XOutlier
Download .zipAdd to Chrome

Semil

@semil172k followers

Investor via @HaystackVC focused on seed-stage investments // Venture Partner w/ @LightspeedVP

Open on X
Top outlier
50×
Best organic post
Peak views
158k
Single post
Bookmarks
7.2k
Across 101 organic posts
Last scan
Oct 17
Community cache
Posts 101 posts
#DatePost↓ OutlierViewsLikesRepostsBookmarks
1Apr 27, '22Kara Swisher on Elon Musk:50×024k2.2k770
2Jan 9, '20Plant-based diet. No alcohol. Sleep metrics. Intermittent fasting. Meditation. Oat milk. Work on climate tech, crypto, no code, or productivity apps. Turmeric. Jam on a side hustle12.5×04.9k440350
3Sep 10, '23A few announcements from @haystackvc: 1/ We are fortunate to have raised a fresh set of funds, Haystack VII, a $75M core seed-stage fund! We raised this back in May 2023. "Same Mod5.0×158k6801370
4May 19, '19The amount of free information online today, even for startup knowledge, is incredible. Just to start a list: YouTube Khan Academy MIT Open Courseware First Round Review Hacker New4.9×01.5k307440
5Mar 7, '19Your Uber will arrive in 6 mins. Your driver is making another stop, stretching his legs & recording a podcast. Your Uber is now 91 mins away. Your driver is arriving shortly. 4.6×02.4k19912
6Nov 23, '22Striking passage from @friedberg from latest @theallinpod on how complacency seeped into the Bay Area tech giants & startup culture over last two decades. (I edited this for ti4.5×01.5k167385
7May 22, '19Just passed by a store w/ dress on display that looks like Gmail.4.4×02.1k25811
8Jan 30, '21I wish @balajis hadn’t been so prescient. Hard to believe he tweeted this insight a year ago today.4.2×02.1k16466
9Dec 13, '20Airbnb is latest tech startup & company I've seen go from a $1B valuation to a $100B+ valuation. Shopify even more glaring. Zoom riding pandemic wave. At the time of the billio3.9×01.3k101359
10Apr 26[brief update] we have a new set of funds for @haystackvc announcing haystack 8 plus more, but it's really about my teammates @aashaysanghvi_ & @DivyaDhulipala thank you to all of 3.9×123k56621107
11Oct 21, '21"[Bitcoin is] the canary in the coal mine. It’s the most honest market we have in the country, and it’s telling us that this decrepit… regime is just about to blow up.” - Peter Thi3.6×01.6k21368
12Dec 15, '18Big VC firm: “I like this. Go raise a small seed & come back, we’ll lead the A.” Big seed firm: “We like it. Here’s what you should do: Go raise a small pre-seed & in a few3.6×01.5k22541
13Nov 21, '20not a bad investment thesis...3.5×01.2k79324
14Jul 16, '25The startup fundraising market is clearest I've seen in my 13yrs of tech investing - major funds only interested in 2 things: 1/ AI native co's w/ demonstrable momentum, rounds are3.4×108k66635369
15Mar 10, '16Most voted-up comment on TechCrunch's article breaking news of Uber's Series A investment back in 2011:3.0×084539293
16Feb 13, '191960s: "Let's put a man on the moon!" 2020: "Eh, high-speed rail? Too hard. Next!"2.9×01.2k2167
17Jun 18, '24.⁦@vkhosla⁩ on current state of AI from perspective as a VC, end of Q2 ‘24…2.9×91k45846330
18Sep 29, '20Incredible to re-read this again, today.2.8×01.2k18384
19Jul 20, '18This is why Mike Maples is the real deal. Every founder & investor that has been lucky to spend time w/ Mike & learn from him know how deeply-rooted his wisdom is & how2.7×0928199123
20Jun 21, '21This is the most succinct, punchy way to explain PG’s mantra that “Startups are about growth.”2.4×01k14499
21Apr 19, '19The Bay Area is the only place I know where this happens so often: A longtime friend or colleague who wants to support your next company/etc can slap you on the back & say "I d2.3×01.1k9929
22Aug 21, '17Founder: “Did you see the eclipse?” VC: “Too early. Keep us posted on the next one?” Founder: “Um, it’s in 2024.” VC: “My EA will schedule.”2.2×08961920
23Dec 5, '211/ I’m pleased to announce @haystackVC is about to open a new $50M fund, Fund VI, in Jan 22. Haystack has shown commitment to disciplined fund sizes, time diversification, tight sy2.2×01k2448
24Sep 5, '19A 3-yr old startup (AssuranceIQ) in Seattle was just purchased by Prudential for $2B+... no sign of VCs involved, so I checked my LinkedIn. CEO Michael Rowell & I have only 2 m2.2×097510661
25Feb 2, '201/ Short, little pre-Superbowl tweetstorm announcement... Excited to share @haystackvc has raised Haystack V with $50M in fresh capital to focus on seed-stage* investing. * current2.2×01k2632
