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Why we back the earliest stage

The gap between an insight and a company is where conviction is cheapest and matters most.

August 4, 2026Don Burton

Most firms wait for the shape of a company to resolve. We think the resolving is the company — and that showing up before it happens is the whole job.

What "earliest" actually means

It means backing a founder who has an insight and not yet a product. Concretely:

The discipline underneath

Running a wide portfolio only works with a clear rule for concentration. Ours is promotion-to-Pre-A: breadth at entry, conviction where it is earned.[1]

StageWhat we look for
Pre-SeedAn insight we cannot argue away
SeedEvidence the insight survives contact with users
Pre-AMomentum worth concentrating behind

Sources

  1. [1]
    Learn Capitallearn.vcPublished: 2026-01-01

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