MeritFirst

The @8vc team does an incredible job of identifying and betting on talent early. The fellowship is a perfect example of that - a unique opportunity that combines hands-on internship experience with the chance to get in the room with and learn directly from exceptional leaders throughout the program. Our job at @MeritFirstUS is to design and deploy assessments and environments that allow exceptional talent to show what they can do. It’s a pleasure to support the 8VC team and its portfolio in identifying the next cohort. Excited to see what this group builds. If you know any early-career engineers or designers, tell them to apply!

Our teams @tryramp & @MeritFirstUS hosted GTM Intelligence night this week in NYC, digging into how sales roles are evolving, how Ramp leverages AI across the team, and what it means for hiring and finding great talent. Nothing beats having partners you genuinely enjoy working with. Our teams work incredibly hard, taking simple ideas very seriously (h/t Charlie Munger) - and it’s a blast to bring a big group together for a night like this. @max11free - you’re a legend. Lucky to be able to learn from you. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it possible. Let’s run it back!

awesome opportunity to work closely with @JTLonsdale & the @AmOptimistShow team excited for folks to get an early look at a new assessment environment we built & being used for the role optimists thrive on merit

AI is fundamentally changing how teams operate. Designers are shipping code, GTM teams are building their own tools - people are taking on work that used to sit well outside the scope of their roles. There’s a massive opportunity for high-agency people who keep learning and pushing to drive better outcomes for the business - and for the companies that can find those people and give them the room to run. Very excited to dig into how @tryramp is doing this across their GTM team on Oct. 20 in NYC. We’ll talk about what they’ve tried, what has worked vs. what hasn't, and how they’re thinking about the people and skills they need as the work changes. Join us - link to register in the first reply.

The best companies are built by people who keep raising the bar - for both their work and the teams they build. On October 20, @MeritFirstUS and @tryramp are teaming up for an event in NYC - GTM Intelligence: AI Night. I’ll be joining Max Freeman, Ramp’s SVP of Sales, to talk about AI, talent, and building a GTM team that constantly pushes the envelope. Ramp calls its early team a group of “brilliant misfits” - focused on finding exceptional people, giving them real responsibility, and letting them build. That approach seems to be working pretty well... They are leading the way in putting AI to work in GTM. We’ll get into the workflows that stuck, the ones that didn’t, and what it takes to excel when AI is part of the job. There’s real alpha in taking the difficult, unconventional paths - leaning into change, backing people others overlook, and thinking long-term. We’re building MeritFirst to unlock growth for the individuals and companies that want to challenge the status quo and focus on what really matters: putting substance and merit first. It’s an intimate room with attendance confirmed after registration. Request a spot: luma.com/ramp-meritfirst-gtm…

fun little challenge we built @MeritFirstUS - prove your VC skillset is stronger than @lessin!