My Unwavering Conviction

I have an unwavering conviction there’s a strong correlation between optimism and giving first.

What does it mean to give first? Listen to the originators, David Cohen and Brad Feld , explain what it means to them:

When I was managing the Techstars & Western Union Accelerator program from 2019-2022, we made a conscience effort to live by #givefirst values. Those values guided us in every aspect of the program, from choosing founding teams we would invest in to building our curated mentor network.

I first attributed give first to Brad Feld , co-founder of Techstars and Partner of Foundry , when I first started reading his blog as a founder in the early 2000's, and have seen it evident in everyone I’ve come to look up to in the startup space, from founders to ecosystem builders to investors. But it’s not just in the startup space I’ve seen this value exemplified. It shows up in every community and tribe I’ve belonged to.

In my experience, those who practice give first towards others see opportunity everywhere. They are optimistic by default and it almost feels unnatural to be pessimistic for any length of time. Applying this lens of optimism fuels their fire to do more and seek out the good in others, while always assuming good intent, as David Cohen would often advise us in Techstars.

Give first creates a virtuous cycle that generates immense value to those around us, compounding over time. It’s become my guiding light and North Star whenever I find myself going through a funk. If you feel yourself in a slump, find a way to give first to someone without expectation of anything in return.

There is simply nothing better than finding ways of helping others.