Super Founders

Not everyone has the privilege to be rooted in Silicon Valley or cross paths with a future billionaire at the Stanford University campus. Ali Tamaseb has put together in Super Founders the results of a truly unique data-based analysis of significant differences between unicorns and less fortunate start-ups. He compared over 30,000 data points of billion-dollar start-ups with a statistically relevant control group. Some conclusions confirm my experience as a long-time investor, some are counterintuitive:

When considering an investment in a start-up, be it seed or growth, look less at the beautifully designed PowerPoint deck or contemporary buzzwords—look at the founders' backgrounds. As compared with the control group, unicorn founders have always been independent, may have created projects, social or business initiatives, have passed through the experience of at least one company foundation, successful or not, or, as the case may be, can show significant achievements in a first-tier company.

Age is not relevant, very few have industry experience, and less than 15% went through any kind of accelerator or incubator program, typically designed for newcomers. Being first is not decisive—more often than not, billionaire founders made radical changes to their business model. Board members and angel investors with a strong background as founders and first-tier VCs make a difference. And they want to make sure that a great team meets a great market. Be prepared, they will want to know from you: “Why do you matter?” Lucky are those who can answer this question with conviction!

One of the most striking insights from Super Founders is that the best entrepreneurs don’t necessarily start with a groundbreaking idea but rather with an exceptional ability to adapt. Data shows that unicorn founders pivot more aggressively and more frequently than their less successful counterparts, often discarding initial concepts in favor of more promising opportunities. This reinforces the notion that execution, resilience, and an acute understanding of market dynamics matter far more than simply being "first to market." In the end, investors are betting less on an idea and more on the team’s ability to navigate uncertainty and seize the right moment to scale.