WISDOM.md — Earned Truths

Knowledge is abundant. Wisdom is uncommon. This file captures the hard-won insights, principles, and truths that David has learned through experience — not just what he knows, but what he understands deeply.

Purpose

This is not a knowledge base. It's a compendium of:

Learned truths — things proven by experience
Hard-won lessons — mistakes that taught something lasting
Guiding principles — rules that hold across domains
Mental models — frameworks that actually work

On Business & Startups

33 Laws for Building a Great Company — distilled from 20 years and multiple $1B+ outcomes

The Meta-Law

ADAPT OR DIE. You are running experiments to see what works. Stop adapting before product-market-fit/revenue > expense, and you fail. Pick adaptable team members.

The Fundamentals

Start with fundamentals. Is your product solving an important problem? Who for? How many exist? What's it worth to them? Test against reality — follow the data.
Partner with solid co-founders. Multiple co-founders correlate with success. Startups are a team sport — need varied technical and business skills.
Have an ambitious vision. A compelling future that matters attracts passionate developers, smart investors, and experienced co-founders.

Visibility & Traction

Never go stealth. If customers, co-founders, investors don't know you exist, you don't exist. Tell EVERYONE.
Pitch 100+ people. Hard to get attention. Only through repetition do you sharpen language and learn what resonates.
Early media coverage is lifeblood. Social buzz, press — don't be shy about why your startup is awesome.
Create many options. If counting on one investor or customer, you're doing it wrong. Many will flake. Feed the pipeline. One option is always the wrong number.

Relationships & Team

Make real friendships. Don't burn bridges. ALL GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IS BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS. Trust comes through regular communication and doing what you said.
Build overlapping skill sets. At least 2 people for every critical function. Single points of failure kill startups.
EVERYONE vests. 4-year full vest, 1-year cliff. Protects co-founders and investors from startup unpredictability.
Pick partners carefully. Check references. 90-day trial. Know them over months, not days. Evaluate consistency, not interview performance.

Deals & Negotiation

Everything is negotiable. Don't take first term sheet or "standard contract." Consult co-founders. Don't decide in the heat of the moment.
No deal is done until signed and funded. Document everything. Value isn't created until recorded.
Know entrenched interests. Every community has them. Uber vs. taxis, Airbnb vs. hotels, Google vs. web concerns. Have a plan.

Fundraising

Money follows money. Court accredited investors. Create deadlines. Never count on banks or late-stage VCs early. Keep control pre-exit. Strategic partners give better valuations. Revenue is the ultimate cash.
Vision world-changing, expectations realistic. Hit weekly/monthly/annual milestones. Show you can deliver.
Talk to experts. Smart people already in your space are the best learning resource. Use their preferred channel — phone, Zoom, Discord, whatever.

Runway & Resources

Time > money. Buy runway whenever you can.
Fundraise 6-12 months before you need it. Run lean on co-founder salaries. Early revenue extends runway.
Follow user traction. Pivot early and often based on what customers actually pay for.

Execution

Follow up EVERY meeting immediately. Send concrete next steps while attention is high. Excitement fades fast.
Take and make introductions. Follow enough levels, you can meet anyone.
Ask for next steps. Pull the trigger. Worst outcome: friendly meandering to "no thanks." Move forward with those who show action.
Publish accomplishments. Name recognition = startup value. Users only use what they've heard of.
Speak at conferences. Short path to credibility, attention, competitors, investors. Help organizers — sponsor, moderate, volunteer.
Get on a plane. Deals happen in person. Shake hands, look in eyes, build real relationships. Be present where talent and money gather.
Shark Tank isn't real. Investment comes from long-term relationships. Talk to investors early and often. Understand their stage and thesis.

Leadership & Focus

Don't let the board micromanage. Strategy and execution belong to full-time founders. Board is for accountability and leadership changes.
Focus on core competencies. Delegate everything else — payroll, taxes, data centers. You don't become a billion-dollar company doing things you're not best at.
Know your industry cold. Competitors, technology trends, strategy. You're not Fortune 100 — can't hire consultants for this.
Attack problems head-on. Let go of uncommitted people. Hard choices cost less now than later.

Enterprise Sales

Enterprise takes 6-12 months. From first meeting to signed contract. Ensure runway to reach the end of that rainbow.