Arc5 Ventures
@arc5ventures.com
go to revenue (gtr) isn’t a trend, it’s our playbook. a5v backs founders who make impact (and money) in the real world.
found out today was a federal holiday
by accident
that probably says more
about the economy we’re in
than my schedule
by accident
that probably says more
about the economy we’re in
than my schedule
January 20, 2026 at 4:26 AM
found out today was a federal holiday
by accident
that probably says more
about the economy we’re in
than my schedule
by accident
that probably says more
about the economy we’re in
than my schedule
first check isn’t about potential.
it’s about momentum.
investors fund motion, not slides.
decisions beat decks.
speed beats pretty projections.
clear numbers beat big promises.
first checks go to founders who make progress inevitable.
are you actually showing momentum?
it’s about momentum.
investors fund motion, not slides.
decisions beat decks.
speed beats pretty projections.
clear numbers beat big promises.
first checks go to founders who make progress inevitable.
are you actually showing momentum?
January 17, 2026 at 4:38 AM
first check isn’t about potential.
it’s about momentum.
investors fund motion, not slides.
decisions beat decks.
speed beats pretty projections.
clear numbers beat big promises.
first checks go to founders who make progress inevitable.
are you actually showing momentum?
it’s about momentum.
investors fund motion, not slides.
decisions beat decks.
speed beats pretty projections.
clear numbers beat big promises.
first checks go to founders who make progress inevitable.
are you actually showing momentum?
quiet metrics don’t mean nothing’s happening.
they mean the signal’s clean.
no hype.
no noise.
no borrowed momentum.
just:
what do you see
when no one’s clapping yet?
they mean the signal’s clean.
no hype.
no noise.
no borrowed momentum.
just:
what do you see
when no one’s clapping yet?
January 16, 2026 at 4:39 AM
quiet metrics don’t mean nothing’s happening.
they mean the signal’s clean.
no hype.
no noise.
no borrowed momentum.
just:
what do you see
when no one’s clapping yet?
they mean the signal’s clean.
no hype.
no noise.
no borrowed momentum.
just:
what do you see
when no one’s clapping yet?
people still argue about 10/20/30.
that’s usually the tell.
when the deck is the debate,
the business isn’t ready yet.
slides don’t need rules.
decisions do.
that’s usually the tell.
when the deck is the debate,
the business isn’t ready yet.
slides don’t need rules.
decisions do.
January 15, 2026 at 3:52 AM
people still argue about 10/20/30.
that’s usually the tell.
when the deck is the debate,
the business isn’t ready yet.
slides don’t need rules.
decisions do.
that’s usually the tell.
when the deck is the debate,
the business isn’t ready yet.
slides don’t need rules.
decisions do.
everyone has ai in the kitchen now.
same tools.
same speed.
ai does the prep.
humans still decide.
as ideas and execution deflate,
judgment feels like the scarce thing.
at least from what i’m seeing.
same tools.
same speed.
ai does the prep.
humans still decide.
as ideas and execution deflate,
judgment feels like the scarce thing.
at least from what i’m seeing.
January 14, 2026 at 2:23 AM
everyone has ai in the kitchen now.
same tools.
same speed.
ai does the prep.
humans still decide.
as ideas and execution deflate,
judgment feels like the scarce thing.
at least from what i’m seeing.
same tools.
same speed.
ai does the prep.
humans still decide.
as ideas and execution deflate,
judgment feels like the scarce thing.
at least from what i’m seeing.
when everyone agrees,
momentum is already at risk.
consensus feels like progress.
it isn’t.
it usually means no one owns the call yet.
so the decision stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone steps up,
the leverage is gone.
momentum is already at risk.
consensus feels like progress.
it isn’t.
it usually means no one owns the call yet.
so the decision stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone steps up,
the leverage is gone.
January 13, 2026 at 5:25 AM
when everyone agrees,
momentum is already at risk.
consensus feels like progress.
it isn’t.
it usually means no one owns the call yet.
so the decision stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone steps up,
the leverage is gone.
momentum is already at risk.
consensus feels like progress.
it isn’t.
it usually means no one owns the call yet.
so the decision stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone steps up,
the leverage is gone.
everyone agrees.
that’s the tell.
no one owns the call,
so it stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone decides,
momentum is already gone.
that’s the tell.
no one owns the call,
so it stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone decides,
momentum is already gone.
