Author: Nat Jin

Wellesley Class of 2018; Second Year Analyst in Tech M&A. Interested in tracking progress re: recent developments, personal growth and learning.

my mothers hands

my hands evolve closerto my mother’s with agethough they’ve knownfar different worldsyou’d think the physicswouldn’t apply her hands: battle riddenat 30, painting the condoshe saved every penny to owntiling the floors until her back achedpaint splattered beneath her nailsas she flicked cards acrossthe green felt at commerce casinograveyard shift. texas hold’emto come home and hold … Continue reading my mothers hands →

in honor of Wellesley’s 150-year anniversary… a ~150-word meditation

Wellesley laughter spills into the muggy late-summer night. A sustainability-bin fan buzzing while August crickets chirp. We never identified when they sing their last song. It was ever so loud, then pure silence by snowfall. It’s 2017. Cazenove Hall. Top floor. The turret rooms. Our blocking group hit the housing lottery. This enclave becomes our … Continue reading in honor of Wellesley’s 150-year anniversary… a ~150-word meditation →

Getting to YES by Roger Fisher & William Ury

Principled negotiation is looking for mutual gains wherever possible. Negotiation isn't just about bargaining over positions - that's the most topical understanding of the act. Sophisticated and efficient negotiations take place when we are thoughtful of emotions, focus on incentives, expand our possible choice set, and look for mutual gains. Fisher and Ury lay out … Continue reading Getting to YES by Roger Fisher & William Ury →

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter & How to Make the Most of Them by Meg Jay

Maddie recommended this book last weekend when she visited. I’m always game for self-help books and this sounded especially topical as I begin my early 20s. I found a few quiet hours on Easter Sunday and blasted through the ~200 pages of insightful and thoughtful advice. High-level highlights: Meg Jay pulls anecdotes from her experience … Continue reading The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter & How to Make the Most of Them by Meg Jay →

World After Capital (WIP)

Albert Wenger (Partner, Union Square Ventures) shares his philosophy on a few key points: We are experiencing a technological non-linearity due to digital technologies two key properties (1) ability to scale at zero marginal cost and (2) universality of computation. These two properties combined is going to drive a profound increase in what is possible … Continue reading World After Capital (WIP) →

Startup (SaaS Specific) Metrics Broken Down with Model Attached

Startups, and SaaS ones in particular, have a unique set of key performance indicators ("KPIs") that help investors track performance. There are a ton of resources online that explain the definitions / how to calculate these metrics, but I thought it would be helpful to build it out in a model where you could tinker … Continue reading Startup (SaaS Specific) Metrics Broken Down with Model Attached →

How to Think About Cap Tables, Funding, Ownership, & Valuations

A friend was going through case studies at a venture firm and one of the questions asked how he would think about financing / funding. The case study attached an equity cap table. Although I've seen cap tables previously, they've primarily been for liens of debt. This is a different ball game. It's not about … Continue reading How to Think About Cap Tables, Funding, Ownership, & Valuations →