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nic_detommaso

Nicole DeTommaso 🪄

Verifiedactive
@nic_detommaso

Something new in VC. Demystifying venture capital for aspiring investors & founders VC Investor | Forbes30U30 | Columbia alum @vcdemystified

RosterStartup & SaaS Builders
87,012 followers · 695 following · Last polled 3h ago
Perf. Score
49
Rank #243
Value Score
7.5
#257 of 273 priced
Median views
3.1K
p25 2.9K · trailing 7d
Followers
87K
+0.2% 7d
ER (impr.)
1.71%
eng ÷ impressions
ER (foll.)
0.09%
eng ÷ followers
Est. CPM
$317.97
QT-rate basis
WoW views
-19.1%
▼ falling

Rates & value · est. from 3.1K median organic views

overpriced
Quote tweetbasis
$1000
$317.97 / 1K views
Post
—
no CPM
Thread
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no CPM
Retweet
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no CPM
Value Score 7.5 · rank #257 of 273 priced$16393.44 / 1K engagementsrate age unknown (pre-audit import)

Trends

Follower growth
Median views / day
Engagement rate
View distribution · trailing-7d posts

Each blue dot is one organic post. The Performance Score ranks by the median (3.1K), not the mean (4.4K) — so a single viral post doesn't inflate a creator's reach. The p25 floor (2.9K) is the level 75% of posts clear.

