Our Philosophy and Core Values

We believe that flourishing business partnerships - particularly between founders and funders - start with alignment on philosophy and values. If you see business partnerships the same way, you getting to know us is just as important as us getting to know you. Reading this is the first step in understanding who we are, what we stand for, and whether our business philosophy and core beliefs align with yours.

Why We Do What We Do

At Crescent Ridge, our driving force is an unwavering love for entrepreneurship and a relentless quest to see change-making, innovative leaders succeed. In our next five years, we strive to achieve an 80% success rate for our portfolio companies (by success, we mean that 80% of our companies will be growing profitably) and cultivate what we call "4D Wealth” (making money, deepening relationships, helping society, cultivating creativity).

We believe in supporting founders to achieve personal and professional financial security while improving the world. As stewards of capital, we embrace our responsibility to serve others and the global community, leveraging the resources entrusted to us for positive change.

How We See the Founder - Funder Relationship

At Crescent Ridge, we believe in fostering a more equal power dynamic between funders and founders during the early stages of a partnership. We strive for a mutual vetting process, wherein both parties recognize the unique value they bring to the table.

We aim to transcend the current commoditized and transactional funding approach by emphasizing mutual power and responsibility in our partnership. Our vision is to build a relationship founded on transparency, trust, and shared value creation.

Core Values That Guide Us

Our investment philosophy is rooted in these core values that define how we approach every opportunity:

• Capital made over capital raised
• Value creation over valuation
• Sustainability over speed

Traits We Possess and Seek in Founders

We believe that greatness often lies in hidden potential. We seek out and appreciate underestimated entrepreneurs who embody traits not prioritized in Silicon Valley, such as resourcefulness, creativity, adaptability, realism, pragmatism, and financial discipline.

Our Unique Advantages

At Crescent Ridge, we set ourselves apart through our unique evergreen fund structure. With no outside limited partners (LPs) influencing our investment decisions, we remain agile and committed to the best interests of our portfolio companies. Our modest fund size allows us to focus on startups with the potential for $100 million exits, ensuring we make a meaningful impact. We operate with flexibility, free from forced timeframes, making strategic decisions that align with our founders' growth journeys.

Our Pet Peeves

We're not fans of wasteful practices, such as dismissing 9 out of 10 companies in our portfolio, raising excessive capital too early, which often leads to squandering valuable resources before you even know what problem you are solving for. We prefer founders who focus on solving real problems rather than founders who are creating “fabricated needs.” We don’t encourage a “frantic pace” in the early stages; we prefer intentional growth, genuine quality over “hype,” and admire founders who embrace realistic expectations and set achievable goals.

Our Strategy and Why It Works

The Opportunity: 

While most VC funds chase unicorns and invest in founders that fit a certain pattern, they overlook many founders building profitable, scalable businesses in the $50-100 million range. The median exit of VC-backed companies has historically hovered around $50M, and we’ve observed in our portfolio that the best returns for both the founders and the investors happened when founders raised less than $5M in total and grew to $50-100M in 4-7 years. The outcome of this strategy has brought better odds for everyone; founders generate multi-generational wealth, and early stage investors have a healthy, more liquid portfolio with a high proportion of 5-10x outcomes.

Who we fund:

Our strategy centers around building strong relationships with entrepreneurs who possess the traits that are discussed above. We like to take time to build the relationship with founders before we fund, to make sure we are the best partners for them and ensure that we embark on a healthy partnership.

How we fund:

We don’t like to rush. We like to take enough time to understand founders’ identities, passions, values, strengths, and long-term goals. We minimize waste, collaborate with skilled experts, solve deep problems, and foster methodical business growth. We know when it’s time to accelerate and when to take a more measured approach to achieve realistic exits. We have the ability to fund entrepreneurs from the beginning to their exit. Our process before funding takes around 3 months and includes some discovery sessions to have meaningful conversations for mutual vetting.

Why Crescent Ridge?

