Gotham Gal: Question of the week #23

I have always been interesting in a variety of things so it is no surprise that I am a generalist when it comes to making investments. So it will come as no surprise that this is the question of the week.

You invest in companies in many industries, what cross-industry similarities and differences (i.e. tech and food/restaurants) have you noticed?

There are both similarities and differences. What is similar is the desire of each entrepreneur to succeed. Starting something, regardless if it is a consumer product or a tech company, there is the challenge of building the initial foundation to grow on. From a legal document stand point the documents are relatively the same. Restaurants on the other hand is a different investment strategy where the owner generally owns 50% from the onset and the investors own the other 50%. Restaurants do not have multiple rounds but one clear cut cash investment. Sometimes they need a little more and then they raise that money and give up their own personal equity.

What I enjoy about being in a variety of different businesses is being involved in the growth. Through that involvement I learn more about that space. I also have had the opportunity to meet investors that are more specific in their investment strategy. There are a handful of investors that I have met in the consumer products space. They are experts in that area and really understand the levels that need to be met, how to roll out a product, what margins are expected, etc. Whereas the investors in the tech community who I have known for a lot longer look at investments differently.

At the end of the day I really invest in an entrepreneurs visions. I expect different returns from each vertical. I guess the best way to look at it is I am certainly not putting all my eggs in one basket.

companies I have invested in

more investments →

books of the moment

Rachel Kushner: The Flamethrowers: A Novel
A beautiful intelligently written book that threads together NYC and Rome in the 1970's. The prose is just amazing. There is an underlying theme about lies and trust. The main character, Reno, whose eyes the book is written through is like a sponge taking in a world and essentially educating herself. I admit I did not love the ending and the book bounces around a bit although an interesting look at a time that bounced around too so the story defines those times.
Peggy Riley: Amity & Sorrow: A Novel
A mother drives for days with her daughters and ends up in a random Oklahoma town after crashing the car. They come from a polygamous community where there were 50 wives. The mother had grown up knowing life outside that community. Over time, after leaving, she almost becomes deprogrammed. The realization of what she did to her daughters who no nothing outside the world they came from including how to read. Then there is the family that brought them in. It is a fascinating story. Well written. Worthy read.
Charles Graeber: The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
An amazing true story of a male nurse who was arrested in 2002. I actually remember the story as I followed it in the papers. This nurse was a serial killer who had probably murdered over 400 patients that were under his care. A seriously well researched book. Great read.
Meg Wolitzer: The Interestings: A Novel
Wolitzer writes about a group of camp friends who all come from different walks of life (some on scholarship) as their friendships continue through their mid-50s. At the beginning the story seems trite but as you continue to read there is a lot of be said. The story is sticking with me. She makes the case that everything that happens to you from your childhood makes an impact on who you become or don't become. Worthy read.
Elizabeth Strout: The Burgess Boys: A Novel
Strouts last book won a Pulitzer. She focuses on family issues. I enjoyed this book much more than Olive Ketteredge which I found utterly depressing. This book follows two brothers and a sister who live in the shadow of their fathers accidental death. Like most siblings, all have turned out very different yet they are connected. I did not love any of the characters, like her last book, yet as The Burgess Boys moves forward and memories are revealed, it is an interesting perspective on human character.
Tamara Shopsin: Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir
Great book. A witty spare inventive personal diary of Tamara journey from Indian to New York to Scranton. Really really enjoyed the book.
Michael Lavigne: The Wanting: A Novel
An incredible book that tells the human side of the many layered issues in the Middle East. From immigrating to Israel from Moscow, to being a victim of a suicide bomber yet surviving, to being pulled into an Israeli radical group. Each character is connected. Very layered well written book. Powerful
Alessandro Piol: Tech and the City: The Making of New York's Startup Community
A history of the Internet that I lived through. Great job of recording what happened.
Amity Gaige: Schroder: A Novel
Not sure how much I loved this book. A father loses his child in divorce and decides to kidnap his own daughter. He is not a stable person but he obviously loves his daughter. His own childhood has made him a disconnected human being. An interesting journey but not sure I'd recommend.
Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea
Classic.