Rick Smith

The only thing that matters is the entrepreneur. Their drive and passion are way more important than anything we do as investors. During that extended period of time that I took off, I was trying to figure out what was next. I had a conversation with my gardener, where he noted how passionate I was in describing venture capital compared to the other paths. I made the decision right there to follow my passion and get back into venture capital by founding Crosscut. I learned there is no substitute for hard work. I also learned the importance of entering the right market at the right time and never discounting the role of luck in any outsized success.