I Built an AI That Can Write Investment Memos. Here's an Example.

Published 2024-05-27 · Updated 2026-05-23 · 8 min read · AI in Finance · By Sahin Boydas

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of an AI that can think and write like a human analyst. So I decided to build one. I’m sharing an example of an investment memo that was written entirely by my AI. The results are both impressive and a little bit scary.

Here's something nobody tells you about i built an ai that can write investment: the conventional wisdom is mostly backwards.

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of an AI that can think and write like a human analyst. So I decided to build one. I’m sharing an example of an investment memo that was written entirely by my AI. The results are both impressive and a little bit scary.

The Framework That Actually Works

I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating i built an ai that can write investment. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.

Step 1: the data tells a different story than your gut This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.

Step 2: you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.

Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail i built an ai that can write investment are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.

The Reality Nobody Talks About

Most people approach i built an ai that can write investment with assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on. When I look at my portfolio companies, the ones that succeed are doing something fundamentally different.

The first thing to understand is that customer feedback is the only metric that matters. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.

At RemoteTeam, we learned this the hard way. We spent months going down the wrong path before realizing that the best solutions are often the simplest ones. Once we made the switch, everything changed.

Why Most Approaches Fail

Let me be direct: about 70% of the approaches I see to i built an ai that can write investment are fundamentally flawed. Not slightly off. Fundamentally flawed.

The root cause is usually one of three things:

  • Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
  • Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
  • Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.

Real Talk: What Actually Matters

I'm going to cut through the noise and tell you what actually matters when it comes to i built an ai that can write investment.

First, execution speed beats perfection. Every time. I've never seen a company fail because they moved too fast on i built an ai that can write investment. I've seen plenty fail because they moved too slow.

Second, measure everything. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Set up tracking from day one, even if it's basic.

Third, talk to your users. This sounds obvious but you'd be amazed how many founders build their i built an ai that can write investment strategy in a vacuum. Get out of the building. Talk to real people.

This connects to broader themes around AI fraud detection, robo-advisors, AI trading, AI risk management that I've been thinking about a lot lately.

What's Next

The world of i built an ai that can write investment is moving fast. What worked last year might not work next year. That's both the challenge and the opportunity.

My advice: stay curious, stay humble, and stay close to the people who are actually doing the work. Read less thought leadership and do more experiments. Talk to fewer consultants and more practitioners.

And if you're a founder building in this space, remember that the best time to get i built an ai that can write investment right is before you need to. Don't wait for a crisis to force your hand.

I'll keep sharing what I learn. This stuff matters too much to keep to myself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most common pushback you get on this?

People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.

Do all experts agree with this view?

No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.

How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?

Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.

What experience informs this perspective?

This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.

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