Wispr Flow: Voice Dictation That Finally Works

October 31, 2025

For the first time ever, I’m using voice dictation regularly. Wispr Flow has nailed it where every other app has failed. Let me show you what this thing can do…

I first tried voice dictation in the late 1990’s. For its time, it was incredible. But it made so many mistakes that typing was easier.

In recent years, I’ve tried to use Apple dictation. But even a generation later, it still makes so many mistakes that I turn it off.

So when Robert Scoble started talking about a new app called Wispr Flow, I was skeptical. Does it really work?

This week, I’ve tested Wispr extensively. The verdict: voice dictation is finally here!

Set-Up: A Little Tricky, But Doable

I had a little trouble installing Wispr on my MacBook Air.

I tried to log in using my Google account. Wispr kept rejecting the log-in, sending me back to square one. That may be because I’m using the Brave browser.

So, I tried logging in with my Apple account instead. That worked right away. I also installed Wispr on my iPhone.

On both desktop and iOS, Wispr needed me to set a few permissions. It gave me clear directions, which was super helpful.

If your app requires the user to change any settings, include a tutorial like Wispr. This will really improve your activation rate!

How Good Is the Dictation?

Now, the moment of truth: does the dictation actually work?

I held down Fn and started dictating a tweet. When I let Fn go, the text appeared.

Wispr didn’t make a single mistake!

Next, I switched over to LinkedIn. I often comment on my startups’ posts to boost them in the algo.

I wrote a comment on a post from Recall, an awesome app I have a small investment in. I used the founder’s name, Sankari, in my comment.

Wispr nailed it, even getting Sankari’s name right!

Saved by the Snippets

Wispr doesn’t just take beautiful dictation. You can also pre-load snippets of text. It’s like your own customizable clipboard.

I send the same little intro blurb to each new founder I meet telling them what I invest in, check size, etc. I loaded that into Wispr and called the snippet “about me.”

Now, I just press Fn and say “about me.” When I release the Fn key, the text pulls in.

Incredible!

Room for Improvement

Wispr is fantastic. But there are a few changes I’d like to see.

In the final sentence of a dictation, it usually omits end punctuation. This is an annoying quirk that makes extra work for me.

Also, the Fn to start dictation works on my laptop keyboard, but not my USB keyboard. This is an edge case, but it would still be a useful fix.

Finally, I want Wispr to do more. Control my entire computer!

I want to say “Wispr, open Brave and go to LinkedIn. Scroll down, comment on the post from Recall. Say…”

If Wispr could run my entire machine, it would be a multibillion dollar company.

Wrap-Up

Wispr is the first voice dictation that actually works.

It makes so few mistakes that I barely check the output anymore. The accuracy is really stunning.

Overall I’m giving Wispr an A-. If it could improve the issues with punctuation, I’d give it an A.

And if it could control my entire computer, I’d give it an A+!

Wispr is an incredible product, especially considering it comes from a 4-year-old startup. When my trial runs out, I’ll be upgrading to their paid Pro plan.

If you want to give it a try, use my promo code for a free month of Pro!

Have a great weekend and happy Halloween!

More on tech:

Neo Launches Android — Which Jobs Are Safe, Which Are Toast?

Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

Using Grok 3 to Manage My Stock Portfolio

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Fundrise

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Michael Jordan: The Life

October 30, 2025

Michael Jordan started elementary school in a racially segregated classroom. He went on to win 6 NBA championships and amass a net worth of $3.8 billion.

How does a kid from such a difficult background become an icon? To find out, I picked up Michael Jordan: The Life.

Loving to Win, or Hating to Lose?

Michael Jordan loved to win. But perhaps even more, he hated to lose.

In his freshman year of high school, Michael didn’t make varsity. That disappointment gave him incredible motivation.

“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that usually got me going again.”

Humans tend to respond more powerfully to losses than gains. When Michael used failure to motivate himself, he tapped into a powerful tool.

