Friends, 

Over the past three years, we’ve obsessively studied the venture markets, analyzing some of the world’s top funds and the companies they invest in. As it happens, we’ve found that this is the kind of coverage Generalist readers tend to enjoy most! Our deep dives into Kleiner Perkins, Union Square Ventures, Tiger Global, Coatue, and solo capitalists remain among our most popular. We’ve also consistently received feedback from readers that they’d like to see The Generalist create more content focused on venture and investing. 

As you’ve probably noticed, The Generalist is not just obsessed with the stories of great investors but the strategies they deploy. 

• What differentiates an exceptional investor from an average one? 

• What makes one fund able to reliably sniff out outliers while another flounders? 

• How can you distinguish a world-bending founder from a more moderately gifted one? 

Venture capital can sometimes feel like a hazy game, and yet, beneath the surface, there are concrete tactics, frameworks, and strategies that succeed where it matters most: delivering returns.

To that end, I’m excited to share the most significant evolution of The Generalist since we started in 2020. 

Today, we’re taking the wraps off of a new premium newsletter designed to make you a better investor. 

Taking a page out of business legends Bob Iger and Kendall Roy’s books, we’re calling it Generalist+. In today’s update, we’ll unpack what we’ve built, why we’re excited, how you’ll benefit, and why we think you should jump aboard and join us.

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Generalist+

Generalist+ is our newest premium newsletter. We’ve built it to make you a sharper investor and technologist. If you like The Generalist’s writing and analysis, we think you’ll love the new series and access that Generalist+ unlocks. 

Generalist+ is for anyone obsessed with the craft of investing and company building. You might be an experienced investor running a storied fund, a new manager just getting started, an angel investor dipping their toes in, or a founder looking to understand the game from the other side of the table. 

Fundamentally, if you’re interested in tactics, strategies, insights, and stories from the investing world, Generalist+ is made for you.

Here’s what you’ll unlock inside Generalist+

We’re launching with four exclusive series architected for the modern investor. They’re the result of more than a year of brainstorming and months of putting the pieces in place. We also believe they’re just the start of what Generalist+ will grow to include.

Series 1: Letters to a Young Investor

This series features a monthly email correspondence on the craft of investing between me and a legendary investor. Each season, I’ll be asking a titan of the industry for their advice on topics both current and timeless. 

We’re so excited to share that Season 1 of Letters to a Young Investor will feature a correspondence between me and the incredible Reid Hoffman. After trading our first emails, I can confidently say that this collaboration with the LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner is one of the most exciting I’ve had the pleasure of participating in.

Reid has been at the heart of some of the most influential companies and trends over the past few decades, and the stories he has to offer are remarkable. To unlock his wisdom on venture investing, artificial intelligence, and the future, subscribe to Generalist+. You’ll also set yourself up to hear from the other exceptional investors we have lined up for future seasons! 

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Series 2: The Braintrust

How do great companies handle challenges, manage change, and fuel growth? 

To help answer these questions, we’ve assembled a group of eight unicorn founders to create The Braintrust. Over ten editions, The Braintrust will answer pressing operational questions, bringing their experience to bear. 

• How do you hire upwards? 

• How do you optimize your investor base? 

• What should you have prioritized much earlier in your company’s life?

For Season 1, we’ve assembled an incredible roster of founders and CEOs spanning diverse industries and business models. By subscribing to Generalist+, you’ll get the chance to hear from Pedro Franceschi (Brex), Christina Cacioppo (Vanta), Trae Stephens (Anduril), Avlok Kohli (AngelList), David Hsu (Retool), Mathilde Collin (Front), Jack Altman (Lattice), and Immad Akhund (Mercury). 

Together, they’ve raised just under $4 billion in capital and built businesses valued at over $35 billion. While understanding breakout companies’ operations is essential to being a good investor, The Brainstrust is also designed with founders and operators in mind. If you’re an early-stage startup founder or an operator thinking about building a business, this is a chance to learn from peers who have been in the arena and found a way to thrive. 

Series 3: The Watchlist

One game-changing company can make a fund several times over. To help you find your next breakout hit, we’ve built a database of 50 startups that we’re keeping a close eye on – and outlined why we think you should, too. Subscribe today to get access to our first release of selected startups (launching in January 2024). 

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Series 4: Ask Mario (and more)

As a Generalist+ subscriber, you’ll also get access to private Q&As with me. Interested in my take on the solo-capitalist landscape? Want to talk about OpenAI’s latest mega-fundraising round? Curious about the contours of the newsletter business? I’m excited to answer your burning questions in the weeks and months to come.

As well as connecting with me, you’ll also unlock commenting. This is a chance to participate in the conversation and learn alongside other Generalist+ members. 

We’re launching Generalist+ with early-bird pricing of $19/month and $200/year. 

We’ve tried to make this as much of a no-brainer for as many investors and operators as possible. It’s designed to be highly tactical and, as a result, very expendable.

Lock in the early bird rate

For the price of a New York City cocktail, you’ll get access to new investment ideas and strategies every month. (That says quite a lot about the price of cocktails in the Big Apple but hopefully even more about the comparative value of hopping aboard.)

Why you should consider joining Generalist+ today

1. Learn from investing legends. Hear the wisdom of legendary venture capitalists in their own words. You’ll discover the mistakes they’ve made, how they’ve honed their practice, and where they see opportunity today. 

2. Understand how exceptional businesses are built. Hear how some of the world’s best founders manage their companies. Then, bring those lessons back to your portfolio or your startup. It’s like unlocking a mini-advisory board. 

3. Find the next great startup. Discover the early-stage companies we think are most compelling, and why. Add curated picks to your pipeline, updated every quarter. 

4. Benefit from exclusive investing insights at an affordable price. Access information designed to make you a better investor – all for just $19 per month while early bird pricing lasts.

5. Attain dangerous levels of competence. It is very possible that Generalist+ may make you even more astute, insightful, and thoughtful than usual. Be prepared for flattery from colleagues and invitations to senior management meetings.   

6. Build The Generalist with us. In the grand scheme of things, The Generalist is still a very small and very young startup with our best days ahead. By joining Generalist+, you help us grow, evolve, and deliver even more valuable information to your inboxes each week. 

As a heads-up: For the next few days, you can take advantage of an early-bird offer of $19/month and $200/year. It’s worth jumping aboard now, as pricing will increase on both plans soon. 

Sign up today to lock in this pricing. 

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What will happen if I don’t sign up?

This is the part of the pitch where I should try to FOMO you into oblivion. You’ll miss the deal of a lifetime! You will never make partner! Your children will be forced to fly commercial! 

Instead, I will simply say this: Better inputs lead to better outputs. The information we consume colors our thoughts and decisions. For a relatively small subscription, you’re getting access to insights designed to improve your investing decisions. You’ll learn from experts, better understand how to deliver value to your portfolio, connect with peers, have a first look at the startups we think are most promising, and support us on our journey.

Ultimately, we see Generalist+ as a collaboration between us and you, the reader. We expect it to change and evolve. We hope you’ll share your feedback along the way as we seek to make this the most valuable newsletter in your inbox.

Let’s do this thing. 

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