With a decade of experience, ten successful exits, and our fund consistently ranking in the industry's top quartile; Crescent Ridge has a track record of identifying exceptional founders and empowering them to thrive in their unique way. We believe that the foundation of any great business starts with self-awareness and identity discovery. We nurture founders' strengths, complement them with experienced operators in our network, and offer guidance throughout their entrepreneurial journeys from the beginning to the exit.

We are looking to fund visionary entrepreneurs who desire to embark on a transformative journey with us, as we collectively strive to build prosperous and sustainable businesses that shape a better future for all. Let's create a shared vision and make a difference together!

Allison and Maria

Three Crucial Questions Before Raising Capital: A Founder’s Guide

As an early-stage fund, we frequently get asked "What should I consider before raising money?" Here are three essential questions we encourage founders to think about before embarking on the fundraising journey.

Do you genuinely need the money?

While it may sound rhetorical, this question goes beyond the obvious need for funds in startup growth. Consider whether money alone will truly solve your problems. Often, startups seek funding to develop more features for their product before finding paying customers. However, you need to validate your product's market fit and identify your target audience first. Before raising funds, ask yourself if the money will go towards building an MVP that has already been validated in the market, addressing a genuine need that customers TRULY need and are willing to pay for. The same way that you need to put the horse before the cart, you need to have a product that your customers want before you raise money.

Who is your true customer?

Your customer is whoever gives you money. If you raise capital, your investor becomes a customer in a sense, paying you money for equity in your business. The needs of investors and end-users may differ. Investors seek returns on their investment, while your customers have specific needs you aim to fulfill. Understand that venture investors often diversify their bets across a portfolio, looking for a few standout companies to deliver substantial returns. This misalignment might arise when you take on traditional VC money too early, potentially causing conflicts between investor interests and the needs of your real customer.

What do you gain and give up by taking on capital?

Founders often view capital as an all-upside proposition without fully considering the downsides. While funds are crucial for growth and scaling, raising capital comes with risks. As mentioned earlier, it can lead to misalignment with your customer's needs and may pressure you to prioritize milestones over understanding market dynamics and developing a thoughtful strategy. One significant sacrifice of accepting outside funding, particularly from venture funds, is that "it sets a clock ticking". Instead of having time to deeply listen to your customers and strategize, you may feel compelled to rush towards hitting milestones to secure the next round of funding. Moreover, taking on capital means you will have to answer to investors, potentially compromising your autonomy and flexibility.

By honestly addressing these three questions, you can make well-informed decisions regarding fundraising and chart a more sustainable and aligned path for your startup's success. We like to discuss all these three questions with entrepreneurs and friends who ask for advice. What other questions do you think are important?

Allison and Maria

Strengthening relationships is more rewarding than maximizing our financial return

Our fund's performance, consistently ranking in the industry's top quartile, has undoubtedly been a source of pride. It's reassuring to know that our hard work and expertise have paid off over the past decade. However, as we reflect on our journey, we've discovered that genuine fulfillment extends beyond these external validations. While financial success is essential in our business, it's not enough for us.  We've come to realize that the real benefits and satisfaction of our work lies in building and nurturing deep human relationships with the founders and people we work with.

I remember vividly the excitement of one of our recent exits when the deal finally closed! The rush was incredible, like a burst of energy that lasted for just a day or two. But soon enough, we were onto the next deal, raising the bar even higher. However, a few months down the line, something truly special happened. Out of the blue, I received a heartfelt note from one of the founders. She took a moment to remind me of an exercise we had done together very early on to help her business, and she made it clear just how much it meant to her. It was at that moment that I realized the true depth and fulfillment that came from the relationship we had built over the years, far surpassed any financial gains from the exit itself.

That's why we make it a priority to work with founders who understand the importance of fostering strong relationships throughout their entire company. It's not just us, investors, who desire meaningful connections, but also employees, customers, suppliers, and everyone involved in the company mission who want to feel the same way.

We have several examples of entrepreneurs who are highly skilled at building deep human connections while doing business. One that always comes to mind is Needed. Julie and Ryan, the founders, have always placed special emphasis on nurturing relationships. They began by investing a significant amount of time and care into building their own connection right from the early days, making sure they were the right fit for each other. Their dedication has paid off, resulting in a robust business that enables them to organize remarkable gatherings and offsites for their community of individuals who share their passion for delivering top-notch nutrition to moms, babies and their families. Organizing these incredible events and helping their community so much with several initiatives might not come cheap, but for Julie and Ryan, it's a priority because they understand the importance of cultivating these relationships. Their strong financial foundation allows them to invest in these meaningful connections and create a lasting impact.

