My first friends in San Diego were Gary Benitt (back left) and Alex Bard (right behind me). I was moving here in 2010 to get out of the real estate depressed Phoenix..and the heat to build Stocktwits. Tony Conrad at True Ventures who is my Stocktwits investor said I need to meet Gary and Alex as they were starting a new company.
I met with them, they pitched me Assistly and I invested with Tom (as angels before our funds had started) immediately. They immediately invested in Social Leveregae which at the time was a holding company and my favorite idea at the time Etoro. Eventually True Ventures invested in Assistly as well. Gary and Alex moved up to San Francisco (I did not ask them too) almost immediately and built a great company that Salesforce acquired.
Very long story short both Gary and Alex are now both back in San Diego and it is fun to be able to see them both. Gary of course is my partner and Alex is a partner at Redpoint Ventures.
Gary and Alex also introduced me to Vinny Lingham way back who has also now moved down to San Diego.
We have been investing together in each other’s ideas and companies for 10 years, Gyft, Civic, Multicoin, Assistly and Social Leverage but the four of us have never been in the same room together at the same time.
In a couple hours together we covered our families of course but also about 700 companies and I need a rest.
Life is good.
