Stuff

My passions include business (especially startups), technology, great food, wines and champagne, the Cape, boating, high performance and exotic cars, making music, and much more.

Here I share some links, pictures and videos related to my interests.

Startups & Venture Funding

I started out my business career when I was 18, with my first startup. I only got it right a few years later, with the third one, but it was a great humbling and learning experience. Things have changed a lot since then, and there’s more activity than ever happening in South Africa. I love being involved in this sector, and this is one of the reasons I founded the Silicon Cape Initiative, and am now actively involved in angel investing and venture funding.

If you’re looking to learn more about startups and venture funding, particularly if you’re a young entrepreneur starting out, I’d highly recommend you read some of the following.

• http://www.ycombinator.com/lib.html
• http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/pitching-a-vc/
• http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html
• http://www.feld.com
• http://www.techcrunch.com
• http://www.kalahari.net/books/Raising-Venture-Capital-for-the-Serious-Entrepreneur/632/30639890.aspx (Very highly recommended book for entrepreneurs and venture investors)

Music

I enjoy just jamming for the fun of it. I play the drums and guitar, and sometimes whatever else happens to be lying around the studio at home, such as maybe a harmonica…

If you’re interested to see what random and often ridiculous stuff comes out of the spontaneous jam sessions with my good friend and fellow muso Michael, family and other friends, check out our Facebook page! We mostly enjoy just making up our own original music, completely on the fly.

I’m also the angel investor behind a new up-and-coming young hip hop group from Cape Town, the Purple Hearts. They’re busy creating their launch album right now, but we have pre-released four tracks already, so go and check them out on their Facebook page. They have an international quality sound with mixed up styles that I think appeals very broadly.

Cars

I’m a complete petrolhead. I’m passionate about performance cars and the joys of skilled driving. I’ve had the opportunity to drive many different interesting cars, from M3s to Murcielagos, and have also been fortunate enough to own a few too. I’m particularly fond of modern Aston Martins.

Supercar ownership brings with it many burdens, but more importantly it also brings many joys. From mastering the skills needed to drive them properly, to meeting and chatting with other likeminded enthusiasts, to making dreams come true for a friend’s matric dance or wedding…

Check out the South African CarForums.co.za and the Pistonheads.com Aston Martin section.

Food & Wine

I love great food and wines. Whether it’s just a braai with friends at home, or enjoying one of the vast selection of top restaurants we have available to us in the Cape. Fine dining is a rich experience, where you can appreciate and enjoy the artwork created by a chef working his canvas, and we have some fantastic examples, often found in picturesque winelands or coastal settings. My favourite places to eat include Terroir in Stellenbosch and the 12 Apostles on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Local red wines are something I really enjoy, particularly the variety of low volume boutique producers that are emerging in various regions from the West Coast to Robertson. I also love champagnes, and some of my personal favourites are Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and Bollinger.