The Generalist | Mario Gabriele | Substack

No Rivals: Founders Fund

No Rivals: The Kingdom (Part IV)

Founders Fund’s power spans Silicon Valley, the Pentagon, and the White House. Can it remain singular as others mimic its moves?

Jul 1, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

No Rivals: The Gospel (Part III)

How Founders Fund mastered the art of provocation and rebooted Silicon Valley's intellectual operating system.

Jun 26, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

No Rivals: The Disciples (Part II)

Peter Thiel is not a manager. But his singular eye for talent allowed him to assemble an unorthodox team that went on one of venture’s hottest streaks.

Jun 19, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

No Rivals: The Prophet (Part I)

Founders Fund, led by Peter Thiel, has ascended to the pinnacle of Silicon Valley. Its fundamental genius is wanting differently.

Jun 12, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Recommended

The Future 50 is here

Meet 50 of the world’s highest-potential startups. Nominated by investors, selected by The Generalist.

Aug 7, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

The Jeff Bezos Playbook

The management principles that forged a global empire.

Feb 13, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

The Elon Musk Playbook

The management principles of the world’s most productive and polarizing person.

Aug 27, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Introducing The Future 50

Meet 50 of the world’s highest-potential startups. Nominated by investors, selected by The Generalist.

Jul 16, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Being the GOAT has more upside than ever. Lionel Messi’s upcoming $200MM fund and incubation studio lays the groundwork for a modern approach to…

Feb 22, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

The Best Venture Firm You’ve Never Heard Of

Hummingbird Ventures has built an astonishing track record – all while staying out of the limelight. Its secret to success? A meticulous approach to…

Dec 3, 2023 • Mario Gabriele

A24: The Rise of a Cultural Conglomerate

The indie studio is behind some of Hollywood’s biggest hits and critical darlings. It has designs on becoming media’s answer to LVMH.

Sep 22, 2023

AI and The Burden of Knowledge

A story of superior intelligence and possible obsolescence.

Jun 25, 2023 • Mario Gabriele

Case Studies

No Rivals: The Disciples (Part II)

Peter Thiel is not a manager. But his singular eye for talent allowed him to assemble an unorthodox team that went on one of venture’s hottest streaks.

Jun 19, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

No Rivals: The Prophet (Part I)

Founders Fund, led by Peter Thiel, has ascended to the pinnacle of Silicon Valley. Its fundamental genius is wanting differently.

Jun 12, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Inside the Secret School for the World’s Best Founders

Avra, run by former Y Combinator investors, keeps a low profile. It’s quickly becoming a critical partner for elite entrepreneurs.

Oct 3, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Consider the Eel

Inside the curious and potentially lucrative quest to grow eels in a laboratory.

Aug 1, 2024 • Joseph Rachman

Working with The Olympians: Inside Traba’s Intense Culture

The $200 million industrial staffing platform is disrupting a big, unsexy market. It’s doing so with a work ethic that has captured attention and…

Apr 21, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Interviews

Modern Meditations: Immad Akhund

Mercury’s CEO on Genghis Khan, the limits of growth, and the secrets of excellence.

Dec 18, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Bubble Memory: A CEO’s Reflections on the Dotcom Boom and Bust

Steve Case’s lessons for founders building in the AI gold rush.

Dec 11, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Modern Meditations: Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh’s views on an “intelligence explosion,” WWII, and 18th century seafaring.

May 22, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Modern Meditations: Keith Rabois

The venture capitalist on Margaret Thatcher, identifying breakout talent, and why you should add stress to your life.

Apr 24, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Modern Meditations: Robin Hanson

The economist and futurist on culture drift, fertility decline, and why civilization may be in its "dream time."

Mar 20, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Nadia Asparouhova on antimemetics, nuclear mysticism, and scrolling

The independent researcher and author of “Working in Public” shares her thoughts on “gentlemen scientists,” career games, and Jane Jacobs.

Jan 16, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Modern Meditations: Caleb Watney

What DOGE should do, the potential in far-UV, and how billionaires should spend their money

Dec 19, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Chip War's Chris Miller on Putin, China, and The Future

The historian and writer shares his thoughts on great power conflict, Japanese economic history, and flawed utility functions.

Aug 22, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

In-depth analysis of the people, companies, and technologies shaping the future.

Venture Capital

Letters to a Young Investor: Mike Maples, Jr.

The Floodgate co-founder on backing Twitter and missing Figma.

Oct 23, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

How to Build a Tier 1 Fund

Kirsten Green’s tactical lessons from scaling Forerunner into a venture force.

Apr 3, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

How to Be a Top 1% Angel

A guide to winning as an individual investor.

Mar 13, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Kirsten Green: A Consumer Investing Masterclass

Kirsten Green shares the unique frameworks she uses to find consumer unicorns first.

Mar 6, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Letters to a Young Investor: Kirsten Green

The Forerunner founder on failure, persistence, and breaking into venture.

Feb 6, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

Guides

Investors Guides: The Full Collection

Tactics from 50 elite investors on finding breakout companies, winning deals, and constructing enduring firms.

Mar 27, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

How to Be a Top 1% Angel

A guide to winning as an individual investor.

Mar 13, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

The definitive guide to winning with secondaries

Dec 10, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

How to Actually Add Value

A guide to avoid becoming a venture cliché and aiding your companies.

Nov 21, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

How VCs Build Soft Power

A guide to constructing a personal monopoly.

Oct 15, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Mastering Portfolio Construction

How to build a strategy that maximizes returns.

Sep 19, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

How to Raise From Institutional LPs

The definitive tactical guide to winning over endowments, foundations, and more.

Sep 3, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

How to Spot a Supertrend

A definitive guide to seeing into the future and capitalizing on it.

Aug 8, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Artificial Intelligence

Audience of One

Every story is written for you alone.

Apr 10, 2025 • Mario Gabriele

The Bitter Religion: AI’s Holy War Over Scaling Laws

The AI community is locked in a doctrinal battle about its future and whether sufficient scale will create God.

Nov 14, 2024 • Michael Dempsey

The Year AI Gets a Better Body

Sam Altman and Jony Ive are working on a new AI hardware device. The search for innovative form factors for the technology may be one of the most…

Jan 4, 2024 • Mario Gabriele

Life in a Kingdom of Dangerous Magic

Or, why regulating artificial intelligence is so difficult.

Sep 10, 2023

What to Watch in AI (July 2023)

Investors from Sequoia, USV, Kleiner Perkins, and more select the AI startups you should keep an eye on.

Jul 23, 2023

Actually understand.

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