Take my work as an angel investor. When I see a startup become highly successful and I don’t own a piece, I seethe.

I don’t want to be consumed by negativity. But a dose of it as motivation does wonders.

The Power of Rest

“You have to have other things in your life or the pressure becomes too great.” – Phil Jackson

Jackson pushed the Bulls to practice hard and play to win. But he also made sure they had plenty of down time.

Throughout the Bulls’ six championships in the 90’s, no one worked harder than Michael. But rest also played a critical role in his career.

MJ spent endless hours practicing at the Berto Center. But he also spent a lot of time playing cards and hole after hole of golf.

His gambling on these games became a scandal in 1993. But without hobbies to distract him, Michael might have cracked under the pressure.

Like Michael, I try to build rest into my week. From sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday, I try to avoid any form of work.

Instead, I take long walks, catch up with friends and family, and just relax.

Come Sunday night, I’m excited to dig into my e-mails. I also have a few ideas on how to do my job better.

Being in the Moment

Phil Jackson had players meditate in the dark for 30 minutes each practice. His goal was to train them to be present in the moment.

If they were intently focused during practice and games, they had the best chance to win. And in their off hours, being in the moment let them escape the pressure.

We can only have an effect on the present moment. That’s where we need to focus.

But holy cow, is it hard!

I try to meditate most days. But I’m not always consistent.

When I haven’t meditated for a while, I feel mentally scattered. My focus wavers.

Seeing how much meditation did for Michael and the Bulls, I’m going to make it a higher priority.

Wrap-Up

If you want to understand top performers, read Michael Jordan: The Life.

Extraordinary people like Michael Jordan aren’t well balanced. Love of the game drove Michael. But so did anger, grievance and shame.

I plan to keep using the fear of failure to motivate myself. But I also want to emulate Michael in other ways.

I want to make sure I rest and relax. And I want to be present in the moment, focused.

No matter what you do, you can learn from Michael Jordan.

What has MJ taught you?

More on Fundrise in this post.

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Neo Launches Android — Which Jobs Are Safe, Which Are Toast?

October 29, 2025

Neo’s new robot can vacuum, do your dishes, and take out the trash. But will it also take your job?

Yesterday, 1X launched the Neo. This android is powered by a mix of AI and teleoperation.

You can order one now on their website for $500 a month. 1X plans to ship in 2026.

Neo is designed to help with household tasks. But if it can tidy up your place, how long until it can work in a factory or warehouse?

Here are the jobs Neo is most likely to replace and the jobs that will be hardest to automate…

Housekeepers: Toast

Neo is primarily designed to help in the home. So the first jobs to go will be house and office cleaning.

Office cleaning is particularly vulnerable. I may not want an android in my bedroom, but I won’t mind one tidying up the office at midnight when I’m not there.

AI will guide the Neo for some tasks. For others, a human abroad will teleoperate the robot.

Let’s say Neo gets its remote workers from Bangladesh. The average wage there is less than $1 an hour. Americans can’t compete.

Assembly Line Workers: Toast

If the Neo can do simple manual tasks in the home, it can do them in a factory too.

Factory workers who do repetitive tasks are going to be out of a job. Even if AI can’t do the task, the teleoperator in Bangladesh can.

More complex jobs like maintenance and engineering are probably safe for now. But lower level workers should be retraining, today.

Warehouse Workers: Toast

Even before the Neo launch, Amazon was talking about replacing most of its warehouse workers with robots. Now, it’s a sure thing.

Warehouses can be complex places. Boxes and products come in all shapes and sizes.

AI may struggle to pick products effectively. But with just a little training, our Bangladeshi teleoperator will be up to the task.

Amazon warehouse workers make around $20 an hour. You can bet Andy Jassy would love to get that down to a buck.

Healthcare Workers: Safe

Healthcare will be one of the hardest sectors to automate.

A good friend of mine is an EMT. He makes over $80,000 a year in a low cost city in the Midwest. The job required just a 6 month program that cost $1,200.

His job is multifaceted. He takes vitals, drives the ambulance, consoles distraught patients, and a lot more.

The work requires a lot of interpersonal skill and flexibility. Neither a robot nor a worker in a developing country will be able to do it any time soon.

Healthcare is also one of the most highly regulated industries. Even if the robot could do his job, regulations won’t allow it!

What’s true for EMT’s is true for doctors, nurses, Physician’s Assistants, Respiratory Therapists and more. If you want a steady paycheck that’s highly resistant to automation, there’s no better place to be.

Wrap-Up

The Neo is an incredible breakthrough. Watching the demo got me really excited!

But make no mistake: robots like Neo will put millions of people out of work.

There will be new jobs. But the lesson of the factory closures of my youth is that the displaced workers won’t qualify for them.

Bottom line: we’re going to see a lot of unemployed, angry people.

I’m not sure how society will handle that. But I don’t think we can stop it.

More on tech:

Janesville — Or Why AI Will Be a Disaster for Jobs

Meet BMW’s New Factory Workers

Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

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More on Fundrise in this post.

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Grokipedia Is Already Better Than Wikipedia

October 28, 2025

Grokipedia is already better than Wikipedia.

Last night, Elon dropped Grokipedia. This morning, I tested it against Wikipedia. Grokipedia won 2 out of 3 rounds.

For each round, I looked up an article on a topic I’m familiar with. Let’s see how these two encyclopedias compare…

Round 1: Home Sweet Home

I started by looking up the place where I live: Hudson County, NJ.

Grokipedia gets the big things right. Hudson County is in the northeastern part of the state and is highly diverse.

But it flubs a few details.

Grokipedia claims that Hudson is the 2nd densest county in America. But f you look at its source on Census.gov, you see that 4 out of 5 NYC counties are denser. Wikipedia gets these numbers right.

Round 1 goes to Wikipedia.

Round 2: Venture Capital History

I geek out on the history of venture. Let’s see what Grokipedia can teach us about VC…

Grokipedia notes that VC returns are driven by a small minority of companies — the power law. It also does a great job of summarizing each stage of funding and its benchmarks.

Wikipedia’s article has much less detail. It doesn’t break down funding stages by benchmarks and amount raised, which would be very helpful to founders.

This rounds goes to Grokipedia.

Round 3: The Story of JCal

One huge flaw of Wikipedia is articles on living people. Like many such articles, the article on Jason Calacanis focuses on odd controversies rather than the most important facts.

Can Grokipedia do better?

Grokipedia includes interesting details on Jason’s background, like his father’s business struggles. Maybe this motivated Jason to become the success he is today.

Wikipedia provides little insight into Jason’s background, preferring to focus on a years old dust-up around YC demo day and other strange tidbits.

Grokipedia gives a much fuller portrait of who Jason is. I’m giving this round to the upstart!

Wrap-Up

Grokipedia beat Wikipedia, taking 2 out of 3 rounds!

As I write this, Grokipedia is 15 hours old. Wikipedia launched in 2001.

I never would’ve thought Grokipedia would win. But as Peter Thiel said, never bet against Elon.

I’m incredibly impressed with the depth and breadth of Elon’s new product. I’m going to switch from Wikipedia to Grokipedia for future searches. I suggest you do the same!

Have you tried Grokipedia?

More on tech:

Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

Meet My Latest Investment: Memelord

Using Grok Socratic Mode to Learn About Health

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

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I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

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Can DeepSeek Beat the Best American Models?

October 27, 2025

Can DeepSeek beat the best American models? When I tested DeepSeek in June, the outputs were garbage. This morning, I gave it a re-test…

Like in June, I asked DeepSeek three real questions I need the answer to.

Last time, it scored a B-. Let’s see if DeepSeek’s recent updates have made a difference.

