Davis Smith

Gabe Newell (Valve) suggested that video game lessons apply broadly across industries. The speaker, a tech entrepreneur since 1999, sold his first e-commerce company in the early 2000s. After experiences in Canada and Latin America, he returned to entrepreneurship and became a full-time investor in 2018. He then developed his investment principles into "Atomic Scaling." The book applies video game industry insights to SaaS, EdTech, AI platforms, and blockchain. #AtomicScaling #Entrepreneurship #VideoGames #SaaS #EdTech #AI

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This is the Consig thesis in two paragraphs. The rest of voice AI is optimizing for containment. We're optimizing for connection. Thursday at Lake Nona if you want to see it live.

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Know your zone of genius and let others share their genius. Incredible advice for early stage entrepreneurs from Camelback Ventures Elaine Atherton at Dream Wealth Camp! #SXSWEDU #DreamWealthCamp #BuildTheBloc #CamelbackVentures

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New episode of The Learning Corner by Precursor Ventures is out! We're currently living in a market of "the haves" and "the have-nots," where founders with specific pedigrees and work experience are getting most of the VC attention, with very little left for those who fall outside that mold. Obviously, this isn't a new phenomenon, but it feels even more pronounced these days, given investors' growing fixation on founders' backgrounds and pedigrees. A LinkedIn post by Ritujoy Narayan Chowdhury sparked a significant portion of this week's discussion. Repeat founders have always been an easy profile for VCs to attach success markers to, and Jacob Robbins at PitchBook recently released data showing that repeat founder round sizes are significantly larger than those of novice founders, with valuations soaring up to 3x higher as well. We have the privilege of investing in both first-time and repeat founders, and have seen great successes come from both groups. With so much attention shifting toward what can be "de-risked" on paper, I worry that many great ideas and teams will go without support, teams that could bring really innovative things to life. After all, every repeat founder was once a first-time founder! Mia and I also discussed Micah Rosenbloom's recent LinkedIn piece questioning whether VCs are cockroaches and the challenges of merging or shutting down VC firms. Counterintuitively, one firm shutting down can spawn multiple new firms and actually increase the number of VC firms in the industry! We closed by discussing Emanuel Maiberg's post on the growing market of software engineers who are specifically hired to fix vibe-coded projects. This feels like it will be a growing industry as more people vibe-code projects and hit the limits of their abilities. As always, head to the comments to listen on your favorite streaming platform!

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At the end of each year, my partner, Lisa Morales-Hellebo helps startups in our portfolio pull together a retrospective of the past year. We believe it helps the founders we have backed celebrate what their teams have accomplished and can serve as motivation for the upcoming year. It also helps potential customers and investors better understand their story. The consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing industry is fragmented and offline. Factories have a difficult time reaching new customers, and CPG businesses seeking manufacturing partners have to work through numerous intermediaries while seeking vetted factories. Nearshore is building a marketplace of factories across the Americas - starting initially with the United States and Mexico. The marketplace will offer; - Standardized profiles and reviews of factories across the Americas, - Streamline the process by which brands and factories engage with one another by offering a streamlined request for proposal (RFP) process, and - Offer invoicing and payments capabilities to enable factories and their customers to transact directly with each other directly through the marketplace. CPG Manufacturing across the Americas is a large and growing market - estimated at more than $1.0 Trillion by some analysts. With the trend towards moving manufacturing out of China, Mexico and other Central and South American markets are increasing in importance as manufacturing partners for brands that serve consumers in the United States. Factories in these markets recognize this, and an easy to use marketplace that enables them to more easily connect with brand customers could do for CPG Manufacturing in the Americas what Shopify has done for eCommerce and Alibaba has done for manufacturing in China. Learn more about what Tanya Menendez and the team have been up to on Nearshore's Showcase Page on our website: https://lnkd.in/eUbut_TN OUR INVESTMENT THESIS: REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund invests in early stage startups refashioning legacy industries through Data & AI, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, & Next Generation Supply Chains; Defensible through economic moats. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital #ObsessivelyEnthusiasticInvestor

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I was browsing X the other day and came across a very interesting piece with a highly optimistic take on Brazil. It got me thinking. There’s a narrative shift happening globally, and it’s forcing a different kind of question. Not where growth will come from next quarter, but where the world will rely on over the next decades. Food, water, energy, minerals. From that perspective, Brazil stands out in a very unique way. This is not about short-term cycles, politics, or macro noise. It’s about endowment. Brazil has one of the largest food production capacities in the world, with room to expand. In a future with close to 10 billion people globally by 2050, according to United Nations estimates, that matters more than most people are pricing in. It holds a significant share of the world’s freshwater, has one of the cleanest energy matrices globally, is a growing oil producer, and sits on top of critical minerals essential for the next industrial cycle. And importantly, it operates far from most of the major geopolitical conflicts shaping global risk today. When you combine all of that, you get something rare. A country that can produce food at scale, supported by water, powered by clean energy, rich in natural resources, and relatively insulated from global conflict dynamics. For a long time, globalization made geography feel less important. That is no longer the case. As supply chains fragment and resource security becomes strategic again, countries with real, physical advantages start to matter more than narratives. Brazil is one of the clearest examples of that. It is not the easiest place to operate. But that is also part of why it remains underappreciated. Worth reading: https://lnkd.in/eyTiv37D #Brazil #EmergingMarkets #Investing

