How Silicon Valley’s Most Prolific Investor Picks Unicorns | Ela…
About This Episode
Sam and Shaan interview legendary angel investor Elad Gil to explore his unique market-first investment philosophy and his history of backing over 40 unicorns at the early stage. They dive into his specific interests in defense tech, longevity, and his desire to fund unconventional societal projects like a new school system and modern monuments.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- 0:00How to be successful in angel investing
- 3:00How to create a bankroll
- 5:00Making the great works of history available to anyone anywhere
- 7:21The 1 thing that matters in a business
- 10:21How to master a new topic like defense tech
- 12:15Investing in Anduril in the first round
- 15:47$1b dollar 1 person companies
- 18:51Missionary vs mercenary
- 22:12Idea: new schools inspired by Ancient Greece
- 25:49Idea: A drug that makes you live longer
- 34:56Idea: Large scale monuments to flex
- 44:25Gil's Guide to Intensive Travel
Check Out Shaan's Stuff
Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
Prioritize 'Market First' over 'Founder First' because a great market can sustain mediocre teams, but a terrible market can crush even the most talented founders.
Identify the 'One Thing' that matters for a business—most successful companies have only one or two core drivers of success, and everything else is just noise.
Practice 'Intensive Travel' by spending at least one month in a single city to master a specific craft or join a niche community, which provides deeper insights than traditional tourism.
Business Ideas Mentioned
Ancient Greek K-12 School Chain
Boring Business
Modern Societal Progress Monuments
Real Estate
AI Global Classics Translation Library
AI & Automation