Recent posts · ranked by views

PostPostedViewsLikesRepostsRepliesQuotesBookmarksER
.@Instinct just raised $1 billion Series C at a $10 billion valuation…with <10 employees. So naturally I had to take a deeper look at who these 9 people are. I created a list that includes: - Current position at Instinct - When they joined - All previous company experience - Education experience - LinkedIn URL - Location - Select emails These folks have a front row seat to one of the fastest growing tech companies this year. Many of them will go on to build their own startups one day. Knowing them early will be critical as every VC and angel will be vying to get in their fundraising rounds. This type of information gives anyone a HUGE advantage in staying ahead. In case you want to check it out with any other company: https://t.co/Erwe5M6K6L cc: @harmonic_ai #harmonicpartnerfrozen16d ago205K4242023164850.47%
No one's going to tell you this but you can learn all the VC technicals in one weekend. Study the 7 guides below:frozen13d ago
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.@a16z is a king-maker and everyone in VC hates it. The industries they invest in inevitably become hot. I just got access to all the early stage deals (preseed to Series A) that a16z has done in the last 6 months. With this data you can: 1. See what companies and industries the best VCs are excited about 2. Study the types of founders they are backing 3. See if there are select tech companies or universities that are creating these top founders 4. Analyze the co-investors that a16z is investing alongside of Link to demo this tool in the comments. Cc: @harmonic_ai #HarmonicPartner1d ago11K895301001.81%
Venture Capital firms (hiring list) - apply today:frozen15d ago10K27111260.53%
Venture Capital firms (HIRING LIST) - apply today:frozen7d ago9.8K71610831.64%
Venture capital firms (HIRING LIST) - apply today👇1d ago7.8K50430571.47%
Looking for a job at a startup? Ask VCs! Almost all of their portcos are looking for talent at any given time so they are plugged into open roles across stages of companies.frozen9d ago7.4K129781602.79%
9 venture capital firms HIRING this week. Apply today👇frozen22d ago6.9K13311140.46%
The #1 thing I want to see from a pre-seed founder? Evidence that you’ve spoken to potential customers. 50, 75, 100+ conversations with the exact people you’re building for. At pre-seed, there often isn’t much for an investor to evaluate yet. No meaningful revenue, customer traction or product. So if you want someone to invest, your job is to de-risk as much of the business as you possibly can. Customer research can tell me: - who actually has the problem - how painful the problem really is - how they solve it today - why existing solutions aren't good enough - who the actual user and buyer are - whether they're willing to pay - what they would pay - what you need to build for them to use it Answering these using customer notes is a VERY different pitch than saying you just know these answers from your experience. I think founders dramatically underuse customer research when fundraising, especially at the preseed.frozen17d ago5.9K9512221623.27%
Kids in 2036 are going to think it’s insane that we used to communicate with AI by pressing 26 little buttons with our fingers. Congrats to Sabi on being one step closer to making typing obsoletefrozen13d ago5.6K28121140.82%
"I want to raise my own VC fund one day" - I hear this from many VC colleagues. And there are 4 things I tell them to start doing TODAY to make this possible. One of the biggest misconceptions about raising a fund is that fundraising starts when you decide you're ready to launch. In reality, the work starts YEARS before you ask anyone for a dollar. After spending 6 years in venture, I've learned that so much of what makes someone fundable is built long long long before they have a pitch deck. Your track record Your access to founders Your reputation Your relationships with potential LPs And none of these things can be built overnight. If you're serious about raising a fund one day, I wrote about how to set yourself up for success in this week's newsletter. Give it a read: https://t.co/97pgiwzoTHfrozen25d ago5.0K33540221.28%
One of the things I’ve learned from meeting thousands of founders is that intelligence is surprisingly easy to find. The ability to consistently turn ideas into reality is much rarer.frozen10d ago4.6K10011182143.16%
Why does every VC job have investment banking as a preferred qualification? I spent 4 years in banking. There IS a reason. For those not familiar, here is what an IB Analyst or Associate does: 1) Builds financial models: Creates and maintains valuation models (discounted cash flow, comparable companies, precedent transactions) to analyze companies and transactions 2) Prepare pitch materials: Draft pitch decks used to advise clients on M&A, capital raises, and other strategic initiatives 3) Support deal execution: Assist on live M&A and financing deals by running analyses, coordinating diligence, and managing data rooms 4) Conduct financial and industry analysis: Research companies, industries, and market trends to support investment recommendations. 5) Handle daily execution work: Manage spreadsheets, update models, track timelines, and respond to senior banker and client requests But what's not listed that is also a big part of the job: - Aggressively long hours (working until 2am) - Maniacal attention to detail (you can't miss a comma) - Managing up and down (at all hours) The investment banking environment breeds individuals who are resilient and resourceful (bc you have to be). That mentality and work ethic is hard to teach so folks prefer candidates who have it. With that said, YOU DO NOT NEED INVESTMENT BANKING TO BE A GOOD VC.frozen26d ago4.3K261110181.30%
