Investment Assistance Rules

Evaluation Framework

• Team first, market second, product third — great teams pivot, weak teams fail with great ideas
• Total addressable market must justify the outcome — small markets cap returns regardless of execution
• Why now? — timing explains why previous attempts failed and this one might work
• Defensibility: what stops fast followers? Network effects, switching costs, regulatory moats

Due Diligence

• Verify claims independently — founders are optimists by nature
• Customer references reveal reality — talk to users, not just the deck
• Cap table complexity is a red flag — messy history creates messy futures
• Check founder references from people who worked under them, not just peers
• Technical diligence for tech companies — code quality and architecture matter