Building a VC Fund - Part 4
how do you break a wasabi rhizome? spoiler alert... you can't :) + hulk hogan makes an appearance
Move Slow and Grow
When was the last time you built something at a very slow and methodical pace? This isn’t the normal speed in our current culture or in the world of VC investing. Most people don’t want to wait for their cortado or their kalita let alone wait for a business idea to mature and produce cash flow dividends or full returns from cash investments.
Why would you go slow?
Well there are a handful of reasons why it makes sense to move slow and the first one is SO THAT YOU DON’T BREAK THINGS - I think at the time it made sense to BREAK the mold of what was being built in the zeitgeist, which is why facebook and twitter and instagram made sense.
Food and beverage brands don’t operate that way, so in solidarity, I can’t operate that way. I have to build slow because I am trying to earn respect and credibility and if I come out of the gate breaking everything in sight for the sake of progress, that doesn’t align with the type of investments I’m making.
We don’t need to move fast. We need patience. There is no guarantee that any of these investments will work but the fact is that I need to do as much work in due diligence as possible to make the best decision I can.
Now for the WASABI…
Have you ever been to a run of the mill sushi restaurant in your hometown or god forbid, you purchased a pre-packaged sushi pack from a c-store or grocery store?
You know that little dollop of green substance on your plate or plastic container??? IT’S NOT ACTUALLY WASABI… It’s almost always horseradish that is dyed green.
For real, look it up if you don’t believe me. I was flabbergasted and also kind of annoyed in a weirdly deep way, like, why was I lied to for so many years?
Until I came across the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so excited about it.
Have you ever held a wasabi root/rhizome in your hands?
The sensation is like a magical roll of quarters but instead of living in a blue pouch in the back of the safe, you get to enhance your food!
I recently met a team that is building an organic vertical indoor farming solution that will grow Wasabi here in the United States faster and more cost effectively than it’s Japanese counterparts.
Of course, this team is working with a handful of generational Japanese Wasabi farmers and have the backing of some legacy Wasabi producers as anchor investors.
The applications for Wasabi abound and I’m betting that 10 years from now, the Wasabi you think you know now will be a thing of the past and the Wasabi this team is growing will be everywhere.
They are already lining up customers and have landed commitments from dozens of early adopters in the high-end restaurant segment to start. This is the proving ground.
THIRSTY FRIENDS HOTLINE
We are going to be launching an exclusive text thread soon. This will be the THIRSTY FRIENDS HOTLINE
It won’t be used to sell you anything. It will only be used to let you know about the next deal or the next product that we are considering.
I’m really excited about this for a few reasons:
1. I’ve always wanted a Hotline - anyone remember the Hulk Hogan Hotline?
2. This is a simple and easy way to communicate the next big thing to you without cluttering up your inbox or your notifications. You will be able to respond directly to me but you won’t be bothered by anyone else.
3. You will get exclusive access to all the new and exciting things happening in the Thirsty Friends world.
If you’re open to helping me grow this group, please consider sharing this on your socials or with your friends and family. Every bit of momentum helps.
Thanks,
-Andrew