Markets as Currents
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
A Benchmark investor says the best markets aren't bodies of water to swim in - they're currents that pull you forward, and the same applies to your child's interests.
Sarah Tavel was the first product manager at Pinterest and is now a partner at Benchmark. She thinks about markets differently than most.
'I think a lot of people think about markets almost like these bodies of water. I actually think that the most interesting markets, you have to think of them like currents.'
A current pulls you forward without effort. A still body of water requires constant swimming.
'You can have a plank of wood that you've put on the river and it's going to pull you forward. Versus a market that doesn't really have that momentum to it, you're going to have to build something really big and fancy to make any progress.'
Watch your kid's interests. Some are currents - they're obsessed with dinosaurs, they'd learn about them all day, the interest pulls them forward. Some are still water - they're supposed to like soccer, but every practice is a battle.
Find their currents. Put the plank of wood on the river. Let the momentum do the work.
PM Theme: Market selection
Parenting Theme: Following interests
“I think a lot of people think about markets almost like these bodies of water. I actually think that the most interesting markets, you have to think of them like currents where there's something happening in the market that's creating this current where you can have a plank of wood that you've put on the river and it's going to pull you forward.”Sarah Tavel · 00:00:00
“What you're looking for when you're looking at a market, are what are the dynamics of change, what's the current and momentum that's going to pull the company and make the job easier for the founders.”Sarah Tavel · 00:00:40
