It all started in 2010 after a great conference with Mr. Al Gore. I was in Mexico City attending an event where Mr. Gore presented what the climate would look like if we did not act quickly and reduce our carbon emissions. That day, Mr. Gore’s team made his “models” available for everyone to study and play with. He told me that the largest desert in the world would be what used to be Mexico, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, all the way to the State of Mexico. He didn’t know if Mexico City would be a part of it because of its altitude. That day, we walked several miles to our dinner because of the bad news.

I was at an NAA conference in NY, which was outstanding, featuring an amazing pitch competition. In one panel about using diversity data for risk management, a panelist managing over $1 billion remarked that clients skeptical of diversity data's power should remember that white people orchestrated all major Ponzi schemes.

I consider myself a failed athlete. When I was 13, I took up Tae Kwon Do, won some tournaments, and was invited to train in the top category. But, I had an appendectomy which, due to complications, confined me to bed for almost three months. I yearned to return to training, but I was afraid. The pain I felt while recovering, the open wound cleanings that made me faint several times, and the fear of experiencing that pain again were bigger than my desire to get back in shape, compete, and win tournaments.

“These individuals have overcome difficult situations and learned to persist in facing challenges. People who have experienced trauma, poverty, or discrimination often develop resilience and grit to cope with these challenges. Additionally, individuals with a growth mindset who believe their abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication are more likely to exhibit grit. These individuals are more likely to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning rather than failures.” Apparently, more grit translates to more alpha.

The article suggests that the era of high valuations for startups is over and that there are several reasons for this change. Firstly, the US public market is recovering slowly and investors have lost money, so they are being more careful with their investments. Secondly, investors are looking at public market multiples when evaluating startups, so startups that are looking to get acquired by a strategic player should be valued below their potential acquirer's multiples. Thirdly, there is a possibility of a recession, so everyone is saving cash and waiting for cheaper investment opportunities. Lastly, the high valuations of 20 times revenue are gone and have been decreasing over the last few years. The author suggests that 2023 might bring great investment opportunities, especially for those holding cash, as the stock market might be cheaper and private companies will have to lower their valuations to raise money.

The author, Carlos, is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has a passion for ripple effects. He was born in Mexico City and grew up in a lower-middle-class family, which caused him to feel like an outsider throughout his life. Despite this, he was a straight-A student and went on to start a company that eventually led him to San Francisco. In San Francisco, he started a small syndicate and became involved in diversity. He realized that he didn't fit in due to the fact that he was brown and not from Harvard or Stanford, and the conversations he had with others often revolved around his background.

Back in April, when I first started writing this, the original name was the 100M oasis. After several hospital visits, complicated nights and a lot of waiting time, I found out that the world is infatuated with failed or problematic startups, that entrepreneurship tv series are a hot topic and that the American dream is still very much alive in the Pop Culture. Even in these tumultuous times of war, inflation, market crashes, unfulfilled crypto promises and global warming, the least risk averse and more naive people are dreaming of building the next 100bn empire. #startups #startups #people #culture #entrepreneurship #writing #building #hospital #investments #venturecapital #venturecapitalist #riskassessment #latinamerica #latinx #latinxleaders #uber #theranos #wework

The author is a professional investor and writes about the difference between being rich and being wealthy. Wealth is about assets and leaving a legacy behind, not just having a lot of money. The author stresses the importance of being mindful of money choices and relationships with it, instead of just aiming for quick riches. The author highlights that wealth inequality is a systemic issue, but individuals can work towards financial freedom and leaving a legacy. The author also mentions the probability of becoming a millionaire through various means, such as running a successful startup, being associated with a successful startup, and being an equity investor. The author concludes with 8 wealth generation formulas, which include getting equity instead of just a high salary in a job and taking advantage of the compounding effect of equity.

Venture capital (VC) is a form of financing where capital is invested in startups and high-risk companies with high growth potential in exchange for a percentage of ownership. Venture capital funds are established by limited partners (LPs), who invest money, and general partners (GPs), who manage the fund and identify investment opportunities. Convertible notes and Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) are two common forms of investment in startups. Convertible notes are short-term debt that convert into equity, while SAFEs grant the investor rights to future shares without determining a specific price per share. The valuation cap is the limit on a company's value in between investment rounds. Pro rata refers to proportional allocation, which determines the investor's entitled contribution to the capital rounds. Distributions are the returns received by the investor in a private equity fund, and liquidity events occur when the company is sold or when part of the shares are received by the founders and first investors.

Venture capital (VC) is a form of financing where capital is invested in startups and high-risk companies with high growth potential in exchange for a percentage of ownership. Venture capital funds are established by limited partners (LPs), who invest money, and general partners (GPs), who manage the fund and identify investment opportunities. Convertible notes and Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) are two common forms of investment in startups. Convertible notes are short-term debt that convert into equity, while SAFEs grant the investor rights to future shares without determining a specific price per share. The valuation cap is the limit on a company's value in between investment rounds. Pro rata refers to proportional allocation, which determines the investor's entitled contribution to the capital rounds. Distributions are the returns received by the investor in a private equity fund, and liquidity events occur when the company is sold or when part of the shares are received by the founders and first investors.

A startup is a new business that seeks to develop and validate a scalable economic model with the goal of growth. The growth stages of a startup include Angel Investment, Seed Stage, Post Seed, Series A, and Series B. An exit refers to the sale or public listing of a company by its shareholders. Bootstrapping means starting a business with personal savings and without raising capital, while monetization refers to generating revenue from a product or service. To become an expert in startups, one should understand these terms and the stages of growth a startup typically goes through.

Carlos Ochoa talks about exponential growth in the digital economy, specifically "Cloud Economics." He notes that companies such as Slack, Facebook, Google, and Zoom are examples of those that have generated exponential growth charts. To generate a company with exponential growth, Ochoa lists eight principles: being global first, having a clear understanding of the market, having scalable processes, having a clear understanding of unit economics and marginal costs, having strong technology, being aware of competition, having a well-defined and compelling value proposition, and having a strong team.

The author is a Mexican-American Venture Capitalist and has been in this career for almost three years. He learned that being a bi-cultural investor can be challenging, as the cultural differences between Mexico and the United States are huge and often contradictory. The author has had to adapt to the different work culture in both countries and often experiences a reverse culture shock. The United States is very meritocratic, with different values and prejudices based on where one is from and what university one went to. In conversations, people are often confused about the author's background, but when he says he's a Venture Capitalist, the reaction is generally positive in Silicon Valley and NY, but not elsewhere. The author shares his experience of how people in different parts of the US label and pigeonhole him based on his background