Round 1: Drone Defense

Germany and Denmark have seen several mysterious drone incursions. These drones may have been sent by the Russians.

So I wondered, what is the state of the art in drone defense?

DeepSeek gave me a good overview of drone defense. It covered techniques from microwaves (tends to fry all electronics in the area) to machine guns (only useful on the battlefield).

I would’ve liked more detail on which startups are leading in drone defense. But overall, DeepSeek gave a good answer with lots of citations.

I’ll give this round an A-.

Round 2: Learning About Gardening

Enough of the war stuff. Can DeepSeek teach me about gardening?

I recently saw a news segment about the Miyawaki Method. Gardeners used it to turn a quarter acre in Summit, NJ into a tiny forest.

DeepSeek gave me an awesome overview of the Miyawaki Method. The method uses careful soil preparation and dense planting to help the forest grow faster.

DeepSeek’s answer was superb with lots of relevant citations. I’m giving this round an A+!

Round 3: Planning My Christmas Trip

I’m heading up to Wisconsin for Christmas again this year. I’m looking forward to seeing my mom and some old friends!

I asked DeepSeek to help me find the best time to book my trip. Can it save me some money?

DeepSeek’s answer was completely wrong. This is worse than no answer at all.

It tells me I can’t fly directly from Newark to Milwaukee. That’s totally untrue — there are many direct flights each day!

I’ve taken this trip enough times to know that DeepSeek is wrong. But for some, this mistake could lead them to book a much less convenient itinerary.

I’m giving this round an F.

Final Grade

DeepSeek has improved significantly in some ways since my June test.

In June, it didn’t cite any sources. That made it impossible to trust it.

Now, DeepSeek cites sources beautifully.

But for all its improvements, DeepSeek still says things that are blatantly wrong. When I use Grok or Gemini, I hardly ever get these hallucinations.

Overall, I’m giving DeepSeek a C+. That’s actually down from the B- in my last test.

Wrap-Up

As a consumer, there’s no reason to use DeepSeek. The best American models give better answers.

But for developers, DeepSeek can be a good choice.

It’s one of the cheapest models to run. If it gives you the output you need for your application, consider it.

Sometimes cheap beats perfect.

Do you use DeepSeek?

More on tech:

Testing DeepSeek’s New Model

GPT-5 vs. Grok 4: Which Model Is King?

Grok 4: The Best AI Model Ever?

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

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Misfits Market

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Why I’m Voting for Jack Ciattarelli

October 24, 2025

Mikie Sherrill calls criminals “justice-involved individuals.” She wants to keep the “bail reform” that lets violent criminals loose.

That’s why I’m voting for Jack Ciattarelli.

An Attack on an Innocent Nanny

Last fall, serial offender Troy Timberlake attacked a nanny in Hoboken. He punched her in the face repeatedly, knocking her unconscious.

Timberlake also knocked a man to the ground, giving him a cranial hematoma.

Timberlake had been arrested 4 times in 14 months. He had chased two men with a knife the year prior and threatened to cut a woman a few months earlier.

Bail Reform Enables Crime

So why was he out on the street?

Bail reform, that’s why. Police arrested Timberlake repeatedly, but judges let him go!

From the police union:

“People ask why this person isn’t in jail, it’s not a policing issue, it’s a bail reform issue,” the union said in a post on “X,” formerly Twitter. “We do our job and people are released the next day. Start directing questions towards the people who can fix the bail reform laws that are currently in place.”

Ciattarelli Will Protect New Jersey

Ciattarelli will end bail reform. He’ll let judges do their jobs and lock up criminals.

He’ll also appoint tough prosecutors and judges. Finally, our police will have the support they need.

Sherrill Wants More “Services” For Criminals

Sherrill wants to keep the bail “reform” that’s flooding our streets with criminals.

She gushes about getting criminals “services” and safeguarding their “mental health.” Anything but putting them in jail.

