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ian
@IanRountree
I believe individuals can change the world and started @cantos to enable them.
San Francisco, CA
ianrountree.com
Joined March 2009
3,047
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  • Pinned
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Oct 15, 2025
    We invest in 2 archetypes at @cantos: 1. Full-stack deep tech selling an end product or even commodity, _not_ tech. 2. Weird n-of-1 never seen anything like it before. Selling tech to incumbents... PASS Commercializing science... PASS Nth co doing the current thing... PASS
    34K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Nov 20, 2024
    Narrative violation
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    922K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Feb 27, 2025
    A freakin' startup is landing on the moon, giving us this kind of footage, and you're investing in voice agents??
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    Firefly Aerospace
    @FireflySpace
    Feb 26, 2025
    That feeling you get when you look out the window and realize you’re almost home! T-4 days until we land in the Moon. Blue Ghost will reach her final destination no earlier than 2:34 am CST on March 2. We’ll start the joint livestream with @NASA at 1:20 am CST, approximately 75
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    00:00
    151K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Oct 4, 2024
    One of my LPs, a former banker, joined a startup as CFO and is pitching VCs for the first time. He just told me, "I come away from most of these calls and I'm like 'man, who the hell gave you money??'" 💀
    228K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    May 4, 2022
    Talked to a founder whose company is profitable with ARR in the $10-20M range but not it's necessarily on VC-style rocket ship trajectory. He's been taking out LBO-style debt to buy out his Seed investors at ~5x ARR. I respect the hell out of that.
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Jul 14, 2023
    VCs, look at this table. LOOK AT IT. If you take 10yrs to return 3x net your IRR is 12%. Rn LPs can get 5% RISK FREE, & probs 7-9% w incrementally more risk if they’re savvy bond investors. Yet <10% of funds do >3x DPI. If this doesn’t scare you then you’re asleep at the wheel.
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    451K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Jun 22, 2023
    When people ask where I grew up…
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    Christian Keil
    a16z
    @pronounced_kyle
    Jun 22, 2023
    When people ask where I grew up...
    157K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Jan 25, 2021
    Robinhood vs. @public 🧐
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Aug 4, 2023
    BuT hArDwArE iS cApItAl InTeNsIvE
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    84K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Aug 6, 2019
    One of our advisors after a diligence call: “It’s the YC special... two people, two months of work, $12M valuation!”
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Jun 16, 2020
    I need these companies to IPO plz: Stripe SpaceX Snowflake (coming this Fall) Epic Games DataBricks Unity Which private companies’ S-1’s do you most want to see?
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Oct 22, 2025
    A friend just told me about a hardware startup that struggled to raise from VCs for years and will do >$150M in top line this year at ~30% EBITDA margins. idk who needs to hear this but there’s alpha in being non-consensus.
    39K
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    May 23, 2018
    Portfolio Founder: We got a term sheet from [Namebrand Firm] for $7M! Me: That's an amazing Series A lead! Founder: Seed Me: But you raised a $3M Seed almost a year and a half ago Founder: Yeah, [Namebrand Firm] wants to call this the Seed, so that's now the Pre-Seed Me: 🙄
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    ian
    @IanRountree
    Aug 5, 2024
    Replying to @braveben
    How dare you take even a medium term view on here Ben
    22K