Why Surfing?

We just launched a new website (finally) and after some debate we went with some surfing images. We have talked for a long time about surfing as an analogy to the startup journey. Tae Hea is working on a book using the same theme. While we cannot predict future success, we try to see approaching waves — waves of innovation that generate the fundamental opportunities that smart, driven entrepreneurs take advantage of to build the next generation of enterprise leaders.

Storm doesn’t align with surfing culture in most respects. No shaka signs at Monday morning partner meetings. We wear shoes. With the exception of me, no one even surfs. You may catch me with some sand in my ears some mornings if you look closely. Tae Hea doesn’t even like the water. I surf as much as I can between work and family — it is my meditation. I am always learning and often pushing my limits.

The analogy between surfing and building startups makes sense to us — both require traits like passion, commitment and patience. You could extend the analogy in many other directions as well. Just like pro surfers on epic days, founders who build on market waves can make it all look easy. But as a firm of founders, investors, and surfers, we know it’s hard. We believe supporting the best founders and helping them make it “look easy” is a big part of the role we play as investors.

Commitment

• Surfers have to be committed to spend hours, week after week — with the bonus of cold water here in San Francisco. There’s no way to become a better surfer than spending hours exploring the waves. Commitment is required for bigger waves. Not a commitment of just time — but a commitment to consequences. On a big day, once you start to paddle in, you must have complete focus and commitment. Any hesitation results in a pounding that is hard to describe to those who have not been on the receiving end of mother nature. The commitment is to shake it off and get back out in the lineup.
• The best entrepreneurs show a level of focus and commitment to the problem they are solving that it can sometimes borderline obsession. For many, the startup journey is a mission. They often sacrifice the best years of their career in a pursuit that has consequences of its own kind due to the incredible sacrifices required. And when the best do commit to a venture, they put blinders on to everything else around them and, without hesitation, drive relentlessly forward with the business.

Patience

• Surfers have to be patient to find the right wave. The best waves come in sets — usually bigger, more powerful but less frequent. Often there are lulls (periods with smaller or no waves) or maybe the high tide swamps out that perfect reef. And sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. That swell you were tracking didn’t show up like the model predicted or the wind came up out of the north and just ripped up any chance of catching anything.
• Successful founders have a similar patience which is all about timing and sequencing. Failing fast is great. No one wants to patiently fail pursuing flawed ideas and businesses. But great founders take the time to build. We don’t believe that capital applied equates to success or that you can brute force your way to success. Just because you want to generate revenue doesn’t mean you ought to hire a VP sales. Maybe waiting to spend more money on that demand-gen program makes sense until your product is really ready to scale. Sometimes the experiments won’t work out. That is ok — in fact it’s expected — you get to work on the next one. Its ultimately a marathon mentality not a sprint.

Passion

• Passion is the center and the energy that drives us to success. Passion leads to commitment and patience. While it’s connected to both, it’s uniquely different because it’s what motivates a surfer to surf and a founder to found. It is passion that lights up a room when a founder talks about their business and it is passion that gets me out at dawn to put on a damp wetsuit on a rainy day in February.

In hindsight, we know success looks easy but we know that the path was forged with the grind and hard work fueled by the passion, commitment and patience to succeed. We want to continue to find outstanding founders for the startup journey — searching the horizon for that next wave. No sand required.

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