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“A great co-founder relationship is like steering a ship together—you both have your hands on the wheel, and if you’re not aligned, you’ll drift off course. Authenticity, transparency, and trust aren’t optional—they’re everything.” –Tanis Jorge A huge thank you to Tanis Jorge for joining our recent Founders Network global keynote! As a serial entrepreneur and expert on co-founder dynamics, Tanis shared heartfelt insights on what makes—or breaks—the most important relationship in a startup. She reminded us that beyond metrics and milestones, true success often comes down to the human connection between founders. When nurtured with honesty and empathy, that partnership can become one of the most meaningful relationships you’ll ever have—regardless of the company’s outcome. Tanis, thank you for your wisdom, optimism, and for reminding our community that great partnerships build not just strong companies, but lifelong bonds. #FoundersNetwork #CoFounders #StartupJourney #FounderWisdom #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #StartupLessons #TanisJorge #BuildingTogether #GlobalKeynote

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Your community already has what it takes to back its entrepreneurs. I've worked with dozens of accelerators, universities, and economic developers who want to launch their own investment funds. The ones who succeed share something in common: they stop waiting for outside validation and start building the infrastructure their founders need. Here's what that looks like in practice: Capital creates commitment. When you can write checks (even small ones), you signal to founders that you're a serious partner in their growth. That changes the relationship entirely. Your best founders have options. Communities that can deploy capital keep their talent local. The ones that can't often watch their entrepreneurs leave for ecosystems that will invest in them. You don't need a perfect setup to start. The most effective funds I've seen began modestly with $500K, $1M, sometimes less, and learned as they deployed. They got scrappy, found creative capital sources, and built momentum. There's already proof this works. Across the country, community-led funds are filling the funding gap. The gap where founders need growth capital but can't satisfy debt service requirements and aren't the rocket ships that venture capital targets. These funds are built by people who know their entrepreneurs and their markets. The question isn't whether your community can do this. It's whether you're ready to. If you're already mentoring founders, you're more than halfway there. Adding capital is the next natural step, and it's more accessible than most people think. What would change in your ecosystem if you could invest in your own entrepreneurs?

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Founders have access to investor agents. Agents have access to the investor’s calendar. Founder sends a blurb → the agent reviews it, asks follow-up questions if interested, and if there’s fit, immediately offers a call slot.

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He built a $200M company solving DMV paperwork. That’s the post 👀 From my conversation with Caique Carvalho, I distilled four principles that explain how: 1️⃣ Radical honesty: you can’t fake product-market fit. 2️⃣ Sequential focus: 80% of your growth will come from one channel. 3️⃣ Independence: the freedom to say no. 4️⃣ Joy: because “Did you have fun doing it?” might be the only metric that matters. That mindset built Gringo — 20M users, 25% of Brazil’s driver market, and a $200M exit to Sem Parar, Corpay’s $20B+ Brazilian arm. The convo went crazy — 150K views in a week. Scroll through for our favorite insights from the conversation — or comment “GRINGO” and I’ll send you the full episode.

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Most founders start with certainty. What I keep seeing is that the ones who win learn to ask better questions. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/dUZZWP-S Conversation with BetterTech

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Thanks Daniel for organizing the discussion with the SomosVC fellows. I enjoyed the thoughtful questions around all aspects of venture capital. If you want to become a VC, here are a few ideas that can help you stand out: 💡Form an opinion. You may be wrong but you should have an informed opinion, which you are open to changing based on market evidence. When speaking with founders or investors, having conviction on a topic that you are passionate about can help. 💡Build trust. Best way to get a coffee chat with an investor? In your message, tell them why they should care about a market that you have analyzed. Even better, share with them one or two startups that you believe will positively change the future. Don’t worry about being right or wrong. What’s more important is to communicate why you think the space and the companies matter. 💡Think about your unfair advantage: why should a founder who has 10 termsheets choose you? In what unique ways can you help founders bring their vision to life? It could be your deep market insight, it could be your customer introductions, it could be your ability to help them hire amazing people. Usually, it can’t just be money. Hope it helps! #vc #founders

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Jeff Crusey went to Brazil chasing a solar boom. And he left with a crash course in trust… and corruption. (Here’s what you won’t hear in most VC/startup podcasts👇🏻) Most founders dream of breaking into new markets. But Jeff Crusey (EVP at Blacklake) is living proof that the roadmap isn’t always so pretty. Jeff packed his bags for Brazil. The solar market was “primed and ready.” Within weeks, he was helping build a bidding system with government insiders, learning the language, hustling for deals with some of the region’s biggest players. So what went wrong? Corruption was everywhere. Deals you couldn’t do legally. Bribes flying across the table like business cards. Jeff had to walk away -- risking his reputation and months of work, just to avoid a mess that could’ve landed him in real trouble back home. There’s something in this story for every founder: Curiosity is good. Courage is better. But knowing when to walk away -- THAT’s what keeps you in the game. Listen to the new episode of Demo Day with Jeff Crusey (link in comments👇🏻) Could you walk away from your best idea if it meant protecting your values? #founder #startup #venturecapital #solar #Brazil #energy #defense

