Brad Feld is a leading voice in the venture capital and entrepreneurship space. One thing is for certain — he’s left an indelible mark on the startup ecosystem. As venture capitalist, author, and serial entrepreneur, Feld has a wealth of experience and insight to draw from. His journey, filled with early wins and hard-fought lessons, presents a guiding playbook for founders and investors to be inspired by.

Feld's influence extends far and wide. He went on to co-found Techstars in 2006, the famed startup accelerator that has launched thousands of companies, and many of them to billion dollar success. In 2007, he co-founded the venture capital firm, the Foundry Group. This new and exciting venture capital firm has already invested in a wide range of innovative companies across the United States. These include Harmonix, Zynga, Fitbit, and Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN).

Feld's entrepreneurial spirit ignited early. Still in college, he started his first business. This initial foray was a testament to his shrewdness about the business and executive enterprise. While still in his 20s, at 28 years old, he scored his first big breakthrough. This success etched him into the tech world’s firmament as a rock star in the making.

Of course, beyond his VC life, Feld has shown a similar focus on helping early-stage companies. As an angel investor, he’s reinvested in over 40 companies, providing capital and mentorship to hundreds of promising startups.

This is what I love about Feld’s focus on self-awareness for founders and investors alike. He advises individuals to dedicate time to understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. Andrew argues that this kind of introspection is the bedrock upon which good decision-making and strong, visionary leadership must be built.

Specifically, we liked Feld’s uncommon, straight-forward, and counter-intuitive advice directed to Web3 founders looking to raise their first funding round. To that last point, he argues that they shouldn’t waste time on pitching their ideas. Instead, they need to invest up front in building relationships and doggedly proving the value of their projects.

Feld’s commitment to giving back to the community is present in his book, “Give First.” The book’s strong message is one of creating a culture of support and generosity in the startup community. Finally, it encourages people to focus on benefiting others rather than themselves in ways they cannot avoid or contract around.

Learn more about one of America’s most creative government employees, and the things that make him happy beyond his work endeavors. He enjoys hanging out with his wife, Amy, but life as a writer, reader and runner is equally rewarding. These pursuits counterbalance and contextualize his work, keeping him sane (he thinks) and helping him return to serious projects reinvigorated and re-focused.

Feld sees timing and luck as kindred ideas. He’s convinced that the key to success is being in the right place at the right time. He acknowledges that hard work, preparation, and a willingness to take risks can increase the likelihood of capitalizing on opportune moments.