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Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA

Founder of Positive Sum & Colossus

Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA is a prominent figure in the investment and venture capital world. Here are some key details about him:

Professional Background

Patrick O'Shaughnessy is the Founder and CEO of Positive Sum, an early-stage venture capital firm.23 He co-founded the firm with Sam Cates, and they invest across stages, particularly from Seed to Series B, in companies that are creating and reinventing categories.2

Investment Philosophy

O'Shaughnessy and Positive Sum focus on:

  • Seeking win-win opportunities where all parties have a vested interest from the start4
  • Taking calculated risks to create original and inspiring outcomes4
  • Providing resources and tools to help creators stay focused on their goals4
  • Embracing diversity in all its forms to foster true innovation4

Media Presence

Patrick is well-known for hosting the popular podcast "Invest Like the Best".1 This podcast features conversations with top investors and business leaders, exploring their ideas, methods, and stories to help listeners better invest their time and money.1

Other Ventures

In addition to Positive Sum, O'Shaughnessy is involved in several other initiatives:

  • O'Shaughnessy Ventures (OSV): This entity provides grants and support for ambitious creators across various domains4
  • Infinite Loops: A podcast and media platform for exploring transformative ideas4
  • O'Shaughnessy Fellowships: A program offering $100,000 grants to creators looking to build something great4

Investment in Tegus

In September 2022, Positive Sum invested $20 million in Tegus, a leading research platform for institutional investors.2 As part of this deal, O'Shaughnessy joined the Tegus Board as an Observer.2

Patrick O'Shaughnessy's approach combines quantitative analysis with creative thinking, making him a unique and influential figure in the investment world.

Highlights

Oct 27 · twitter

Cliff Sosin on the limits of intelligence:

"Superintelligence arrived. You probably didn't notice, because it turned out to be kind of incremental.

I think we overrated intelligence, or misread what it is.

We hold a thin scatter of facts about the world, and intelligence or reasoning is whatever fills the space between them.

Where the space between the facts behaves well, this is close to godlike. Most of what matters doesn't behave like that.

The universe is mostly the emergent behavior of complex systems. Stir cream into coffee. Watch a storm build out of nothing but atmospheric temperature differences and water vapor.

You have to run the thing.

The takeoff story assumed the limit was thinking. It isn't. The limit is contact with reality.

A smarter reasoner fills the gaps between known facts in simple areas faster and better, but it doesn’t produce new facts.

An AI will hand you a genuinely clever design for a jet turbine blade. It might be far more likely to work than anything your engineers came up with.

It'll still probably fail, because that’s the base rate at the edge of what anyone knows. The only way to find out is to build the blade and try to break it.

That's the real limit on learning, and it doesn't care how smart you are. Coming up with ideas was never the hard part. The hard part is how fast reality answers them.

Most problems can't be worked out at a desk by thinking. Those stay bound by how fast we can build the thing and see if it holds, and that clock barely moves."

From his essay "Maybe Intelligence Ain't All That." He walks through it here.

Cliff Sosin on the limits of intelligence:

"Superintelligence arrived. You probably didn't notice,
Oct 27 · twitter

https://t.co/JW4dH2N10I

https://t.co/JW4dH2N10I

Related Questions

What inspired Patrick O'Shaughnessy to start Positive Sum?
How did Patrick O'Shaughnessy's background influence his approach to venture capital?
What are some notable investments made by Positive Sum?
How does Patrick O'Shaughnessy's podcast influence his investment strategies?
What makes Positive Sum different from other venture capital firms?
Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA
Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA, photo 1
Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA, photo 2
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Location

Stamford, Connecticut, United States