At Crescent Ridge, nourishing deep human relationships is a big pillar of our overall operating principles. Unlike traditional VC firms that operate within fixed fund cycles, we've embraced a different path—an evergreen approach that allows us to think beyond short-term gains. Sure, we could have a much bigger fund if we raised more capital from outside LPs. But we truly value our financial independence to allow founders and ourselves to make values-aligned decisions, even if that means that we have a smaller pot in the short term. We have a continuous pool of patient capital at our disposal, which gives us the flexibility to make investment decisions centered around the long-term. This mindset has become our greatest strength, particularly in an industry where extraction and transactional attitudes dominate, and the relentless pursuit of financial growth often overshadows everything else.

How important is building real deep relationships while doing business for you? We’d love to hear your stories!

Allison and Maria

Finding true product-market fit is a rare accomplishment that holds the key to unlocking revenue.

Over the past five years, we have worked with and spoken to numerous founders at Ad Astra Ventures and Crescent Ridge. When the topic of product-market fit arises, almost every founder whose product generates revenue claims to have achieved it. However, the reality is that the majority of them have not.

During a recent visit to one of our portfolio companies, Esas Beauty, they excitedly declared, "We finally understand what it means to have real product-market fit, real revenue. It's as if our business has been unlocked!" If you do not share this level of enthusiasm about your sales and marketing efforts, it means you have not achieved product-market fit. Personally, I have been fortunate to learn about PMF through my partner, Vidya Dinamani, who is one of the most brilliant and strategic product leaders I have ever met. If you are a founder without someone like Vidya in your life, I recommend searching for such a person as soon as possible because it will transform your business.

So, how can you determine if you have PMF?

1. Lower CAC: A distinguishing feature of PMF is being highly specific and confident about the customer's needs that your product solves. While this may sound simple, it is incredibly challenging to achieve. It requires time, testing, and the ability as a founder to set aside your own assumptions and empathize with the customer's mindset. Jenna Ryan, CEO of Uqora, focused on PMF right from the start with her UTI prevention line of supplements. She realized that demographic segmentation alone (age, gender, geography) would not be sufficient. Instead, she delved into her customers' mindset and behaviors, enabling her to identify the specific types of people who suffered from UTIs and needed her product the most. With this knowledge, she refined her messaging to address this specific need and thought creatively about where to reach her target audience. For Jenna, this led to the discovery that radio advertising was a highly efficient and effective channel for her initial go-to-market strategy.
2. Higher LTV: Spoiler alert: achieving real PMF is not possible if you are selling a commodity. Don't waste your time searching for PMF in such cases; you won't find it. However, if you have a truly unique product that fulfills a deep need, you should observe increased engagement from your existing customers over an extended period. Alicia Long, founder and CEO of Nutr, not only experienced high customer engagement but also managed to increase her average order value (AOV) by launching Nutr Blends based on her understanding of her customers' needs. This not only allows Alicia to better serve her customers but also has a positive impact on their customer lifetime value (LTV), establishing a strong financial foundation that enables her to prioritize quality and sustainability—two aspects her customers care about as well.
3. Efficient sales funnel: With true PMF, you should have a clear understanding of who your target customers are and equally important, who they are not. This translates to faster deal closures and a higher success rate. Doug Hecht and Laura Munkholm, co-founders of Walla, were among the rare founders who achieved true product-market fit even before creating their product. With decades of experience in the boutique fitness and software industries, they recognized that fitness studios were desperate for studio management software that genuinely helped owners become financially self-sufficient. They had a waiting list of 30 customers on the day they launched their SaaS product, with a 75% success rate in closing deals. They continue to utilize their PMF skills to refine their ideal customer profile. While other SaaS companies employ a "spray and pray" sales technique, their methodical and targeted prospecting is yielding fruit. They know the single, deepest problem of each customer profile, giving them the confidence to close sales and the courage to tell a potential customer no when they aren’t the best solution. 

