We often speak about working with fund managers that are good stewards of others’ capital and help steward their investments’ success well into the future.
As you have certainly read, after more than two decades as a leader in Silicon Valley, Sheryl Sandberg announced she planned to depart this fall as Meta/Facebook COO. Alongside Mark Zuckerberg, she built a behemoth of a business out of Facebook and grew revenue from $272 million in 2008 to nearly $118 billion in 2021.
Sandberg oversaw hundreds of initiatives that would create the modern advertising ecosystem, and her focus on scale and measurable outcomes led to significant commercial success and investment returns.
While not a fund manager, Sandberg was a great steward of capital and guided the business through massive growth, periods of instability, and ultimately on the path to becoming a once-in-a-generation company. Zuckerberg summarized her impact better than anyone else: “Sheryl architected our ads business, hired great people, forged our management culture, and taught me how to run a company.”
Gridline’s focus is building relationships with managers that have unique analytical talent, anticipate market movements, exhibit portfolio management skills, and have the deep conviction to outperform on a long-term basis in ways others can’t match. Sheryl Sandberg embodied these characteristics more than most in today’s business world.
-Logan Henderson, Founder and CEO
Worth a Read
TD Ameritrade Network | The Watch List with Nicole Petallides
While financial market headlines are overwhelmingly bleak, downturns rationalize the private markets, and innovation continues. Check out Logan on The Watch List.
The Exclusivity of Private Market Alpha
With the right approach, private market investing can be just as simple and safe as investing in public markets. Read more.
A Final Thought
Phil Herget and the team at Ardent Venture Partners reflect on investing through two decades of boom and bust that included the Dot-Com collapse of 2001 and the financial crisis of 2008:
{For a Smart, Experienced Investor,} Recessions Aren’t Always Doom and Gloom.
We share their optimism:
- “Downturns do cleanse and rationalize the venture market and ultimately create meaningful value creation opportunities for early-stage venture investors with available capital.”
- “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Let us know what you think – please don’t hesitate to reach out.
-The Team at Gridline