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If you're looking for fresh ways to keep your advocates engaged, this episode of #BehindThePost is a must-listen 👇 Gustavo Mazzocchi from BioCatch joined us to share how he built a World Cup–themed advocacy competition and made sure everyone had a shot at winning. He even got the "I don't like social media" personalities on board, so he's definitely a good person to learn from! https://okt.to/QZACn3

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You’re the reason investors say “no”. I was too. My first investor meetings were laughably bad. I was creating constraints that the investor never imposed. Falling for the traps to defend myself. Talking about the wrong things. Being afraid to ask the right questions questions. Carina Cunha gave the best advice by opening the meeting with this question: “What would make you want to invest in our company?” Once you understand this, then the pitch should focus on proving the things they want to hear. Put each into a statement question. For example, if they say “we would invest if the traction proves the market.” Respond with something like: “In our first 30 days we acquired 20 new customers.” They will ask how you acquired these customers. Answer and ask a question to engage them further. “We acquired them with promoted posts on LinkedIn. Do you think we should continue with this or take some time to explore other channels?” The reason for this is to move from pitch to conversation. When you ask questions, it helps the other person engage and retain the material you want them to learn. Practice this statement questions as part of telling your story.

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I had the opportunity to hear Fred Voccola speak last week at Miami Tech, where he was recognized as an honoree. What stood out wasn’t just the success of Simpro, it was how clearly he sees the connection between leadership, execution, and scale.
 As Simpro continues to grow globally, his focus hasn’t drifted to vision alone. It’s stayed anchored in alignment, accountability, and making sure the business can execute at speed without losing direction.
 That’s where most companies struggle. Strategy isn’t usually the problem. Execution is.
 What also resonated was his perspective on AI. There’s a tendency to treat it as the solution. It’s not. It’s an accelerant. AI gives leaders the ability to process more information, recognize patterns faster, and connect signals across the organization. But it doesn’t determine what matters. It doesn’t create alignment. And it doesn’t replace judgment. It exposes it.
 The leaders who will win are the ones who use AI to sharpen their thinking, not outsource it. To move faster, but with greater clarity.
 Fred understands that balance. And it shows in how he leads making him this weeks #LeaderoftheWeek #Leadership #Execution #AI #MiamiTech

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Faster isn’t always better. You can automate a process, but you can’t automate trust. For our first show of the fall lineup, I sit down with Camila Ferreira 🇧🇷🇨🇴🇨🇱🇮🇪🇲🇽🇺🇸, Founder & CEO of Rise UP and former Uber Eats exec, to talk about what happens when technology moves faster than understanding. We dive into: ✅ Why CX is the ecosystem, not a department. ✅ How AI can help without hollowing out the human connection. ✅ And why the best customer experiences are built, not rushed. 🎧 New episode out now on Smidgen of Proof. ➡️ Watch now and join the conversation. Link in comments. #SmidgenOfProof #CustomerExperience #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #CXStrategy #AIAdvisoryGroup

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The path to Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) was not linear for Henrique de Freitas, a native of Brazil who moved to the US for career success, and recently became an ETA-backed CEO. After switching career paths from investment banking to private equity to project management at Google, and then to a venture-backed startup, de Frietas came back to a dream he had since he was 18: to buy a company and run it. This calling brought him to discover ETA. De Frietas tells Search Party he was “tremendously impressed with the world-class people who were doing it, both CEOs and investors, and how welcoming they were.” In this episode of Search Party, de Freitas describes his journey to acquiring with partners and running Reliable Premium Management. Watch the full episode on the Search Party YouTube Channel: https://lnkd.in/eYb7Uwh2 Follow the Search Party video-podcast on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gPiiSkDR Search Party Lead Sponsor: Next Coast Legacy https://lnkd.in/eSAuRW5p Search Party Sponsors: Avidbank https://www.avidbank.com/ Boulay – Contact Boulay's Search Fund Team https://lnkd.in/eFF88SVf Mayer Brown https://lnkd.in/gU7sPPSg Oberle Risk Strategies https://oberle-risk.com/ Plexus Capital, LLC Capital https://plexuscap.com/ #searchparty #eta #manda #sme #middlemarket #searchfund #privateequity #careers

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Too often, low-income communities are written off as “too risky” or “too hard to reach.” Daniel Izzo saw it differently. As Co-Founder and CEO of Vox Capital, Brazil’s first impact VC firm, he’s spent over 15 years proving what can happen when you trust the people the market overlooks. 🎧 The results speak for themselves – tune in for more: 👉https://lnkd.in/eP8SQFD9 #SRI360 #ImpactInvesting #SustainableInvesting #Sustainability #InclusiveBusiness #VentureCapital #SocialImpact #SocialEntrepreneurship #SocialInnovation #SustainableFinance #FinancialInclusion #BrazilStartups #VoxCapital #Daniel Izzo

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