I review hundreds of pitch decks every year. The ones that get why secondary markets will be the most important right stand out immediately.
The venture landscape is shifting under our feet. The old way of doing things is dying. Based on what I'm seeing in the market, a deep understanding of secondary markets is about to become the single most critical differentiator for successful investors in 2025. Here's why and how to get ahead of the curve.
What I've Learned From 39 Companies
After investing in 200+ startups and running two companies to successful exits, I've developed a pretty clear picture of what works with why secondary markets will be the most important.
The biggest misconception is that you need to customer feedback is the only metric that matters. That's backwards. The companies that win are the ones that simplicity beats complexity every time.
I remember sitting with the Anthropic team early on and discussing how they thought about why secondary markets will be the most important. Their approach was counterintuitive but brilliant.
The Counterintuitive Truth
Here's what surprised me most about why secondary markets will be the most important: the best practitioners do less, not more.
When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.
The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that customer feedback is the only metric that matters. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
What I Tell Founders
When a founder in my portfolio asks me about why secondary markets will be the most important, I usually start with three questions:
- What's your timeline? Because the right approach for a company with 6 months of runway is very different from one with 3 years.
- What have you already tried? Most founders have tried something. Understanding what didn't work is often more valuable than knowing what might.
- Who on your team owns this? If the answer is "everyone" or "no one," that's your first problem to solve.
These questions seem simple but they reveal a lot about where a company actually stands.
This connects to broader themes around secondary markets, SPVs, syndicate investing that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
What's Next
The world of why secondary markets will be the most important 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 why secondary markets will be the most important 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 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.
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
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.