Before
A two-time founder, one failure that cost him relationships and one exit. Then four years at TEDCO, Maryland's state-backed seed agency, where he got his first formal investing reps. Based in Baltimore and not planning to move.
The move
The most mechanically copyable play in this corpus. Between June and September 2020 he grew his following by publicly teaching insider venture and startup knowledge, then personally direct-messaged every new follower to book a meeting. He held 1,128 meetings in four months, about 25 a day at peak. He deliberately structured the fund under Rule 506(c), which permits public solicitation to accredited investors, so that he could discuss the raise openly and keep the same flywheel turning.
The turn
He soft-circled 2.5 million dollars, closed a first tranche of 1.3 million on 3 January 2021, and raised out a 10 million dollar Fund I across nearly thirty investments. He has said roughly 80 percent of the money came through connections made on Twitter.
Timeline
- 2016 to 2020 investing at TEDCO
- June 2020 begins publishing and messaging every new follower
- September 2020 leaves to go independent
- January 2021 first close at 1.3 million dollars
- 2021 Fund I raised out at 10 million dollars
What this route asks
A body of knowledge worth teaching, and the willingness to hold twenty-five meetings a day. No Fund II has been announced as of early 2026, and Fund I is small by institutional standards. The route opened the door; keeping it open is a separate problem.