Betting on non-traditional founders requires a non-traditional approach.

Silicon Valley has a type. That type has been the same for decades - male (89%), white (72%), Silicon Valley based (35%), and Ivy League educated (13.7%). It’s no surprise this type is very similar to the profile of most venture capitalists (male, white, Silicon Valley based, Ivy League educated). When I first started Crescent Ridge in 2012 after 6 years of working at a (male-run) VC, it didn’t take long to notice I didn’t look like one of them. Yes, I was intimidated and unsure of myself. But it was those doubts that drove me to see opportunity where others saw risk, and develop a differentiated approach around that perspective.

In 2012, the San Diego startup ecosystem was just starting to emerge. There was an early group of founders and community champions passionate about putting San Diego on the map, and in true San Diego fashion they welcomed me into the ecosystem like I was an old friend. I was amazed by all the talent, skill, tenacity, and passion San Diego entrepreneurs had. But why wasn’t anyone investing down here? That was the question which posed the most unique opportunity, and challenge. The exciting part about seeing opportunity where others see risk is there’s no competition. The downside is there isn’t any collaboration, and good companies often don’t get the funding they should to grow. 

This is the thing about not having access to capital - it can either kill you or make you better. It was a few years in that I realized the companies in my portfolio that were the most successful were the ones who were able to balance raising just enough money to focus on how to build a business that ultimately wouldn’t be reliant on capital for its success. This is exactly the approach Collin Holmes, CEO of Chatmeter, took to building his business. Collin had founded Chatmeter in 2009, 4 years before we met. Collin did a lot of things right, which allowed him to be hyper efficient with the capital he did end up raising.  The 3 tactics below highlight a few of the many things Collin did differently in his non-traditional approach to building, scaling, and ultimately exiting Chatmeter.

1. Deep understanding of the problem: Having been in marketing and product development for a decade before breaking off on his own, Collin was in a unique position to understand the opportunity in local, mobile search. Raising only a small friends and family round, Collin spent the first 4 years learning about the market which was rapidly changing. 
2. Ability to listen & adapt to the market: Collin’s first hypothesis was that SMB owners were the most desperate for his solution. But he realized that acquiring and retaining them was incredibly expensive and difficult, so he pivoted to mid-market and enterprise businesses with hundreds of locations. They had the same pain point as SMB owners, but their mindset was slightly different, making it a better match.
3. Scaled at the right time: I was always impressed by Collin’s ability to put the long-term health of the company ahead of short term growth. There were multiple times Collin could have raised more money, expanded customer focus, hired faster, but had the discipline to do it only when the company was ready for that. 

Because of his focus, customer-centric approach, and resourcefulness, Collin was able to own the majority of his company at exit. According to Collin, "The financial benefit of not raising money until we had success was that both me and my employees kept more of the company so we had a bigger payday upon that exit."

With the focus on other types of non-traditional founders in the last few years (women, diverse founders), we’ve seen the above tactics are still important to build a strong foundation for entrepreneurs who look and think differently. For all those who don’t fit the Silicon Valley's “type” - it’s no longer a disadvantage to be overlooked… in fact, it can be your most powerful competitive advantage. 

The Power of Not Fitting In: Our Journey to Creating an Alternative VC Ecosystem

If you’re a founder, and you never really felt like you fit into the traditional start-up ecosystem, we have a secret for you. Neither did we. And we still don’t. Even as venture capitalists, we don’t quite feel like we fit into the traditional venture capital model. What we do know is we love innovation, we know how to fund and build businesses in the early stages. But we don’t resonate with the current ways to fund them, to grow them, and to scale them.

Our journey to creating an alternative venture capital firm began with a feeling of not quite belonging. We had seen all types of founders in our decades of experience and over 60 portfolio companies. We backed founders who were Silicon Valley or bust, founders who wanted to be diverse but couldn’t shake off the Silicon Valley definitions of success, founders who bootstrapped, founders who started small and went big, and founders who couldn’t raise money in their first company but became the darling of Silicon Valley in their second.

