5.16.25
being early is same thing as being wrong, kids and meaning of work, what's old is new in B2B marketing, energy storage systems
Hellooo and happy Friday! Writing this live from Sightglass Coffee. Damn, their chocolate chip cookie hits. I was in NYC earlier this week and I landed in SF and for the first time I realized, this HAS become home. It took almost 3 years to feel this way, but it’s cool to realize that i’ve finally gotten there. Also, been super impressed with what Daniel Lurie has been doing for the city and am *cautiously* optimistic. So with that, my weekly musings…
Being Early Is Often the Same as Being Wrong
It’s wild how often a founder has an insight, builds something too early, fails—and then a few years later someone else does the same thing and “wins”. We love to talk about first-mover advantage in VC, and sure, it’s real. Being early can be an edge. But timing is a funny thing. Too early is still wrong. It’s a total Goldilocks problem- you need to be early and right—not too early, not too late. Hitting the market at the right moment is everything. And sometimes, just sometimes, being second or third IS the advantage because you get to learn from others' mistakes.
Kids and the Meaning of Work
A friend recently asked me whether having a kid changed how I think about fulfillment at work. I’ve been mulling on it ever since. The short answer: not exactly. But it has changed my relationship to meaning. Time is now a constant trade-off. Thirty minutes on one more pitch means thirty minutes not spent with your kid. That shift forces me to raise the bar on what feels worth it. I’m still very much figuring it out. But presence and time spent on things that matter, and what you trade for it, is always top of mind now.
What’s Old Is New in B2B Marketing
B2B marketing seems to reinvent itself every few years, and right now, LinkedIn is having a real resurgence. It’s becoming a scaled, strategic marketing channel again. This also ties into something bigger: the expectation that founders (and VCs too) are visible. The quiet builder era might be over. The market increasingly expects you to have a presence—whatever form that takes. Like it or not, visibility is becoming part of the job.
🍇 Let’s Jam: Energy Storage Systems
Our grid is fragile, demand is exploding, and we’re in desperate need of solutions. Energy storage systems—and entirely new approaches to energy—are at the center of the conversation. Sure, there’s a future question of whether these businesses will asymptote once demand stabilizes. But right now, the problems are urgent. And to me, the energy crunch is one of the defining challenges of our time. If you’re building in this space, I’d love to jam.
Stay weird. Stay curious.
-CBR