January 10, 2026 at 5:12 AM
everyone agrees.
that’s the tell.
no one owns the call,
so it stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone decides,
momentum is already gone.
that’s the tell.
no one owns the call,
so it stays polite.
reversible.
safe.
by the time someone decides,
momentum is already gone.
most teams think they’re choosing between speed and alignment.
they’re not.
they’re choosing between
a clean conversation now
or a harder one later.
both feel uncomfortable.
only one compounds.
they’re not.
they’re choosing between
a clean conversation now
or a harder one later.
both feel uncomfortable.
only one compounds.
January 9, 2026 at 6:23 AM
most teams think they’re choosing between speed and alignment.
they’re not.
they’re choosing between
a clean conversation now
or a harder one later.
both feel uncomfortable.
only one compounds.
they’re not.
they’re choosing between
a clean conversation now
or a harder one later.
both feel uncomfortable.
only one compounds.
there’s a moment when progress becomes optional.
nothing is broken.
everything is reversible.
one decision just waits.
eventually it gets made.
by then, it matters less.
nothing is broken.
everything is reversible.
one decision just waits.
eventually it gets made.
by then, it matters less.
January 8, 2026 at 4:36 AM
there’s a moment when progress becomes optional.
nothing is broken.
everything is reversible.
one decision just waits.
eventually it gets made.
by then, it matters less.
nothing is broken.
everything is reversible.
one decision just waits.
eventually it gets made.
by then, it matters less.
early january pattern:
teams say they’re “getting aligned.”
what they’re really doing is buying time.
no one owns the call yet.
so everything stays reversible.
progress stays theoretical.
someone will decide eventually.
the cost is the drift until then.
teams say they’re “getting aligned.”
what they’re really doing is buying time.
no one owns the call yet.
so everything stays reversible.
progress stays theoretical.
someone will decide eventually.
the cost is the drift until then.
January 7, 2026 at 5:21 AM
early january pattern:
teams say they’re “getting aligned.”
what they’re really doing is buying time.
no one owns the call yet.
so everything stays reversible.
progress stays theoretical.
someone will decide eventually.
the cost is the drift until then.
teams say they’re “getting aligned.”
what they’re really doing is buying time.
no one owns the call yet.
so everything stays reversible.
progress stays theoretical.
someone will decide eventually.
the cost is the drift until then.
today separates planners from operators.
no resolutions.
no vision decks.
no kickoff theater.
just one question we’re watching teams answer:
what moves revenue forward
before
everything feels ready?
2026 won’t reward polish.
it’ll reward motion.
no resolutions.
no vision decks.
no kickoff theater.
just one question we’re watching teams answer:
what moves revenue forward
before
everything feels ready?
2026 won’t reward polish.
it’ll reward motion.
January 6, 2026 at 4:44 AM
today separates planners from operators.
no resolutions.
no vision decks.
no kickoff theater.
just one question we’re watching teams answer:
what moves revenue forward
before
everything feels ready?
2026 won’t reward polish.
it’ll reward motion.
no resolutions.
no vision decks.
no kickoff theater.
just one question we’re watching teams answer:
what moves revenue forward
before
everything feels ready?
2026 won’t reward polish.
it’ll reward motion.
quiet week pattern we keep seeing:
metrics checked.
deck tweaked.
no one calls the customer.
nothing breaks.
nothing moves.
silence is comfortable.
until it compounds.
metrics checked.
deck tweaked.
no one calls the customer.
nothing breaks.
nothing moves.
silence is comfortable.
until it compounds.
January 3, 2026 at 2:26 AM
quiet week pattern we keep seeing:
metrics checked.
deck tweaked.
no one calls the customer.
nothing breaks.
nothing moves.
silence is comfortable.
until it compounds.
metrics checked.
deck tweaked.
no one calls the customer.
nothing breaks.
nothing moves.
silence is comfortable.
until it compounds.
most teams aren’t stuck.
they’re buffered.
buffered from disagreement.
buffered from decisions.
buffered from the one move that would clarify everything.
smooth weeks feel productive.
rough moments create progress.
they’re buffered.
buffered from disagreement.
buffered from decisions.
buffered from the one move that would clarify everything.
smooth weeks feel productive.
rough moments create progress.
