E425: What 30,000 Founders Taught Me About AI, Judgment & Top Founders

David sits down with Byron Ling of Twelve Below to unpack the judgment required to invest at the earliest stages of technology. After roughly 30,000 founder meetings over the past decade, Byron believes the strongest signals rarely appear on a résumé. He looks for an almost biological drive to win, second-level thinking, exceptional learning velocity, clear communication, authenticity, and a sense of urgency that makes a founder difficult to compete against. Highlights:

• The founder traits that matter more than pedigree or early traction.
• Why a chip on your shoulder can become a competitive advantage.
• How second-level thinking separates exceptional founders from consensus thinkers.
• Why the best founders are learning machines.
• What 30,000 founder meetings taught Byron about pattern recognition.
• Why AI can improve VC sourcing without replacing investment judgment.
• The mistake of underwriting $100B outcomes instead of studying their original inputs.
• Why Byron would tell his younger self to take more risk.

Guest Bio:

Byron Ling is a Partner at Twelve Below, a New York-based venture firm focused on pre-seed and seed technology investing. He began his startup career working with Kevin Ryan at Gilt Groupe before joining the then-first-time fund Primary Venture Partners. He later became a General Partner at multi-stage venture firm Canaan before co-founding Twelve Below with longtime investing collaborator Taylor Greene.

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Sponsor:

AlphaSense is the AI-powered market intelligence platform trusted by 85% of the S&P 100, helping investment professionals make faster, more confident, data-driven decisions. Built for hedge funds, asset allocators, private venture capital firms, and investment bankers, AlphaSense uses advanced AI and powerful search across premium proprietary content to surface the insights that matter most—before the market moves. Elevate your research and stay ahead of the competition. Visit https://www.alpha-sense.com/howiinvest/ to learn more.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byron-ling-10b7474/

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Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to participate in any investment strategy. All opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the views of Weisburd Pierce. Participants may hold positions or have financial interests in the companies, funds, or investments discussed. Any references to specific investments are for illustrative purposes only. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Any third-party data or opinions have not been independently verified. Listeners should conduct their own research and consult their own advisors before making any investment decisions.

(0:00) The Founder Trait You Can’t See on a Résumé (4:18) Why the Most Obsessive Founders Think Differently (9:05) What Zoom Hides About Great Founders (12:50) What 30,000 Founder Meetings Revealed (19:30) Why Young AI Founders Have an Unfair Advantage (27:10) The Strange Opportunity Hidden in Today’s VC Market (33:00) Why Vibe Coding Is Creating a New Investing Problem (44:45) How AI Can Find Great Founders Before Everyone Else