DiSS, CaFE, and 92 161 18/ETMPDDS

Muhan Zhang -

In an attempt to try and streamline my deal memo’s, I have come up with the following shortcuts:

  • The Point: Deal, Decision, Why
  • The Considerations: Right/Risks
  • Rapid-fire Tire-kicking: 92 161 18, Every Time Man Profits Don’t Forget Serendipity

Rapid-fire tire-kicking is my latest attempt to (E)ncode the criteria Calacanis and Thiel write about.

“92 161 18”:

  • 9: Area code for Silicon Valley/CA: e.g. is the company based out of SV/what is it’s location?
  • 2: At least 2 founders?
  • 1: Product in market?
  • 6: At least 6 months of continuous user/rev growth?
  • 1: Notable investors?
  • 18: Post funding has 18 months of runway left.

One thing I like about 92 161 18 is that 9*2 is 18, then 161 is a palindrome. Nailed it in 15 minutes.

“Every Time Man Profits Don’t Dismiss Serendipity/ETMPDDS”:

  • Engineering
  • Timing
  • Monopoly
  • People
  • Durability
  • Distribution
  • Secrets

Naturally, there are many ways to make a mnemonic with ETMPDDS. I’ve been listening to Taleb’s Fooled By Randomness, so it’s possible that’s what my mind was primed for making out of meaningless.

In addition, with SeedInvest’s UI/UX overhaul, I’ve gotten confirmation that my Auto-Invest account should be back on by 8/17/19. Only two more months of hypothetical deal memos, then I’ll be back at it.

  1. “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eRRab36XLI
  2. DiSS and CaFE explained: http://www.kevinhabits.com/disss-and-cafe-tim-ferriss-approach-to-quick-mastery-of-any-topic/