January 1, 2026 at 8:01 PM
most teams aren’t stuck.
they’re buffered.
buffered from disagreement.
buffered from decisions.
buffered from the one move that would clarify everything.
smooth weeks feel productive.
rough moments create progress.
they’re buffered.
buffered from disagreement.
buffered from decisions.
buffered from the one move that would clarify everything.
smooth weeks feel productive.
rough moments create progress.
new year’s week creates a fake constraint.
“nothing meaningful starts until january.”
but founders don’t wait for clean calendars.
they notice slack.
they notice silence.
they notice what’s suddenly obvious when noise drops.
this week doesn’t pause momentum.
it reveals it.
“nothing meaningful starts until january.”
but founders don’t wait for clean calendars.
they notice slack.
they notice silence.
they notice what’s suddenly obvious when noise drops.
this week doesn’t pause momentum.
it reveals it.
December 31, 2025 at 4:52 PM
new year’s week creates a fake constraint.
“nothing meaningful starts until january.”
but founders don’t wait for clean calendars.
they notice slack.
they notice silence.
they notice what’s suddenly obvious when noise drops.
this week doesn’t pause momentum.
it reveals it.
“nothing meaningful starts until january.”
but founders don’t wait for clean calendars.
they notice slack.
they notice silence.
they notice what’s suddenly obvious when noise drops.
this week doesn’t pause momentum.
it reveals it.
alignment is a constraint a lot of teams obey.
everything has to line up first.
so they wait.
while they wait,
the mess grows.
it sounds responsible.
it avoids conflict.
but that voice usually isn’t the team.
or the market.
it’s a future version of themselves,
explaining the delay.
everything has to line up first.
so they wait.
while they wait,
the mess grows.
it sounds responsible.
it avoids conflict.
but that voice usually isn’t the team.
or the market.
it’s a future version of themselves,
explaining the delay.
December 30, 2025 at 5:28 AM
alignment is a constraint a lot of teams obey.
everything has to line up first.
so they wait.
while they wait,
the mess grows.
it sounds responsible.
it avoids conflict.
but that voice usually isn’t the team.
or the market.
it’s a future version of themselves,
explaining the delay.
everything has to line up first.
so they wait.
while they wait,
the mess grows.
it sounds responsible.
it avoids conflict.
but that voice usually isn’t the team.
or the market.
it’s a future version of themselves,
explaining the delay.
spent years thinking my job was to clarify things for founders.
realizing lately it might be to notice the right thing first
and shut up sooner.
still adjusting.
realizing lately it might be to notice the right thing first
and shut up sooner.
still adjusting.
December 27, 2025 at 3:29 AM
spent years thinking my job was to clarify things for founders.
realizing lately it might be to notice the right thing first
and shut up sooner.
still adjusting.
realizing lately it might be to notice the right thing first
and shut up sooner.
still adjusting.
did the founder open their laptop today?
not to work.
to make sure nothing exploded.
every operator knows the rule:
christmas eve is quiet right up until it isn’t.
if you checked your metrics before your gifts,
you’re our kind of founder.
die hard energy.
not to work.
to make sure nothing exploded.
every operator knows the rule:
christmas eve is quiet right up until it isn’t.
if you checked your metrics before your gifts,
you’re our kind of founder.
die hard energy.
December 25, 2025 at 3:56 AM
did the founder open their laptop today?
not to work.
to make sure nothing exploded.
every operator knows the rule:
christmas eve is quiet right up until it isn’t.
if you checked your metrics before your gifts,
you’re our kind of founder.
die hard energy.
not to work.
to make sure nothing exploded.
every operator knows the rule:
christmas eve is quiet right up until it isn’t.
if you checked your metrics before your gifts,
you’re our kind of founder.
die hard energy.
revenue isn’t a milestone.
it’s a survival trait.
gtr flips the script:
sell before you scale
charge before you polish
ship before you pitch
you don’t need a better deck.
you need receipts.
it’s a survival trait.
gtr flips the script:
sell before you scale
charge before you polish
ship before you pitch
you don’t need a better deck.
you need receipts.
