Who: Brad Feld

Claim To Fame: Brad Feld is a writer and speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. He’s written a number of books as part of the Startup Revolution series and writes the blogs Feld Thoughts and Venture Deals. Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars.

Where To Find Brad: His Website, Amazon, Twitter

Praise For Brad: “When I was getting started in the business, I hung on every word of Brad’s blog.” — Chris Sacca

Along with your books and blog, you are an investor and entrepreneur. When during the day do you write? Do you have a slotted time each day or is it more when you could find the time?

I generally write first thing in the morning or on the weekends. Generally, I am good for two or three hours at a time, and I go through phases where I’m either very consistent (daily) or extremely inconsistent (don’t write for several weeks, other than my blog.)

Where do you like to write? What does your ideal work environment look like?

I can write anywhere. In my house, I have a separate writing space that I go to, but I also like to write when I’m on the road. For example, I’m currently in Miami with my wife Amy and I’ve rented a cabana by the pool at the hotel we are at on Thursday to write for a few hours. My environment is sparse – just a laptop and music.

Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits before you sit down to write?

No. But I like to listen to certain types of music. I have a regular Pink Floyd two-hour playlist (Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals) but vary things up with stuff like Tangerine Dream and Rush.

What do you do when the writing isn’t coming easy? Do you struggle at all with that dreaded enemy of writing: writer’s block?

Oh yeah. Much of writing is suffering. I don’t stress about it – I just enjoy the suffering.

How did you develop your writing habits? Was there a specific job in your career where you honed in the routine that works best for you?

Practice, practice, practice. I just write. A lot. Some is good but a lot is crap.

Writers have to be master prioritizers — juggling all sorts of projects and deadlines at the same time. That’s certainly the case for you. Do you have any methods for managing tasks and time so to not let overwhelm sneak in?

I have organized my life so that I don’t manage anyone. I have an excellent assistant who handles a bunch of noise for me including all my scheduling and logistics. I have free time blocked in my calendar (I like to have time and space in the morning to meditate, run, write, and work on random stuff.) I have a short todo list (I use Todoist) that I clear regularly. I try to respond to my email and any phone calls with 24 hours. I try to be in the moment on whatever I’m doing, although that is regularly challenging. And, when I’m overwhelmed or stressed out, I don’t fight it, but just work through it.

Are there any traits you think great entrepreneurs, great VC’s, and great writers have in common?

I never think about stuff like this – it’s not how my brain works. So, I don’t really have a clue.

Great writers tend to be voracious readers. What does your reading habit look like?

I love to read a wide variety of stuff. I track everything I read at https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7288218 so you can get a flavor for it there. I read both Kindle and physical books (I have an infinite pile of both types.) I don’t watch much TV, so I read a lot at night and on the weekends.

What books or writers have most influenced the way you think and the way you write?

I’ve become friends with some contemporaries who inspire me a lot: Tim Ferriss and Ryan Holiday (for non-fiction) and Eliot Peper, William Hertling, and Daniel Suarez (for science fiction). I’m not sure that I’ve picked up habits from any of them, but I’ll periodically read a book from a master like Stephen King about writing (e.g. his book On Writing). The list of people who have influenced my thinking is endless.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

Yoda said it best. “Do or do not, there is no try.”

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