26May 5, '19Incredible modern-day map of The Bay Area by @NatGeo. Makes me even more certain that we should have 100x the number of cross-Bay ferries than we have today.2.1×073719277
27Jun 27, '20Biggest VC stories 1H 2020: -Sequoia Black Swam Memo + active covid investing -Rise of Lachy Groom, Coatue -Benchmark wading in pre-seed -a16z caps 1st decade w/ Clubhouse -Lightsp2.1×078072182
28Sep 15, '19Thinking: If you have familiarity w/ tech startups & the ecosystem, have a journalist's mindset, understand high-level metrics, and are a pro user of Keynote, I think you could2.0×071449161
29Sep 23, '17Cartman on ICOs is my new #1 favorite:2.0×07232400
30Aug 19, '20Current valuation rule of thumb right now for competitive momentum Bay Area Series A & B deals right now: Growing $0 to $1M in less than 6 months? $40-100M post money. Growing 1.9×058566213
31Oct 24, '21I am a total @friedberg stan. I would pay for content from him. His ability to economically share a POV by synthesizing disparate facts is incredible. Every episode he drops 2-4 bo1.9×01k2430
32Jan 11, '19Me, to two cofounders: “So, how do y’all know each other again?” Them: “We were hardened in the crucible of a very dysfunctional startup.”1.9×09965721
33Jun 7, '19Twitter is simply an incredible information network. If you create the right lists, follow the rights folks (for you) & actively block unworthy accounts, it's like a sea of goo1.9×081814026
34Dec 8, '14A few ppl lately have asked me “how did you get to know people in valley?” my response over email tonight:1.9×064214891
35Jul 8, '20Snowflake will shock Bay Area tech observers & public markets when it lists shares. The revenue growth is insane. It will also amp up other cloud/infra valuations, and then the1.9×080254105
36Jul 12, '20Starting to hear about VC firms and specific larger startups in the Bay Area who’ve nearly/unofficially directed staff that offices will be closed until at least January, or at lea1.9×070014350
37Oct 24, '21From recent @theallinpod, fascinating statistical POV by @friedberg on recent huge VC liquidity measured against forthcoming disruption of global public equities:1.8×066294113
38Mar 6, '20Most folks in tech: “I am canceling all travel and converting meetings to Zoom.” Anyone raising capital for their company or fund: “Yes of course I will meet you in the town square1.8×0884759
39Jan 11, '19Twitter is an esport.1.8×07871188
40Dec 11, '20If you can't create it, help build it. If you can't build it, invest in it. If you can't invest in it, write about it. If you can't write about it, tweet about it. If you can't twe1.8×066711976
41Mar 9, '22VC friend last night estimated U.S. endowments & foundations exposed to VC have likely lost “multiple hundred of billions” in private book value so far in 2022, but it will tak1.8×061275105
42Jan 13, '20In my 7 years of investing, I don’t think I’ve seen a continuous wave of publicly announced layoffs at tech startups like the wave to start 2020. Investors know of more coming that1.7×07129539
43Apr 10, '201/ I was curious how Series A VCs across top tier funds are thinking about A rounds. So created a very short, imperfect survey for 75 senior GPs I know personally to get a sense. 31.7×051275151
44Sep 17, '20Short quote from current Snowflake CEO after replacing previous CEO:1.7×07066959
45Mar 18, '20I categorically reject the "Good companies will survive" trope. Disagree. There will be good companies that die simply b/c the industry they're in will temporarily lose its foundat1.6×08124619
46Jul 3, '20Anti-cancellable is the new anti-fragile.1.6×08146225
47Sep 7, '18this has to be the tech picture of the year…1.6×06881102
48Aug 9, '22A founder pointed this out to me last weekend: Peter Thiel’s ability to find talent in people very early is both legendary (PayPal, Founders Fund etc) but also in a strange way und1.6×07234469
49Mar 22, '181/ A bit of news... I am excited to announce that I'm teaming up with Lightspeed as a Venture Partner. I am grateful for the opportunity & for all the founders & investors 1.5×0718334
50Sep 26, '21Ok. Listend to @theallinpod Ep #48 again to absorb @balaji's tour de force. I had to jot down the 3 big ideas he laid out so I can remember them for myself.1.5×054832162
