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armankassym.com
Startup Investor | Exploring venture insights with a fresh, casual twist. From AI to economics, sociology to tech — real conversations, bold ideas, endless curiosity.✌️ 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkassym/ 🌐 https://armankassym.com/
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Your AI assistant is your new therapist. Ever catch yourself thanking ChatGPT or apologizing for typos? AI is shaping our manners. It’s weird — but kinda comforting.

submitted 20 hours ago • 2 comments

Some skills don’t show up on resumes but open every door. Knowing when to speak, when to listen, how to read the room without looking like you are. The best kind of presence is the kind that makes people feel you belong there, even if they can't explain why.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

In places like Tashkent or Almaty, founders raise $100-300K, build real stuff, and skip the unicorn fairytales. It's called seedstrapping. Less hype, more hustle.

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

Sometimes a startup stalls. Looks flat. Quiet. Maybe even hopeless. But then — weeks later — it moves. And you realize all that time, something was building. Not loud. Not obvious. Just… stacking up. Not every pause is the end. Sometimes it’s accumulation.

submitted 3 days ago • 3 comments

People yell politics in bars. Capital moves quiet. 2008: “Housing’s safe.” Goldman was shorting. 2014: Flags waving. Ruble collapsing. 2020: “Just a flu.” Markets bleeding. Forget the noise. Follow the capital.

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

30-second test: do you risk like a pro or like a rookie? You’ve got a 50% shot to double your money — or lose 40%. What’s your move? “No risk”? “I’d go for it”? Still amateur mode. If you said “depends on capital size” — you’re thinking sharper. Happy to explain if there’s interest.

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

Invisible luxury is the new flex. It’s not what you have, it’s what you don’t need to show. Silence, space, privacy — that’s premium now.

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

Maybe I’m old school, but I try not to buy from companies that go against my values — even if their product is good. I see my purchases as a way of voting for what I believe in.

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

AI has insane potential in venture analysis — no doubt. But you shouldn’t trust it blindly. It’s a tool, not a prophet. Use it to dig, spot patterns, pressure-test ideas. Just don’t let it replace your judgment.

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

Totally get the urge to protect your idea. But asking a VC for an NDA upfront often backfires. Instead, share just enough to spark trust and curiosity. In venture, clarity wins — and trust is built, not signed.

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

We reviewed a startup the other day that thought they’d nailed GTM. Signups spiked, the team cheered, and they rushed to pitch investors. Turned out, it was just a holiday bump — happens. Not every surge means you’re ready. But it’s not a failure — it’s just another lesson.

submitted 10 days ago • 3 comments

I really liked one recruiter’s answer to a question about AI bias in candidate interviews: “Yes, AI is often biased — but do you think humans aren't?” I’d add that it’s actually easier to teach AI to handle bias than it is to teach a person.

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

The hardest part of the most effective model is that one day it stops working. What used to bring results starts to fail. You try to fix it, but deep down you know it no longer fits. The world has changed — and now it’s your turn to catch up and rebuild.

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

Agree: PMF Score is critical at the MVP stage to determine if the product is worth pursuing. NPS takes priority at the ready-to-scale stage, focusing on enhancing user experience, retention, and growth.

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

Pattern recognition helps, but it can also trap you. The most interesting startups often feel off at first — something doesn't quite add up. That’s exactly why they’re overlooked. If it feels too familiar, chances are it’s already too late.

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

A pitch deck won’t save you if you’re the red flag. Investors read the founder first — how you think, how you speak, how you handle questions. If the pitch isn’t landing, it’s rarely the slides. It’s usually the story — or the one telling it.

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

You don’t get asymmetric returns from symmetric founders. Extraordinary outcomes often come from people who think differently, move faster, or see value before others do. They’re not reckless — just wired for a different kind of risk.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Your first hire isn’t a developer. It’s someone who gives a damn. At the earliest stage, it’s not about roles — it’s about shared urgency, curiosity, and care. Skills matter. But startups grow with people who stay after midnight because they want to.

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

A new VC doesn’t need a fund to start investing. AI handles the grunt work, platforms manage the structure, and the network does the rest. If the inbox stays empty, it might not be the market — just a sign it’s time to leave the coffee shop and get out in the field.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments