Invest Like The Best
Episode 435 Building Abstract
Invest Like The Best

Episode 435: Building Abstract

Invest Like The Best

Episode 435

Building Abstract

Ramtin Naimi is the founder of Abstract Ventures. We cover the parallels between art collection and venture investing, the unconventional approach that financed his earliest deals, and the value of being a small fish in the biggest pond.

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Show Notes:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best

(00:02:17) Colossus Review Profile: Namtin Raimi

(00:05:40) Learning from Mentors and Starting to Collect

(00:08:50) Parallels Between Art and Venture Capital

(00:12:57) Challenges in Art Collecting

(00:20:45) The Role of Status in the Art World

(00:25:00) Who Makes the Most Money in the Art World?

(00:28:19) Abstract Ventures: Early Stage Investing

(00:42:34) Starting a Venture Capital Firm from Scratch

(00:43:12) Overcoming Bankruptcy and Early Struggles

(00:50:34) Evaluating Technical Capabilities and Momentum

(01:02:53) Competing for Deals and Building Relationships

(01:15:25) The Role of Brand in Venture Capital

(01:22:39) Early Life and Entrepreneurial Beginnings

(01:28:40) Starting a Hedge Fund and Learning Hard Lessons

(01:31:26) Transition to Venture Capital

(01:37:19) Building Abstract and Family Life

(01:52:03) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Done For Ramtin

Building Abstract

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Ramtin Naimi. Ramtin is the founder of Abstract Ventures, one of the most talked-about seed funds in Silicon Valley. What makes Ramtin's story so compelling isn't just his firm's track record, including early investments in Rippling, Solana and dozens of unicorns, but the unconventional path he took to get there. From running a hedge fund straight out of high school to filing bankruptcy at 24, then bootstrapping his way to building a $2 billion assets under management venture firm using AngelList and relentless hustle.

Our conversation begins in an unexpected place: the art world, where Ramtin has become a sophisticated collector. Learning from mentors like Michael Ovitz about market dynamics that surprisingly mirror investing. We dive deep into how the art world actually works and Ramtin explains how these lessons about masterpieces apply directly to identifying power law companies in venture.

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