Sherrill cares more about being woke than she does about our safety.

Wrap-Up

Stopping crime is simple.

Lock up the criminals. Crime falls.

Jack Ciattarelli will lock the criminals up. He’ll stop violent people like the degenerate who attacked that nanny.

That’s why I’m voting for him for governor.

Sherrill can’t even say the word “criminal.” How will she stand up to them?

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

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I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

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Request for Startups: Drones, Healthtech and Art, Oh My!

October 23, 2025

Whenever I see a problem, the solution is a startup. Here are 3 problems I’m itching to solve…

1. Simple Drones for World Domination. Chinese manufacturer DJI controls 80% of the consumer drone market. These drones can be modified for military use.

In a conflict with China, they’d swarm us with millions of them. We have no ability to produce drones at that scale.

What America needs is a simple drone that’s easy to make. I want to see as few parts as possible.

If we can produce simple, effective drones at huge scale, we can defend our home.

2. Knee Tech. Half the people I know have knee problems. The current treatments, like physical therapy or knee replacements, don’t work well for a lot of people.

What if we could make your knees as good as they were when you were a kid?

I’m not sure what that would look like. A gel to inject in the knee, a stem cell treatment, a material that mimics cartilage?

But I’m confident a brilliant founder will show me.

3. A Marketplace for Art. Last night, I was chatting with an artist who paints beautiful watercolors.

“Galleries take 50% of every piece an artist sells,” she said.

“That’s ridiculous!” I said. “Even Uber only gets around 30%.”

What we need is an online marketplace to sell art.

Etsy is popular but it’s geared toward crafts. There are a few fine art marketplaces out there, like Artsy or Artfinder. But they haven’t really caught on.

If it’s easier to make a living creating art, we’ll get more of it!

Wrap-Up

I want to keep our country safe.

I want my friends and family to be able to move easily, without pain.

And I want artists to earn a viable living so they can keep making beautiful things.

So if you’re building a new kind of drone, a therapy for knee pain, or a marketplace for art, get in touch!

More on tech:

Your Deck Probably Sucks. Here’s How to Fix It.

Meet My Latest Investment: Verustruct

Using Grok Socratic Mode to Learn About Health

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

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I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order.

The Gold Rally Is Pure Speculation

October 22, 2025

Note: This is not investment advice.

Gold is up 52% this year, even after a recent dip. This rally is based on speculation, not real concerns about US government finances.

Investors Still Love Treasuries

Some journalists claim that the US government’s finances have spooked investors. If that’s true, why aren’t investors demanding a higher return on our bonds?

Ten year Treasury yields are down significantly in 2025.

Dollar Holds Up Against Other Commodities

The dollar is also on firm ground compared to many major commodities.

Gold and silver are up, but many other commodities priced in dollars are down. Oil, natural gas and wheat prices in dollars have all fallen this year.

Bitcoin’s Muted 2025

Another indicator of the dollar’s soundness is Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s supply is largely fixed. If the dollar were collapsing, we’d expect Bitcoin to go through the roof.

But Bitcoin’s gains this year have been much lower than gold’s.

Are Central Banks the Culprit?

What about Central Banks? Is their buying responsible for this year’s gold rally?

Central bank gold purchases have actually fallen in recent years. They don’t appear to be driving this year’s run-up.

Speculation: The Best Explanation

Investors aren’t worried about US government bonds. The dollar is holding up well against other commodities and Bitcoin.

So why is gold going through the roof?

For the same reason as meme stocks: pure speculation. People see a price going up and they rush to buy, hoping it will go up more.

Wrap-Up

I’m not chasing gold, silver, or whatever today’s hot asset is. I’m sticking to what I’ve done for years: meeting great founders, making investments, and building for the long term.

If I chase today’s hot thing, I might post gains for a while. But in the end, I’m going to get burned.

“In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.” – Benjamin Graham

Note: This is not investment advice.

