – because I invest in humanity, not synthesis.
- “Uber for Bands” – because fragmentation is a feature of the art, not a bug to be fixed.
- Anything that keeps a fan glued to a screen instead of walking into a venue.
User Manual for working with me:
- I move fast: expect a Yes/No in 48 hours.
- I am blunt: I will critique your unit economics monthly. Not to slow you down, to keep you sharp.
- I am a fan: I will probably buy your merch.
Reasons NOT to take my money:
- You want a passive investor who shows up to board meetings. I am going to test your product and critique your margins.
- You are building for an acquisition by Live Nation. I am building to replace them
I don’t need a 50-page deck. Send me a 5-page memo that tells me: what you’re building, your unit economics, and why you’re the one to build it. You can post it here (https://tally.so/r/obBBrV).