December 24, 2025 at 4:10 AM
revenue isn’t a milestone.
it’s a survival trait.
gtr flips the script:
sell before you scale
charge before you polish
ship before you pitch
you don’t need a better deck.
you need receipts.
it’s a survival trait.
gtr flips the script:
sell before you scale
charge before you polish
ship before you pitch
you don’t need a better deck.
you need receipts.
grit isn’t intensity.
it’s the moment you stop hiding from the real work.
caught myself this week in founder theater:
tuning decks,
reworking stories,
polishing nothing that drives revenue.
looked busy.
zero momentum.
it’s the moment you stop hiding from the real work.
caught myself this week in founder theater:
tuning decks,
reworking stories,
polishing nothing that drives revenue.
looked busy.
zero momentum.
December 23, 2025 at 5:20 AM
grit isn’t intensity.
it’s the moment you stop hiding from the real work.
caught myself this week in founder theater:
tuning decks,
reworking stories,
polishing nothing that drives revenue.
looked busy.
zero momentum.
it’s the moment you stop hiding from the real work.
caught myself this week in founder theater:
tuning decks,
reworking stories,
polishing nothing that drives revenue.
looked busy.
zero momentum.
most weeks don’t end with answers.
they end with better questions.
that’s still progress.
they end with better questions.
that’s still progress.
December 20, 2025 at 7:13 AM
most weeks don’t end with answers.
they end with better questions.
that’s still progress.
they end with better questions.
that’s still progress.
note to self on raising early rounds:
– investors don’t fund potential, they fund momentum
– your deck isn’t the story, your decisions are
– short cycles beat shiny metrics
– clear math beats loud vision
early money follows founders who make progress inevitable.
– investors don’t fund potential, they fund momentum
– your deck isn’t the story, your decisions are
– short cycles beat shiny metrics
– clear math beats loud vision
early money follows founders who make progress inevitable.
December 19, 2025 at 3:30 AM
note to self on raising early rounds:
– investors don’t fund potential, they fund momentum
– your deck isn’t the story, your decisions are
– short cycles beat shiny metrics
– clear math beats loud vision
early money follows founders who make progress inevitable.
– investors don’t fund potential, they fund momentum
– your deck isn’t the story, your decisions are
– short cycles beat shiny metrics
– clear math beats loud vision
early money follows founders who make progress inevitable.
most founders think they have a “fundraising problem.”
they usually have a math problem.
revenue too small
cycles too long
story too soft
capital doesn’t fix that.
focus does.
they usually have a math problem.
revenue too small
cycles too long
story too soft
capital doesn’t fix that.
focus does.
December 18, 2025 at 5:35 AM
most founders think they have a “fundraising problem.”
they usually have a math problem.
revenue too small
cycles too long
story too soft
capital doesn’t fix that.
focus does.
they usually have a math problem.
revenue too small
cycles too long
story too soft
capital doesn’t fix that.
focus does.
great demos don’t happen by accident.
did you build to wow investors,
or to close a customer?
we’ve seen the difference.
so have your users.
did you build to wow investors,
or to close a customer?
we’ve seen the difference.
so have your users.
December 17, 2025 at 5:51 AM
great demos don’t happen by accident.
did you build to wow investors,
or to close a customer?
we’ve seen the difference.
so have your users.
did you build to wow investors,
or to close a customer?
we’ve seen the difference.
so have your users.
revenue is the only signal that survives a pitch deck.
everything else spins.
everything else spins.
December 16, 2025 at 6:44 AM
revenue is the only signal that survives a pitch deck.
everything else spins.
everything else spins.
the best founders don’t pitch. they explain.
we met one this week who turned 3 spreadsheets into a working ai model.
no buzzwords.
just shipping.
we met one this week who turned 3 spreadsheets into a working ai model.
no buzzwords.
just shipping.
December 12, 2025 at 10:59 PM
the best founders don’t pitch. they explain.
we met one this week who turned 3 spreadsheets into a working ai model.
no buzzwords.
just shipping.
we met one this week who turned 3 spreadsheets into a working ai model.
no buzzwords.
just shipping.