I have this theory that people have two stories in their lives. They have their First Story: that’s what goes on the CV and LinkedIn profiles, and it’s the one we tell publicly. But each of us has a Second Story, one that we hide. We want to show the world the shiny and clean
Category: HBS
Gratitude 2021
Like everyone else, I’m not sure when and if we’ll beat the virus. My guess is that we’re going to be living with it for some time as it continues to mutate and evolve. When it first broke out, I told Eric that I thought it would take up to five years while we as
Harvard Business School VCPE 2021
Yesterday was one of the longest days of my life. But, it was all worth it. Yesterday was the last day of class for the course I teach on Venture Capital & Private Equity at Harvard Business School (details here). It’s a custom that instructors on “the last day” can offer life advice to their
August and That HBS Way
August for me used to be a time for relaxation and languidness. In VC, when a percentage of the partners are out on summer holidays, it just naturally slowed down the investment pace. Do you really want to make a new investment without all of your partners buying into it? As a young family, we
Still and Chill
It’s been a busy summer, and most of it has been self-inflicted. I’m writing six cases for my HBS class when I probably should have attempted one or two. But I’ve learned this about myself: I am happiest when I’m very busy. I think the curveball was a family funeral that was surprisingly uplifting. But
In Memoriam: David Swensen
Arthur Brooks is teaching a great deal about happiness: at HBS and HKS, as a regular columnist for The Atlantic, and via a podcast (it is great!). He says that if you summarize thousands of social science studies, happiness is a function of three things: friends and family, faith (religion or a coherent life philosophy),