But even with all this experience, we never felt like we truly fit in with the traditional venture ecosystem. We had a hunch that there was a different way to do things, and for a long time we’ve wanted to create an alternative ecosystem where deep relationships, financial discipline, creativity, and resourcefulness matter. 

In the first 3 years of starting Crescent Ridge, I (Allison) spent a lot of time and energy trying to fit into the venture world. In the back of my mind was this persistent awareness that I didn’t really belong, but I spent time and energy trying to be part of that ecosystem nonetheless. It wasn’t until I realized I could spend my whole life trying to fit into a system that didn’t fit me or I could start trying to figure out how to create a system based on my own unconventional strengths. And that’s when it hit me: “Not fitting in” was not a weakness, it was actually my greatest strength. For the first 4 decades of my life, I thought my differences were my greatest weakness. At this moment 5 years ago, I realized it was the complete opposite.

That’s why we’ve chosen to invest our own capital, even though it’s a smaller pot, so that we have maximum optionality to grow our investment company without constraints, based on our beliefs. We’re making a stand to invest only in companies that match this new ecosystem that we want to be a part of. Some may think the founders aren’t out there, but we believe they are. 

We’re looking for new patterns in founders who don’t fit the traditional pattern because, like us, we don’t fit a traditional pattern. We want to create an alternative ecosystem where relationships matter, financial discipline and rigor matter, and creativity and resourcefulness are skills that are learned and honed and held in high regard. If you resonate with this, join us, and let’s build something different, together!

Allison and Maria

Resource Constraints Spark Creativity. Why Resourcefulness is our favorite Skill in Entrepreneurs

In the venture world, you often hear about the importance of having a vision, a plan, and a team to execute on it. But what happens when you don't have enough resources to make it happen? Entrepreneurs who thrive under constraints have the special skill of resourcefulness. Resourcefulness, defined as the ability to do a lot with a little, is a skill that we actively look for in entrepreneurs.

If you ask a venture investor what they look for in founders, you might probably hear "storytelling", "the ability to sell a big vision", etc. While selling skills are undoubtedly important, resourcefulness is a skill that we consider more valuable than any other attribute. When a founder is too good at selling and operates in a resource-rich environment, it can be difficult to tell if they are actually skilled or are just lucky. One way for us to spot resourcefulness is to find the founders who are already operating in a resource-constrained environment. Often, the founders who become resource constrained not by choice, at some point realize that what they saw as a constraint actually has a benefit at the end.

We have dozens of very resourceful entrepreneurs in our portfolio, who have succeeded despite significant constraints. One example, Uqora, a company that makes products to help prevent UTIs, launched with less than $2M total raised and a team of just 2.5 people. Despite these constraints, they were able to scale quickly and eventually sell the company in just four years. Similarly, Cooler Heads, a Health Tech company in the cancer care space, got their product built, FDA-approved, and on the market with less than $4M in funding and a lean team. They went from idea to commercialization in just four years as well. Chatmeter, a company that helps businesses manage their online reputation, grew to $10M ARR with less than $5M total raised and a team of just 12 people, and also had a very successful exit despite the constraints they faced early on.

Moreover, resourceful entrepreneurs have specific skills or crafts that they can leverage to create value. By focusing on these skills, they are able to solve problems and create unique value propositions. This is in contrast to today's most glorified entrepreneurs, who are often generalists with the skill of storytelling and persuasion, but lack a specific skill or craft that they can leverage to create value.

At Crescent Ridge, we believe that resourcefulness is a key skill that entrepreneurs should cultivate, even if they have all the resources they need. Resourceful entrepreneurs can turn constraints into opportunities and come up with innovative solutions that others might not see. Therefore, if you possess the skill of resourcefulness, do not hesitate to flaunt it, as it can be a key differentiator that sets you apart from others.

As Plato said, "Necessity is the mother of invention".