Woke up to my newsletter crossing 10K subscribers! Weeeee https://t.co/pP5zls2xFKfrozen12d ago3.9K58320032.16%
The crazy thing happening in VC right now: A startup can grow revenue 3x in a year and still be considered a disappointment today. VC has a very strange way of making extraordinary outcomes feel ordinary, especially now.frozen8d ago3.8K695190102.69%
In venture, the fear of missing a generational company can outweigh the fear of losing an investment. It’s why some VCs are willing to invest at $100M+ seed valuations. They’d rather risk overpaying for the next $100B company than risk not owning any of it. The opportunity cost of passing can feel greater than the cost of investing.frozen7d ago3.5K55270192.37%
VC is a funny job because you can be wrong 99% of the time and still be exceptional at it. The 1% just has to really matter.frozen21d ago3.5K4548041.75%
I think there are 2 games being played in venture right now: 1) chasing the shiny objects 2) sticking to real value investments The one that is seen as optimal right now is the first. It’s the: “I have amazing access” “I’m seeing the hottest deals” “I’m playing with the megafunds” “My TVPI looks incredible” But number 2 is where venture makes more sense. And where there is staying power. Quick gains often mean quick falls. There is so much more to venture than the 10 deals that make the headlines.frozen17d ago3.4K274100101.51%
The hardest part of venture isn’t finding reasons a startup might fail. That part is actually pretty easy. The hard part is recognizing when the upside is so big that you should invest even with those risks.frozen19d ago3.4K4478092.03%
Last chance: Just 2 days left to get 20% off an annual subscription to my newsletter. If you've been on the fence, this is your time. Here are some of my top performing newsletter over the last 6 months: &amp; new issues out every Sunday!frozen24d ago3.2K1012020.47%
Founders are accidentally giving away HALF their startups before they even realize it. And one of the biggest reasons is stacking SAFE. According to Carta, 93% of pre-seed rounds now use SAFEs. They're fast, easy, and make raising money incredibly simple. But things can get unruly if you don't pay attention. Let's say you're a founder and you raise: $500K at a $5M valuation cap. $1M at an $8M valuation cap. $2M at a $12M valuation cap. Every time you raise, your valuation cap goes UP, which is great. Except you've now committed 39% of your company to investors (!) And you haven't even raised your Series A yet... The crazy part is that each individual raise can feel like a small decision. But when you're stacking post-money SAFEs, the ownership you're giving away adds up FAST. Now imagine what happens when you raise another $15M in your Series A and have to set aside equity for employees. You could end up owning less than HALF of the company you started. I'm not anti-SAFE. I actually think they're great instruments. But I think founders underestimate just how much dilution they're accumulating when they repeatedly raise money this way. I broke down the actual math, what happens when the SAFEs convert, and how founders can avoid this trap in this week's newsletter. Full breakdown: https://t.co/beOjnRZyXvfrozen4d ago3.2K211152121.60%
No one's going to tell you this but you can get a leg up in VC recruiting in one weekend. Study the 7 guides below:frozen6d ago3.1K23220341.94%
Get these VC jobs direct to your inbox every week: https://t.co/D3OL600qRKfrozen22d ago3.1K721050.48%
An underrated way to judge the quality of someone’s content is to look at their follower count relative to their total number of posts. Someone with 100K followers and 5,000 posts is very different from someone with 100K followers and 25,000 posts. Both built an audience, but one may have done it through consistently valuable content, while the other may have gotten there through sheer volume.frozen11d ago3.1K27017031.54%
The startup world is obsessed w speed. But funny enough, some of the most valuable things you can build, like trust, reputation, &amp; relationships are incredibly difficult to accelerate.2d ago3.0K627141103.13%
In honor of You Can See Everything… Lizzy once liked one of my X posts lol https://t.co/o6YJ7rdpmxfrozen6d ago2.9K1004020.55%
I just pulled every long-tenured @OpenAI engineer (name, title, start date and LinkedIn). This is where the startup mafias come from. Two reasons why: 1) I imagine that most of these engineers will leave soon to go back to 0 to 1 building 2) They are likely fully vested so they do not have to stay at OpenAI to receive their huge payouts I got the below list using Harmonic’s research tool. I then put this into an active list so that I could get more enriched data on each person that updates automatically (it updates once a week with new details from Linkedin). This info is tablestakes in today's venture game. In case you want to check it out yourself: https://t.co/Erwe5M6K6L cc: @harmonic_ai #harmonicpartnerfrozen14d ago2.9K16220101.03%
