Jul 15, 2026
Everywhere you go in New York you see lines. For pizza, breakfast, upscale Italian dinners, and most recently, frozen yogurt – you can scarcely make it down the block without encountering one. Given this is one of the trendiest cities in the world, it’s no surprise that people are first out the door when they hear about something exciting or new. Yet the lines are worth noticing not just for their presence but for what they represent. In an economy trending ever more frictionless, with personalized discovery, in-app checkout, and same-day delivery all offered DTC (direct to couch!), consumers are opting back in. They’re choosing to show up in person, to wait, to prize patience as the new status symbol rather than as an inconvenience that can easily be scrolled away.
Jun 10, 2026
This quarter marks a special moment in the history of Equal, as we promote Ali Afridi and Chelsea Zhang to Partner and Sophia Dodd to Principal. I’ve now worked with Ali and Chelsea for a combined 15 years. That’s a scary thought. When I meet a 15 year old, they are a nearly fully-formed human. Yet it seems like I met Ali and Chelsea just yesterday.
May 28, 2026
Research has been the bedrock of my professional career. I’ve often said that I invest from a position of “fear,” recognizing how strong the competition is and how essential it is to own a “right to win” if you are going to play this game. For much of my career, research was my “right to win” - enabling a “prepared mind” in obscure vertical markets that others lacked experience or interest in learning, providing some incremental edge that has enabled me to stay afloat as an investor over the last decade.
May 21, 2026
As folks evaluate AI-native services, I see tremendous belief (faith?) that initial product pull and lower cost will lead to long term structural value. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Apr 29, 2026
If you speak with anyone running a modern brand or retailer today, the same theme comes up quickly: the job has gotten a lot harder.
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