Nick Merrill

If you work hard consistently, in the same or related industries, with the same people — you will succeed if through nothing else than iteration alone. Naval Ravikant says to play iterated games with iterated people. It has been my experience that this is a universal truth and the surest path to success. Every venture I've built proves it: the same relationships, the same industries, the same commitment to excellence — compounding over 14+ years.

In today's workforce, we're heavily reliant on digital communication. But a personal presence is so much more powerful. Body language, camaraderie, the unspoken understanding that comes from being in a room together — a high level of communication is completely nonverbal. Fostering strong relationships with the people you work with and depend on for success isn't optional. It's a must. Every major deal, every partnership, every breakthrough in my career came from a relationship built face to face.

Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered. Show returns for your partners in advance — knowing you've got years to recoup — and then watch the returns flow in. Do the right thing. It seems simple in practice, but when faced with challenges at work or opportunities that might stress a relationship, always take the high road. I'm a student of game theory and the prisoner's dilemma, and I integrate this as a core part of my decision-making: cooperate first, play fair, and optimize for the long game. The people who cut corners win once. The people who play with integrity win forever.