51Aug 1, '20Satya Nadella moves in silence like lasagna.1.5×07514512
52Oct 4, '19Had drinks w/ friend @ large VC fund. Discussed how pre-seed/seed is diff vs Series A/B. He said something I've kept thinking about: "At seed, you back people. We need to back a co1.5×06098949
53Dec 16, '17Mission-driven startups sound nice, but also nowadays bring deeper advantages: An attractive message to compete for recruits; ability to not pay Bay Area market rates; ability to p1.5×06091130
54Dec 17, '20View post on X1.5×07164819
55Jan 2, '20The most contrarian thing you can do in tech right now is to cook a tomahawk steak on a charcoal grill & wash it down with wine, after 9pm, without having intermittently fasted1.5×07573616
56Oct 25, '19Don Valentine's first fund was $3M in 1974, invested in Atari & Apple. That fund gave birth to Sequoia Capital.1.4×06947614
57Jun 12, '19My Uber driver: “Have you heard of Airtable? It may be the next Slack.”1.4×07203714
58May 25, '20This is so good on so many levels. Absolutely love the jet black bearded long-hair vibe of Jobs in this clip. Also, a fantastic set of analogies he lays out. (via @speechu)1.4×049747127
59Feb 21, '20Someone recently asked me - “What’s the biggest difference in Bay Area startup culture today vs when you moved here a decade ago?” My answer: “People clap before the performance.”1.4×0672698
60Jan 9, '21As a California resident in early 2021: -I have no idea when I’ll get a Covid vaccine -I have no idea if public schools will be open for full days in Sept -I have no idea when I ca1.4×06673211
61Aug 4, '20I've been randomly replying to my kids at-times bratty requests w/ whatever VC-isms that fit the mood. Today I tossed out a few "it's not a fit at this time" and they were all just1.4×07022918
62Jul 27, '19Bay Area observation: The most talented founders are bypassing seed firms & seed rounds. It’s a free world & market. Those founders are looking for things seed funds typica1.4×048050100
63Sep 2, '21Word on the street is many traditional VC firms are actively recruiting for "crypto partners" to join their firms. This will be hard to execute on - all crypto native people I see 1.4×05824636
64Apr 28, '18Honest Q: How does a group within Google get to the point where it’s permitted to redesign Google Finance to be basically useless?1.3×0553726
65Apr 10, '1920’s: Take a redeye home late Sunday & stroll directly into work Monday. 30’s: Return home from a trip by Sunday supper time. 40’s: Return home Saturday from a trip b/c househo1.3×0666509
66Apr 1, '20WFH w/ kids: “We’re switching off kids, work, meals, snacks. Basically wine earlier, work later, collapse in bed.” WFH no kids: “I’m learning Portuguese and just made some sourdoug1.3×0660467
67Aug 18, '20Ryan Reynolds just sold his alcohol brand (Aviation Gin) for $610M.1.3×06303220
68Oct 31, '19Met VC today w/ 20+ yrs experience @ same firm (after a decade as a founder), looking at my notes: -VC = random game -impossible to identify outlier at time of investment -As rando1.3×05275949
69Jul 7, '20.@balajis rang the alarm bell on Covid-19 dating back to mid-January. He's recently stepped into another fault line re: cancel culture. It is not pretty, but he is ringing another 1.3×05726527
70Nov 3, '22Stripe's '22 has seen a valuation markdown, layoffs, and an IPO indefinitely delayed. There hasn't been a private company as revered as Stripe since Facebook. Everyone's bracing fo1.3×06153339
71Apr 10, '19Founders often want to talk about "product." And, product is super important. It's almost politically incorrect to say otherwise. Yet, most investors want to talk "Go To Market." I1.3×05116743
72Dec 7, '20Per @theinformation, of all the shares Sequoia holds in Airbnb today, 70% of those shares were purchased in the initial seed round for $0.01/share.1.3×06343117
73Feb 3, '22Per Bloomberg News, todays' $200B+ loss of $FB enterprise value is the single-largest wipeout for any single company on a U.S. Exchange... ever.1.3×05386425
74Feb 3, '18Massively untold & underreported reality of Bay Area startup ecosystem is that folks throughout their career are helped by 100s of people who either do not seek and/or cannot a1.2×0561891
75Sep 8, '18No judgment, but it is hard for me to personally come to grips w/ the fact that some teams w/o any lines of code written can raise $3M+ seed rounds in the Bay Area -- almost total 1.2×0540589