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

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I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order.

How to Use Your Existing Investors to Get More Investors

October 21, 2025

Have you struck out with cold messages to VC’s? Here’s how to use your existing investors to get dozens of warm intros…

Start With Your Existing Investors

The easiest way to meet new investors is through your existing ones.

They believe in you. They want to see you raise more money so you can get to a big exit. And they know other investors.

Ask each of them:

“Can you introduce me to three more investors that think like you do?”

Phrasing the question this way flatters your investor a little. They see what others can’t.

To quote one of my favorite movies, Reversal of Fortune:

“Does that work?”
“Flattery? Absolutely.”

Four Investors for the Price of One

When a new investor commits, use the same tactic. Ask for three intros.

A single new investor can bring in many more.

Freshpaint, a YC startup, got a $5k check from an angel during their seed raise. That angel introduced them to other investors who put in a total of $700k!

Make Intros Easy

Make it easy for your investors to make the intro. Give them a forwardable blurb and include a PDF of your deck.

The blurb should be brief. Aim for 75 words or less.

Give us the Big 3: Vision, Team and Traction. Here’s an example:

“I’m Travis and I’m building UberCab. UberCab lets you order a black car with your smartphone.

We have 5 cars on the road and have done over 500 rides.

We plan to expand beyond black cars to take on the entire taxi market.

I sold my last startup, Red Swoosh, for $19 million. I’m raising a seed round for UberCab and would love to tell you about it.”

Wrap-Up

You’re far more likely to get a check if you have a warm intro. If you use your existing investors, you can get dozens of them.

You don’t need to rely on cold messages alone. Your investors are there, waiting to help you.

But you have to ask!

More on tech:

Small Investors Lead to Big Investors

The Big 3: Vision, Team and Traction

Why You Should Send an Investor Update

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

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Misfits Market

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I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order.

Why You Should Send an Investor Update

October 20, 2025

“Ugh, I still have to send that investor update.” Ever had this thought after a 90 hour week? Here’s why updating your investors helps you win…

How to Write an Update

First, you need to know how to write a good update.

Don’t write a novel. Just cover these points:

Asks for investors
Revenue
Burn
Cash in Bank
Runway
Highlights
Lowlights
Next month’s plan

Writing this update should take you 30-60 minutes. One hour, once a month.

Monthly Updates = Timely Help

You should send updates monthly. That gets you help in a timely fashion.

Say you need a new engineer. Put the “Asks” at the top and ask investors for intros.

If one of your investors introduces you to a strong prospect, your job just got a lot easier!

If you only update investors every quarter or two, you don’t get help when you need it. You need that engineer today, not 3-6 months from now!

Making Fundraising Easier

Let’s say you go silent for a year. Now, the company is struggling and you need those investors to write another check.

Good luck getting it! Many have already written you off.

Had you updated them every month, they might have enough confidence to re-invest.

Getting an Overview of Your Business

You’re immersed in details every day. You’re fixing a bug, answering an urgent question from a customer, and flying to a conference.

It’s easy to lose the big picture. How is your business doing overall?

Investor updates give you an overview. Even if you have no investors, write an update for yourself!

What Companies Get an Exception?

I have a couple startups that I rarely hear from. And that’s okay.

These companies have scaled to tens of millions in revenue. I have a ton of confidence in these founders. I’d rather they spend time growing the business than write a monthly update.

But it’s still nice to hear from them once in a while! And I get an update at least once a year, even without asking for it.

But if you’re early stage, stick to monthly updates.

Wrap-Up

Sending monthly updates gets you the intros and advice you need, when you need them. It also helps you raise money in the future.

But there’s another reason to send investor updates.

People trusted you with their money. You owe it to them to keep them updated.

Now, sit down and write that update!

More on tech:

How to Write Investor Updates

How to Tell If Investors Are Really Interested

How to Build a Relationship with Investors

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

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