We’re moving into a new phase of fintech. It’s no longer just about cleaner interfaces or faster onboarding. The real shift is happening under the surface, where AI and programmable infrastructure are starting to reshape the core systems of finance. In this piece, I share how I’m thinking about the next wave of innovation, from tokenized liquidity and real-time risk to embedded intelligence and adaptive rails.

AI is evolving fast—but not always in the ways people expect. In 2025, we’re seeing a shift from flashy demos to real-world deployment, from model obsession to distribution advantage, and from horizontal tools to vertical, domain-specific products. In this post, I share the trends I’m watching most closely as an investor—what’s breaking through the noise, where founders are building with real momentum, and what’s likely to define the next chapter of AI.

Breaking into venture capital isn’t about finding the perfect playbook — it’s about doing the work before anyone’s watching. In this post, I share lessons from my own non-linear path into VC, including practical ways to build trust, show up for founders, and contribute meaningfully to the ecosystem. Whether you’re coming from operations, finance, or a completely different world, there’s no one way in — but there are better ways to show up.

Everyone says they “support” founders—but what does that actually mean? In this post, I unpack what meaningful portfolio support really looks like beyond the check. From navigating tough hiring decisions to unlocking strategic distribution, I share real examples and a simple framework I use to measure impact. Great portfolio work isn’t about volume—it’s about being useful when it counts.

For years, VCs obsessed over model performance as the core moat in AI. But in 2025, that’s no longer the edge—it’s access. The hardest thing in AI today isn’t building a model; it’s getting it in the hands of real users, embedded into workflows, and scaled across markets. This piece breaks down why distribution has replaced raw model innovation as the new competitive frontier—and what that means for founders, investors, and the future of defensibility.

You’ve built something powerful—but if your customers don’t understand it, it won’t matter. In this post, I break down how founders can communicate complex AI products in a way that resonates with non-technical buyers. From simplifying your language to focusing on outcomes (not architecture), this is a tactical guide to earning trust, shortening sales cycles, and making the value of your AI obvious—even to people who’ve never heard of a transformer model.

Don Hoang, early-stage investor and operator (Uber, Revolut), shares his framework for evaluating startup founders—from early-stage vision to execution and long-term defensibility.