DB: Where are you?
JL: In Austin, Texas, where I just finished giving a keynote presentation. I’ve written four books and have done more than 1,000 keynotes all over the world. Today, I spoke to a large financial services company, including the CEO and several finance and distribution partners.
DB: What’s next?
JL: I had one year where I did 163 keynotes, but it proved to be too much. My target this year is to do 80 keynotes, which is a better balance, and I’ll hit that target. I have my guitar with me, and you may recall I’m a jazz guitarist. I’m heading to Dallas next, where I’ll be doing a jazz performance and a keynote presentation for the same client.
DB: How’s the new fund?
JL: My brother, Ethan, and I formed a new venture capital firm called Muditā Venture Partners that invests in early-stage software companies. It’s a $40-million fund that we launched late last year, and we’re looking to do five to seven deals a year. The goal is to make money, but we’ll really focus on finding companies to invest in that will have a positive impact on the world.
DB: Will you serve as an adviser?
JL: I’ve made mistakes of my own along the way, so we plan to share those, when relevant, as well as add value to a company by helping it scale and win. We want to mitigate risk and accelerate growth. We do that through our own experiences, and I can tap business leaders I’ve met from around the world for their knowledge.
DB: Are you writing another book?
JL: Last year I came out with “Big Little Breakthroughs,” and that went well. But I’m taking this year off from writing to focus on Muditā Venture Partners and my family.
