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  • OP #287: A Seed Fund For Creators, $2000 Ritz-Carlton Rule, and Four Life Lessons from a Coach

OP #287: A Seed Fund For Creators, $2000 Ritz-Carlton Rule, and Four Life Lessons from a Coach

Author

Darren Herman
February 18, 2025

I hope everyone had a nice long weekend (if in the US). I’m on dad duty with my son this week as my wife and daughter are in Paris. I personally love these moments as it’s great for bonding. We took in the NBA All-Star game this past weekend and enjoyed watching our favorite NBA stars. One of the key topics during the festivities is that this is one of the last All-Star games with this generation of talent. Players like Lebron, KD, Steph, and the like will probably not be in the NBA in the next 3-5 years…. so we soaked this all in. Critics did not love it.

Oh, and of course, it was SNL’s 50th and there was some awesome programming around it. I loved this reunion rendition of Nirvana x Post Malone.

Slow Ventures Raises $60M Seed Fund For Creators (Axios).  I smiled when I read this because I was talking about Kevin and Sam at Slow, many moons ago, about this exact strategy. It’s different than most have taken and it’s surely going to ruffle a few features. With that said, it follows nicely on what Ed Elson (Prof G Podcast) talked about in his piece, People Are the New Brands.

Knicks All-Star Break Report Card (Posting & Toasting). It’s pretty much what you’d expect. KAT, Hart, Bruson leading the way, with very little negative otherwise. I am concerned with this team in that it’s 12-12 (?) against teams over .500.  This is scary as once the playoffs hit, we’re going up against folks like Detroit, Milwaukee, Indiana, Boston and Cleveland who have all given us a very hard time this season. Detroit has had our number and Boston is playing at a whole different level than us.

Many of us have heard the infamous Nordstrom customer centricity story, but have you heard about the $2000 Ritz-Carlton rule? I came across a set of tweets on X which showcased how decentralizing spending power down into the ranks transformed luxury hospitality. It’s a good tweetstorm to read.

Nicely done, Nike re: Love Hurts. Nike has continually nailed their advertising.

Last week’s OP talked about SEO and AEO - answer engine optimization. One longtime OP community member reached out and mentioned he’s building Gumshoe.ai, a platform that helps brands figure out how to outrank the competition in AI Search. If you are interested, check it out. Here’s them on hackernews.

Thank you again for subscribing. If you received this and are not a subscriber, but want to change that and subscribe for free, you can do so here.

The OP is a labor of love by me and I just love writing and hearing from y’all. Feel free to respond to this OP and I answer every note that comes across.

Darren

A Couple of Jobs

Nick Cromydas of the Hunt Club listed some good marketing and consumer jobs on his LinkedIn. Check that post out especially if you are in the consumer space. For those not familiar with the Hunt Club, it’s a recruiting shop that has done excellent work for me.

Brand Director, FitCrunch.  We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Brand Marketing Leader to own and drive brand strategy, messaging, and marketing initiatives. This role will be responsible for developing and executing the brand calendar, identifying opportunities for differentiation, and ensuring alignment with business objectives across product development, sales, and finance. The ideal candidate will define and maintain brand identity, oversee consistency in communication across all channels, and establish brand guidelines. They will lead integrated marketing campaigns to drive awareness, acquisition, and retention, leveraging consumer insights and data analytics to optimize performance. Additionally, this role involves managing the product portfolio, monitoring market trends, and collaborating with innovation teams to identify opportunities for growth and expansion. The ideal candidate is a cross-functional leader with a blend of creative vision and analytical expertise, capable of delivering impactful brand strategies that fuel long-term business success.  If you know someone who may be awesome for this role, please send me their LinkedIn / resume, and I’ll flip it to Sona, our 1440 Foods CMO.

… speaking of jobs, here’s a poignant take on coding: New Junior Developers Can’t Actually Code.

🏌️‍♂️ Exciting News: Silicon Alley Sports is Back for 2025!

If you’ve subscribed to the OP for a while or know me well, you know that I chair Silicon Alley Sports. Silicon Alley Sports is gearing up for its 18th annual event, and I wanted to make sure you're in the loop. We have many OP members as participants as it makes a great venue for a meetup. Put your name on the list to be alerted when tickets go on sale.

What makes this so special? Picture this: founders, VCs, executives, marketers, and tech leaders coming together outside the concrete jungle of Manhattan for some genuine connection and friendly competition. Started in 2004 with just eight digital media execs looking to network over 9 holes, it's grown into something truly remarkable.

🎾 The full 2025 lineup includes:

  • Silicon Alley Golf Invitational

  • Silicon Alley Tennis Invitational

  • Silicon Alley Pickleball Invitational

What I love about this event is how it brings together the perfect mix of senior leaders from our ecosystem - from entrepreneurs and founders to VCs, PE folks, and ecosystem supporters. Past attendees have included folks from companies like First Round Capital, Goldman Sachs, Google, Microsoft, and hundreds more.

💫 Fun fact: Legend has it that two digital/ad-tech acquisitions have occurred because of these events! Now that's what I call productive networking.

💫 Another Fun fact: I’ve heard countless stories of people meeting at SAS for the first time and ultimately working together.

The best part? All proceeds above operating costs go to various impactful nonprofits. SAS has supported organizations like Team Daya, Code.org, Meals on Wheels, American Cancer Society, and many others over the years.

🎯 Want to get involved in 2025? Here's your chance! Fill out this form to express interest: https://form.jotform.com/250395919461162

Quick note: These events are intentionally kept intimate (golf, tennis, and pickleball can only scale so much!), so spots are limited. But don't let that stop you from reaching out - there's even a special "Schmoozer" ticket if you're more interested in the networking than the sports!

Tickets are not yet on sale (early March) but make sure to put your name down on this form. We are looking for Sponsors/Supporters, so if your organization wants to learn more, denote that on the form.

Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new ones on the course! 🎪

P.S. Not a pro athlete? No worries, neither am I! Most participants prioritize building companies over their golf, pickleball, or tennis game. It's all about the connections and conversations. 🤝

Life Success From a Coach

This was sent to me last night by my buddy, Pete. Thank you!

Coaches have all sorts of wisdom and the better coaches are phenomenal at delivering it. Texas A&M coach, Buzz Williams, delivered some awesome advice to young reporters at a post-game interview.

If you have a minute or two this morning and want some good advice, give it a watch.

Below are a few articles I came across this past week that I found interesting. While I may not agree with everything in each one, I think they're worth a read. If you stumble upon an article you think I or the Operating Partner community would enjoy, feel free to share it with me. Of course, I reserve the right to decide what gets featured in the OP.

Thank you very much for subscribing to the OP. If you are not a subscriber, but would like to do so for free, you can do so here.

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