76Feb 12, '19Even though I’m addicted to podcasts, I often have to rewind back 30 seconds or more because my inner monologue is the most compelling podcast sometimes.1.2×06304410
77May 5, '20Airbnb is iconic. It’s the startup many founders wished they’d started, the one many investors wish they found. Tough day for them. Hard to see past today to the other side. This w1.2×06165416
78Apr 2, '20been thinking about this image a lot1.2×05408312
79Jun 19, '20Friend jokingly asked me: "Does the aggregate # of ppl in Bay Area who are angels, scouts, operator-syndicates, side funds, new & regular VCs, or work in a corp VC role outnumb1.2×06053522
80Jun 30, '20$LULU buys Mirror for $500M, key takeaways: -Lulu had no recurring relationship w/ consumers -Lulu consumer engagement tied to store/classes -Not clear what % of clientele would go1.2×05355833
81Dec 2, '19I saw @onepeloton CEO address a private NYC event in 2015. He was crisp, but thought to myself "He's kind of nuts, building his own iPad??" Over next 5yrs, everything he said in th1.2×05843528
82May 30, '20feels like a “Musk” should be a unit of measure like a Newton or Joule1.2×0551497
83Oct 24, '20Line I heard from a friend this week that has stuck in my head: "The value proposition for the Bay Area, the startup ecosystem -- everything around you -- has now been fully upload1.2×05075130
84Nov 17, '18Google Docs Designers: "Let's get drunk & keep messing up the UI and see if folks still come back b/c they have no other option!" GMail Designers: "Hold my beer."1.1×0503639
85Feb 5, '21one shot1.1×04623666
86Oct 25, '18I can’t tell if this is a tech company or a poster for a DJ set in SF. (It’s a good ad!)1.1×0543475
87Mar 29, '20Twitter helped me find a career. Helped me meet so many in the tech & startup worlds. Twitter recently alerted me to possibility of pandemic. So I had some time to prepare. Fri1.1×05603618
88Jun 9, '19I’ve now listened to 20+ Beto interviews (pods, Sunday talk shows etc) and feel comfortable w/ making the following assessment: The guy says absolutely nothing.1.1×0540357
89Aug 6, '17This exchange happens often: Founder: "Do you know any strong VPEng's?" Me: "Yep. They're starting own co's or making $750k+ salaries."1.1×0463520
90Dec 12, '18tfw you’re almost fully vested...1.0×0555363
91Oct 3, '21Found this cleaning out a desk drawer. It wasn’t too long ago these showed up at flea markets & the like. I always was fascinated @jack had the insight to capture the info in a1.0×05252016
92Aug 29, '19Earlier this year, met a PM from a well-known tech co. Elite startup PMs have lots of market power (and make way more than most VCs). I asked him, what are the 3 co's your elite PM1.0×04642156
93Nov 6, '221999-2000: Lots of public companies with no revenues. 2021-22: Lots of private companies with $50M+ cash in the bank but no product-market fit.1.0×04555125
94Apr 8, '19Today I was snuggled next to my daughter (6yrs old), just the 2 of us, staring out over the Pacific Ocean's expanse. Me: "Do you think Moana is out there." <very long pause> 1.0×0565172
95Sep 15, '22YouTube : Google Instagram : Facebook Figma : Adobe1.0×05111915
96May 11, '20A VC walks into a bar, almost orders a drink, but then realizes he would like to see two quarters of data before buying the drink. *this tweet is a joke and intended to be shared w1.0×0481398
97Jul 18, '18People read fewer books these days but podcast listening is on the rise, but the best way to be on a podcast is to write a book & then shill it on a podcast.1.0×0502382
98Oct 10, '20Wow I did not realize Twilio is a $45B company.1.0×04952018
99Apr 14, '21In terms of historical significance, tomorrow's Coinbase listing feels like the most important, consequential company with potential for global impact and scale to emerge since the1.0×04703713
100Nov 3, '20OH: "Go to market for raising venture capital is considerably easier than actual Go-to-market."0.9×04633115
101Mar 19, '20On the positive side, things I’m happy about: -that I didn’t give up alcohol -that I didn’t convert to plant-based -that I didn’t invest in Quibi0.9×049452

Scan another creator

@
@karpathy@levelsio@paulg@naval@marclou@illyism

Run this on any account.

XOutlier builds this table for every public profile you open on x.com, with live data and every post, not just the top 50.

Add to Chrome Download .zip