Journal Entry — How I Decide Who to Back Early
People sometimes ask how I decide which creators or projects to support early.
The truth is, I’m not trying to predict markets. I’m looking for people who are clearly students of their craft.
When someone truly cares about what they’re making, it shows. Animation feels alive. Details feel intentional. Each new piece feels slightly better than the last. You can tell they’ve studied what came before them and are trying to push things forward.
Skill matters to me because it reflects time invested, mistakes learned from, and genuine respect for the work itself.
There’s a Japanese idea — shokunin — describing artisans who dedicate their lives to mastering their craft, caring even about details most people will never consciously notice.
Steve Jobs once said that even the parts of a computer nobody sees should be made well. The belief was simple: craftsmanship matters, even when invisible.
I’m drawn to creators who think this way. People who would rather ship fewer things at higher quality than flood the world with mediocre output. People who focus on doing one thing well instead of chasing every opportunity.
Originality and speed usually follow naturally when someone is deeply invested in becoming great at what they do.
Over time, I’ve realized that supporting creators at this stage — before recognition arrives — means you sometimes get to watch something meaningful grow from the beginning.
And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get to help it along the way.
More than anything, I enjoy meeting builders who are quietly working on things they believe in long before the crowd notices.
Those are usually the people worth paying attention to.
People sometimes ask how I decide which creators or projects to support early.
The truth is, I’m not trying to predict markets. I’m looking for people who are clearly students of their craft.
When someone truly cares about what they’re making, it shows. Animation feels alive. Details feel intentional. Each new piece feels slightly better than the last. You can tell they’ve studied what came before them and are trying to push things forward.
Skill matters to me because it reflects time invested, mistakes learned from, and genuine respect for the work itself.
There’s a Japanese idea — shokunin — describing artisans who dedicate their lives to mastering their craft, caring even about details most people will never consciously notice.
Steve Jobs once said that even the parts of a computer nobody sees should be made well. The belief was simple: craftsmanship matters, even when invisible.
I’m drawn to creators who think this way. People who would rather ship fewer things at higher quality than flood the world with mediocre output. People who focus on doing one thing well instead of chasing every opportunity.
Originality and speed usually follow naturally when someone is deeply invested in becoming great at what they do.
Over time, I’ve realized that supporting creators at this stage — before recognition arrives — means you sometimes get to watch something meaningful grow from the beginning.
And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get to help it along the way.
More than anything, I enjoy meeting builders who are quietly working on things they believe in long before the crowd notices.
Those are usually the people worth paying attention to.