Maria and Allison

Capital Efficiency is the Name of Our Game

My first investment at Crescent Ridge was a $25k check into a company called Saambaa in 2012. Matt Voigt, the founder, had been patient with me as I had done an inordinate amount of diligence on the company compared to the check size. The weight of the decision driven by my desire to not lose the investment prolonged my decision. I hadn’t experienced this depth of loss aversion before - even in my 5 years of experience at both a venture fund and startup prior to starting Crescent Ridge, the risk of losing it all this time seemed too real for comfort.

Years later, I realized this weight was crucial in shaping my focus on funding capital efficient companies. I realized that the founders who were able to use cash wisely and stretch their dollar - particularly in the early stages - usually built strong foundations for their business. Not only that, these founders treated my capital like their own: thoughtfully and carefully but not stingily. I sought out these founders, first because I trusted them, and also because their demonstration of financial discipline usually translated to a similar discipline in building and growing their companies. 

Now at Crescent Ridge, we only fund founders who are capital efficient. While our check size has gone up, we are still highly averse to losing our money for each company we invest in. Our model, contrary to most VC firms, is based on the majority of portfolio companies succeeding. For this reason, when looking for founders to partner with, these are some characteristics we seek:

• Financial discipline: We value when founders are good at using cash responsibly and are creative to stretch their dollars. They are skilled at discerning what expenses are absolutely critical from the ones that are a distraction at each stage.
• Profit prioritization: We look for founders who prioritize revenue that will generate profit. This is different from other revenue strategies (such as loss leader).
• Strong signs of product-market fit: We love when founders put “the horse before the cart” and know their solution is truly needed before they raise outside capital. These founders have a deep understanding of the problem they are solving and an unparalleled empathy to the early adopters they serve, which they have gained from years of experience with their customer base even before starting their company.
• Reasonable exit expectations: We are wary when founders don’t recognize the downsides that come with high valuations. The best antidote to avoid dilution is to “right-size” the amount of VC raised. Because we strive for the majority of our portfolio companies to either exit or be profitable, our hope is that they get acquired before they decide to "go big or go home".

Generally, we define capital efficiency as raising between $0-$5M and exiting for $20M-$100M and we've found being capital efficient is relative to each industry and founder. The capital requirements are different when building a CPG company versus a tech company versus a medical device company. Yet the results of being a capital efficient founder are the same. Capital efficient founders create value that align with their valuations and have metrics that establish a strong business from the start. 

We'd love to hear from you - are you a capital efficient founder or do you invest in them? What other characteristics do capital efficient founders possess?

Allison and Maria

The Silver Lining: Women will thrive in adversity. With or without later stage VC

Lately, it seems like every day we are inundated with bleak news for women founders:

“VC funding to women is at an all-time low”

“Women founders are less likely to secure funding for a second round when their early investors are women”

“Investors backed out of a deal after learning founder was pregnant”

As a women-led VC firm with a majority of portfolio companies led by women, we can get discouraged by news like this. But today, we are not writing this post to complain about “bad actors” and go on a rant. Instead, we aim to shed light on the issue from a different perspective, and propose real solutions to an imbalanced situation that presents a reality in which all women have to operate. Today, we want to bring optimism and hope to all women founders, investors, and those who support us.

There’s no doubt that the system is deeply flawed, and we acknowledge that despite our efforts we too at Crescent Ridge have made mistakes and inadvertently continue to contribute to the problem. Even with the plethora of organizations highlighting and supporting women, the situation has only gotten worse. The root cause of the problem is very complex and has a vast amount of contributing factors, and it will take generations to untangle. The reality is that these statistics are worsening. And, it’s not because people don't want women to be successful. Most investors and executives genuinely want to see more women in leadership positions, we believe.

What’s the silver lining in all of this?

It breaks our heart when we see women founders not being able to raise capital past their early stage rounds, even when their metrics are impressive. What encourages us is seeing these same women continuing to grow their companies without later stage funding. We are in awe of how resilient and capable these founders are despite having it exponentially harder than more traditional startup founders. Women entrepreneurs are warriors, leading the charge towards a brighter future with their determination, resilience, and unwavering spirit. The silver lining is that in today’s market where everyone is struggling to raise capital, women can use their capital efficiency skills to their advantage.

