E265: What the Coach to Sequoia, A16Z and Benchmark Learned About Power and People
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this episode of How I Invest, host David Weisfund interviews Patrick Ewers, founder of Mindmaven and former LinkedIn employee #16-19, about why relationships are the ultimate limiting factor for professional success. (02:40) Patrick shares how he's coached partners at top firms like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Benchmark to systematically manage relationships through delegation and strategic frameworks.
- The core discussion centers on why important relationship work consistently loses to urgent tasks, and how leaders can build systems to overcome this fundamental challenge that costs billions in missed opportunities.
Speakers
David Weisfund
Host of How I Invest podcast and experienced investor with extensive network in the venture capital community. David has been both a founder and investor in numerous companies, giving him unique perspective on both sides of the funding equation.
Patrick Ewers
Founder of Mindmaven and author of "Radical Delegation," Patrick was employee #16-19 at LinkedIn in 2004 when few believed in the platform's potential. (00:29) He has spent 15+ years coaching partners at elite venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Benchmark, helping them systematically manage relationships to reach their fullest potential.
Key Takeaways
Relationships Trump Intelligence in Professional Success
Patrick argues that relationships, not raw intelligence or effort, are the true limiting factor for reaching peak performance. (01:58) He notes that even the most successful people consistently admit they should be doing more to invest in relationships, yet this remains an unsolved problem despite being surrounded by world-class problem solvers in Silicon Valley. The neurobiological reality is that we're wired to focus on immediate pain (like a $500 late fee) rather than long-term opportunity costs that could be worth millions.
Master the Important vs. Urgent Paradox
The core challenge is that relationship maintenance tasks are almost never urgent, making them easy to defer indefinitely. (03:07) Patrick explains that following up with contacts, staying in touch with potential hires, or nurturing investor relationships can be done today, tomorrow, next week, or never - and unfortunately, "never" has become the default. This creates massive opportunity costs, as VCs miss billion-dollar opportunities simply because they didn't maintain contact with founders they met early.
Implement the Follow-Up Email System
Patrick's signature playbook involves dictating follow-up emails immediately after meetings rather than typing them later. (10:35) The system leverages three key facts: people only value you for sending emails, not writing them; you can speak 4-5x faster than you can type; and you can dictate anywhere but only type at a keyboard. This reduces a 10-minute email task to just 1 minute while maintaining authenticity and thoughtfulness.
Build Your Talent Pool Systematically
Create a systematic approach to capturing and nurturing future hiring opportunities. (46:47) When you meet someone and think "I'd like to hire this person someday," immediately add them to a talent pool in your CRM. Have your EA maintain regular contact every six weeks with personalized updates, creating a pipeline of 30-50 high-quality candidates for key roles. This approach gives resource-effective founders access to top talent without paying $120,000 recruiter fees.
Establish Protected White Space Thinking Time
Schedule and fiercely protect 2 hours daily for strategic thinking by building "fat retaining walls" around this time. (51:12) Give your EA control of your calendar with strict instructions that nothing can override white space time except true emergencies, and if moved, it must be rescheduled within the same week. Use accountability tracking through weekly performance emails to measure adherence to this critical practice.
Statistics & Facts
- Patrick was employee #16 or #19 at LinkedIn when he joined in 2004, at a time when the biggest concerns about the platform were privacy issues and few believed it would succeed. (00:35)
- 80% of emails in a typical executive's inbox can be answered by a well-trained EA, with only 20% requiring the executive's direct attention for decisions or advice. (30:36)
- The average executive spends 1.5-2 hours per day in their inbox, which can be reduced by 50-60% through systematic delegation, freeing up an hour to hour and a half daily. (32:33)
