The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified 480. The OG Seed Investor, Mike Maples Jr., on Spotting Inflection Points, Living in the Future, and Why the Best Form of Competition Is No Competition (Mike Maples)
Apr 28, 2025
Mike Maples Jr. is a co-founding partner at Floodgate and author of the bestselling book, Pattern Breakers. He shares his insights on spotting inflection points that can signal groundbreaking opportunities in startups. The discussion delves into the importance of identifying exceptional founders and the evolving landscape of seed investing. Maples also emphasizes that the best form of competition may be to avoid it altogether, exploring the transformative impact of AI and how specificity can enhance startup viability. His unique approach to pattern recognition offers fresh perspectives for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Detecting Emerging Founders
- Look beyond resumes by tracking subtle signs founders give when transitioning to new ventures.
- Use forensic backtests on past successes to identify optimal engagement timing.
Avoid The Comparison Game
- Founders should avoid seeking big markets as defined by incumbents to escape limited upside.
- Great startups create new value by changing the subject and defining new rules.
Pattern Recognition's Limits
- Pattern recognition helps but can limit perception when it blinds us to new, emerging patterns.
- The best founders invent new future patterns rather than replicate existing ones.