One of many examples in our portfolio is a founder who built a high-growth, FDA-cleared, revenue generating health tech company, with less than $3M in seed funding. She hit and over-delivered every single milestone that VCs asked for, but still had trouble finding a series A lead investor, despite her significantly de-risking her business, an MBA from a top business-school, and having participated in a brand-name accelerator program. Instead, she raised a small internal round and now has a healthy, rapidly growing company with very high chances of being acquired in the next couple of years. We have several other founders with similar stories of creative growth.

Because we have a small fund; we have also used our capital efficiency skills to our advantage. We partner with our sister organization, Ad Astra, which provides founders with the tools they need to build a company with strong business fundamentals. We are committed to funding founders throughout the early stages and helping them maximize their options down the road, reducing their dependence on later stage VC. With 9 exits under our belt and over 75% of our portfolio companies growing and thriving, our strategy to increase optionality has worked well. It's a win-win strategy with a high success rate for both founders and us

Are you an early stage investor or founder interested in hearing more about our approach and how the founders we work with get things done? Stay tuned to our next blog post!

Allison and Maria

The key to a successful investor-founder partnership

Happy New Year! In 2023, Allison and I will write a monthly article featuring one of twelve key takeaways from our learnings we’ve had in the last 10 years. Starting from the top, our January takeaway is:

The key to a successful investor-entrepreneur partnership is to articulate our definition of success and find founders who align with it. 

When it comes to successful partnerships, defining success and finding founders who align with that definition is key. Just as shared priorities, mutual expectations, and open communication are important in a marriage, we’ve also seen how critical they are in our investor-founder relationships. Candid conversations about values and goals early on can be uncomfortable and unnatural, but we have found they increase the chances of a strong relationship in the long term.

Before we can identify founders who are aligned, we need to articulate what success means to us as an investor. We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this at Crescent Ridge. Unlike the typical venture capital model where only 1 in 10 startups hit it big, our goal is for 9 in 10 startups to become sustainable, profitable, growing businesses. We want the majority of the founders in our portfolio to achieve their definition of success. Too often, the majority of founders in a portfolio are casualties along the way to get that one unicorn. 

In addition, success is supporting these sustainable, profitable, and growing companies in their quest to create 4D Wealth (“4DW”). An expansive definition of wealth, 4DW is a term we’ve used internally for several years, and are starting to be more vocal about. By being upfront about our desire to create financial, relational, social, and intellectual wealth, it’s easier to identify the founders who share this goal, most of whom are already creating 4DW, despite not being familiar with the specific term. Starting with this common approach and shared definition of success leads to our strongest partnerships. 

Some good examples of these partnerships include our investments in Walla, Needed PBC, and Kegg Technologies. For example, Laura Munkholm, a co-founder of Walla, has built an incredibly tight community of fitness studio owners before the company even officially incorporated. Because of this, Laura and her co-founder Doug Hecht fully understand the challenges studio owners face and are solving their deepest business pain points with the innovative technology of their software. In addition, they go above and beyond to serve the community and build deep relationships with their customers. 

Needed PBC is another great example, founded by two remarkable women who are on a mission to improve pregnancy outcomes and children's health with their line of supplements, while preserving the environment and strengthening the community of natural practitioners. Similar to Laura, Ryan Woodbury & Julie Sawaya spent years establishing trust with their communities while developing an optimal prenatal formula. 

At Kegg (Lady Technologies), Kristina Cajahova has developed a device that helps women understand the science behind their hormones in order to deliver a higher quality of healthcare to women based on their own bodies and cycles. Kristina’s initial use case is to provide affordable access to reproductive care and has thousands of inspiring customer stories to share while delivering consistent financial results.

These are just a few examples of companies in our portfolio led by 4DW founders. Founders who want to create successful businesses and also want to have a positive impact, build meaningful relationships, and innovate in their fields. 

Before we invest, we spend a lot of time with all our founders having meaningful conversations around what success looks like. Throughout the years we’ve seen a clear trend:

The investments that have produced the best results are the ones in which we took the time upfront to really get to know the founders and understand what success means to them and discuss how to align our values and goals.

Allison and Maria