The most interesting thing about venture capital is how often the incentives of founders and investors diverge. A $100M exit can be life changing for a founder and a disappointing outcome for an investor. Completely different definitions of success.frozen15d ago2.9K2328141.31%
VCs love to say they invest in nontraditional founders until a founder actually does something nontraditional.frozen13d ago2.9K1401140.70%
You don't need investment banking to get a job in VC. Here are 10 insider guides I wrote to help you break in without a traditional background 👇frozen28d ago2.8K15030111.02%
The best founders are incredible at getting people to do things they have absolutely no rational reason to do. Quit a great job. Invest before there’s traction. Become customer #1. Work for less money. That’s almost the entire job of a founder.frozen18d ago2.8K2617031.30%
The venture ecosystem has somehow convinced itself that a startup raising more money is evidence that the company is doing well. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it just means the company needed more money...3d ago2.8K1826010.97%
Get these VC jobs direct to your inbox every week: https://t.co/D3OL600qRKfrozen15d ago2.8K1302040.68%
10 venture capital firms HIRING investors this week. Apply today👇frozen28d ago2.8K11110100.83%
For long term success, I really think every VC firm needs to have a campus sourcing strategy. It may not match up with the stage / risk profile of deals they are doing today but it will match up tomorrow. Everything about VC is a long game. I have access to some incredible ppl if any GP has thought about this.frozen28d ago2.8K1202040.65%
Getting roasted by your own AI voice. We’re reaching new levels here 😭😭😭frozen9d ago2.8K903040.58%
99% of ppl in VC interviews can’t explain how money actually flows thru a fund. Here’s the 3-min version that will put you in the top 1%. Most people think it’s simple: VCs raise money → invest in startups → make returns. But here’s how it actually works 👇 1. Limited Partners (LPs) - pension funds, endowments, family offices commit capital. 2. The General Partners (GPs) also commit their own money (usually ~1-2% of the fund). 3. Capital isn’t wired upfront - the fund makes capital calls over time as investments are made. 4. The fund (not the firm) owns equity in startups. 5. When there’s an exit, proceeds flow back into the fund. 6. First, LPs get their capital back + preferred return. 7. After that, GPs earn carry (their share of profits) And that’s the simplified version. In practice, you also have: - Multiple funds running in parallel, each with unique terms - Recycling of capital for new or follow-on investments - Complicated waterfall models for distributions - Ownership tracked across dozens of companies Raising a fund isn't as simple as collecting money and investing it. It is an administrative and logistics undertaking and you actually spend more time than you think being a CFO / administrator than investing. ♻️ Repost to help someone in your network! Image source: DealRoomfrozen24d ago2.7K21420211.77%
Apparently, explaining venture capital on X wasn't enough. So now I'm doing it on Instagram too... I've spent years building VC Demystified with one goal: making the world of venture capital more accessible to everyone. And while I love writing about VC, there's only so much you can explain in an X post. So I'm doubling down on Instagram! More short-form videos breaking down what's happening in venture, more behind-the-scenes content, and hopefully a little more personality. Same mission. Different platform. A LOT more video lol. If you've learned something from my content here, I'd love for you to join me over there too. And if you know someone who's trying to break into VC, raise capital, or just understand how this crazy industry works, send them my way! Come along👇2d ago2.7K2066061.42%
So this is kinda crazy…my newsletter is now recommended to EVERY traveler at the Austin International Airport who connects to WiFi for 1 month starting today. That airport serves roughly 1.4 million to 2.1 million passengers each month.  If ~60% connect to wifi, that’s a potential 850,000 people seeing MY newsletter!! Honestly wild to think about. @beehiiv continues to offer these growth opportunities for niche creators who use their platform. You probably saw that in July I was on a Times Square billboard thanks to them too. (if you missed that, see the photos here: https://t.co/nyWMya3BiA) Of all the tools I’ve used for my media business, this is by far the one that cares the most about its creators' success. Thank you to the team over at beehiiv. You’re the best!!  P.S. of course use beehiiv if you’re considering starting a newsletter yourself. It pays off.frozen17d ago2.4K1320030.76%
One of the weirdest things happening in VC right now: Investors are selling access to their SPVs to other investors, who then sell that access to MORE investors. SPVs within SPVs within SPVs… You could invest in a company that 5x’s and still lose nearly half the ending value to middlemen. I broke down what’s going on and why it matters. https://t.co/Lr2xSns5M8frozen10d ago2.0K14260101.57%
Using a frontier LLM to make every little decision is like hiring a McKinsey consultant to decide what you should have for lunch. SubQ Snap is making sure that doesn’t happen10d ago1.9K1232031.07%
As an investor, you have to learn to talk your book. It’s table stakes in this business. So many VCs are storytellers and they know how to make themselves and their funds look incredible (almost always better than they’re probably doing).15d ago82100001.22%