52 pitches in 52 minutes. All below 40 degrees. I've sat through thousands of pitches over 40 years inside conference rooms, coffee shops, Zoom calls, and pretty much any venue you could think of. The ones that stick out are the ones where a founder is so convicted they'll pitch through anything. So… I took 52 pitches in 52 minutes sitting in an ice bath at below 40 degrees. What I was watching for was the founder. How do they carry themselves when conditions are uncomfortable? When the circumstances aren't ideal and the room (or in this case, the water) is working against them? Pitching through stress is practice for everything that comes after. For the moments, where inevitably, everything is harder than they thought it would be. Great founders push through it all to find success, and that's why founders are heroes. I'm not a frequent cold plunger, but it was a fun experience! Next time, we need the Guinness Book of World Records there. Have an idea you want me to hear? Meet me in the ice bath. 🧊 Thanks to Business Insider for covering:

I loved my conversation with Ilana Golan on The Leap Academy Podcast! I joined Ilana and broke down how to spot world-changing ideas before they make sense, why most people miss their biggest opportunities, and how listening to your gut can be more powerful than logic alone. I shared the lessons behind massive wins like Hotmail, painful misses like Netflix, and the mindset required to navigate uncertainty, fear, and reinvention. Listen here:

Loved this article from Wala Kasmi at ClassX. She argues that startup investment decisions are driven more from a psychological lens rather than a logical one. Sometimes founders with no revenue raise millions while some with traction struggle. I appreciate her sharing some of my thoughts around investment philosophy. Worth a read if you have time.