Why do free markets work?

#2 — Mike Maples

Below the Line with James Beshara

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 me how to invest" according to Tim Ferris, and beyond his brilliance as an investor, he might also be the nicest guy in Silicon Valley. Listen in as he shares his stories from his childhood, what's really causing the growth of inequality in our country, and a bit about a concept I had never heard about called "scissor statements" that is borderline terrifying.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at askbelowtheline@gmail.com and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

Updated on June 25

Key points in this episode

Who is Mike Maples, Jr.?

What are Mike’s favorite things about being a seed investor?

What is something that Mike learned as a parent?

For Mike, what’s one big takeaway about life that he’s learned from his parents?

What’s a more scalable approach to make an impact?

What is Mike's opinion of decision making?

What is something that Mike learned as a student?

What should you do when you have an opportunity to meet a person you’ve been wanting to meet?