Ambition vs Vision
Spoiler alert: you'll need both
It's been three years since my last blog post—a hiatus filled with learning the craft of investing. I joked with my partners last week that I finally know enough to know all the stuff I don’t know!
Yet, despite all I have learned, one thing has remained consistent: much of my perspective today is deeply influenced by my decade at Degreed.
When I decided to join Kickstart, David Blake (Degreed’s Co-Founder and CEO) wrote me a note that included a sentence I'll never forget:
"Never lose sight of what it feels like to build a startup."
Those words are ever-present on my mind, often a guide in how I think about investing, founders, and what it truly takes to build something remarkable.
Recently, I shared some thoughts on LinkedIn, sparked by a common refrain I've heard lately:
"Founders need to be more ambitious."
Each time I hear this, it bothers me. If someone is starting a company, they’re clearly ambitious. Yet “ambition” has become a lazy proxy for “Are they willing to bleed for it?”—as if sheer force of will alone separates great founders from the rest.
From my perspective, ambition alone isn’t enough. Ambition is energy—the willingness to hustle and grind. But vision is direction—the clarity about the world you’re working to build. Without vision, ambition quickly becomes unsustainable.
At Degreed, we had a saying: “Burn orange hot, never red.” Ambition without vision is like burning red—leading to burnout, exhaustion, and effort that can’t be maintained. Vision ensures you’re burning orange, channeling your energy into something meaningful, lasting, and transformative.
As an investor, I’ve met countless founders, each admirable in their own right for taking risks and putting themselves out there. But my role isn’t just to admire; it’s to identify opportunities capable of delivering truly outsized outcomes. And for that, vision matters most.
When I ask founders, “How does the world look different if you succeed?” their answer reveals their vision. When I ask, “How hard are you willing to work?” their answer reflects ambition. Great founders don’t just grind—they clearly envision the future they’re building.
Vision and ambition must coexist. Those who lead with both can create enduring companies that shape the future.
When I chose to join Kickstart, it was because each member of the team is empathetic, patient, and believe that lasting impact doesn’t come from ambition alone.
Together, we’re looking for founders whose vision defines the world they seek to create, and whose ambition is disciplined and sustainable enough to achieve it. If that’s you, we’d love to talk.
Well written—love this!