#43 Angelinvesting.it - From idea to Series A - Weekly Newsletter

Mosquito traps

In university, I had a classmate who was intelligent but not the most intelligent, quite handsome but not the most handsome. What he excelled in was his desire to win.

By society's metrics, he indeed succeeded: outstanding results in a prestigious university, numerous flirts, a career as an investment banker that filled his bank account.

I won't open the debate on whether these goals are indicators of success; regular readers will already know what I think. But I want to focus on the underlying motivation that produced these results: the English call it a "chimp on the shoulder."

It all starts with the idea of having been wronged in the past, of having been discriminated against, disadvantaged. This creates in the person a desire for revenge, a social comeback that one seeks by working hard like a pack mule to prove to others and oneself that they are not an ugly duckling.

"We've noticed that our best investments were made in entrepreneurs with a great hunger. For instance, children of immigrants, people who have faced difficulties from a young age."

This is what a bright associate from a VC, one who does his job well and has a unicorn roadster among the investments to prove it, told me a few days ago at lunch.

Imagine an inner fire fueled by anger for past wrongs. The energy of this fire is channeled by a few exceptional entrepreneurs into the obsessive execution of extraordinary visions that produce wonders. The input is social injustices, the output is companies that create value for society.

2 Resources to pro

1. Empty stomach = High motivation ?

When I started working as the CEO of our family office, the reason I was chosen was quite straightforward: I was the only one crazy enough to accept the role. Back in 2010, we had accumulated 13 million euros in debt, nearly half of which was due immediately, and we were facing a monthly cash flow deficit of several hundred thousand euros.

The situation was dire. Every asset we owned, including the house we lived in, was tied up in that holding. However, when I examined the situation with as much objective detachment as possible, I believed it was manageable.

At the heart of our holdings, we possessed valuable assets; it was primarily a question of reorganizing, concentrating on the most strategic activities, making some swiftly executed sacrifices, and regaining the trust of our creditors. It was not an impossible situation, but it certainly was challenging.

I worked tirelessly for months, fully focused, to turn things around. Today, our family office is in a far better position, but that period in my life was a complete transformation. The energy, the anger, the drive to succeed that I poured into that stage of my life, to be honest, I have never again applied with the same level of intensity.

2. A few open questions for you

Is it possible to engeneer anger to boost motivation?

What alternative to anger can or do you use to boost motivation?

1 Reason to be happy

Check out King Micheal Jordan leveraging anger to win. A great watch for your weekend. You are welcome. (link)

Have a great weekend,

Simone

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