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When I began structuring our first venture fund in Las Vegas, the advice I kept hearing was familiar: move fast, get it launched and don’t overthink it. The local market wanted momentum, and I was told that delay equals risk. But something about the structure we were being handed didn’t sit right with me.
So I did the opposite of what urgency was demanding. I slowed down. I went back to the University of Arizona, where colleagues had already built multiple funds, and asked them to walk me through how they structured Fund I. We reviewed their documents in detail. I studied what worked and why. Then I came back and said, “We’re not doing it that way. There’s a better approach, and it’s already been proven.”
That delay created durability.
What looks like slow motion early on often becomes the fastest path to scale later. When you reduce resistance, you increase throughput. When you build alignment, you reduce friction. When people are truly aligned, execution accelerates.
Here are five counterintuitive strategies that help you go slow to go fast and build for the long term.
Deep listening is not polite. It is predictive.
Most leaders think they are listening when they are really just waiting to respond. Deep listening is active listening plus one step: interpreting intent. You notice hesitation. You read tone. You connect what is being said to incentives, fears, constraints and goals. That context helps you understand what is actually being communicated, not just what is being said.
I learned how costly the opposite can be by watching a leader who regularly cut people off mid-thought and responded without engaging their point. It weakened trust and left value on the table. People will tell you what matters if you give them space, but they stop if they feel ignored.
In your next key meeting, ask one follow-up question that starts with “Help me understand what is behind that.” If there is a pause, don’t rush to fill it. Let it sit.
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