Smash Notes
#2 — Mike Maples

Below the Line with James Beshara

#2 — Mike Maples

Mike Maples is one of the original seed investing gangstas. Seriously. He was the first investor in Twitter, along with investments in other world-changing companies like Cruise, Lyft, Okta, Twitch, and more back when “seed investor” was barely a term. He is consistently named as one of the best investors in Silicon Valley and is also "the man who taught…

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Notes

  1. Who Is Mike Maples, Jr. at 0:12

    He’s known to be the first investor in Twitter, and an investor in other game changing companies. Full answer

  2. What Are Mike’s Favorite Things About Being a Seed Investor at 4:02

    He says that when you get it right, you get to see these companies come out of nowhere and make a huge difference. Full answer

  3. What Is Something That Mike Learned as a Parent at 8:00

    What helped him was realizing that when you have kids, they owe you nothing. They didn’t decide to have you, but rather, you chose to have them. Full answer

  4. For Mike, What’s One Big Takeaway About Life That He’s Learned From His Parents at 12:49

    His parents used to tell him that you have what you have. Every day is a gift, and having the gift of being alive is a limited privilege. Full answer

  5. What’s a More Scalable Approach to Make an Impact at 18:15

    It works better to get real than to get focused. Do less, but better. Think small and increment yourself there. Full answer

  6. What Is Mike's Opinion of Decision Making at 33:33

    Decisions are more like a product. A product should have a ship date and a quality level with a timed value of decisions. Full answer

  7. What Is Something That Mike Learned as a Student at 46:05

    That you have a bunch of free moves and they’re perishable. Full answer

  8. What Should You Do When You Have an Opportunity to Meet a Person You’ve Been Wanting to Meet at 52:46

    You should ask a set of questions that tease out secrets, rather than the common questions. Full answer

  9. What Can Hurt Your Deal Flow Over Time at 56:05

    Mike says that deal flow, ultimately, becomes your enemy because you tend to focus so much on the flow and reacting to what’s going on. Full answer

  10. Why Do the Odds Seem Stacked Against a Person as They’re Older at 57:45

    Mike thinks that once you turn 50, the odds are against you. At this age, your peer group is no longer at the edge. Full answer

  11. Why Does Mike Maples Say Free Markets Work? at 1:12:20

    On Below the Line with James Beshara, Mike Maples says free markets work because they allocate capital and resources dynamically and correctly, without a… Full answer

  12. How Is Wealth Inequality Visible Today at 1:19:46

    By the lack of soundness for money. Full answer

  13. How Much of an Increase Has the Standard of Living Gone Up Since 1850 at 1:25:45

    The standard of living of humanity has went up fourteen fold from 1850 to 2000. Full answer

  14. Are Robots Really Going to Eat Our Jobs Like Some Believe at 1:33:21

    Mike believes no, they won’t eat our jobs as much as they’ll eat the need for people to join companies. Full answer

  15. What Are Scissor Statements at 1:43:20

    They are statements generated to inflict controversy and manifest it. Full answer

  16. How Can Scissor Statements Help Us at 1:53:41

    There is value to know that scissor statements are out there. These statements cause us to pause and realize that they are planted to divide us. Full answer

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