Eclipse

So, @adamhjk is spot-on here -- and to a degree that was honestly surprising. Aren't all startups either fundmakers or zeroes? As it turns out, no -- or at least not to the degree that we were... It took us a while to see the pattern, but because of this starkly bifurcated potential outcome, we were REALLY divisive within partnerships: over and over again, we had partnerships tell us that their normally genteel firm had nearly come to blows over Oxide. (Always when they passed, BTW!) The level of discord was surprising: there were partners who quit their firms over Oxide (more than one!) -- and there was one who LEFT VENTURE after their firm passed on Oxide (!!). Of course, it wasn't over Oxide per se, but rather over the disagreement about us, as it highlighted a deep fracture in the firm -- one that went to the heart of what venture capital MEANS. For us, for our advocates, and for the partners that championed us within their firms, we were the epitome of what VC should be -- and when their partnership passed, it caused them to question their own career trajectory. Which of course made it that much more satisfying when we discovered firms like @EclipseVentures: they saw what we saw -- and were unafraid. So to the ones who invested, thank you for being believers; it is obviously thrilling for us to make good on your belief in us. And to the ones that lost the fight over Oxide within their partnerships: we see you, and we know that you believed in us too -- and hope that your career since has been blessed with colleagues who share your boldness!