David Yi

A Letter from David Yi

Dear Founders

A weekly letter for founders. The parts nobody says out loud.

Read by 50,000+ founders and builders on LinkedIn.

What founders write back.

Unedited comments from the conversations around David's letters.

Nelson Vicente
Founder & CEO @ Sirius GreenTech

Out of all the dalai lamas of the fundraising world 😄, you're the most coherent — and the one who truly teaches and strengthens the foundation of those who genuinely want to learn. Hats off to you.

Humphrey Aj.
Human | Problem Solver | Founder

Don't know bro. Read post. Witty, humble, insightful. Hit follow.

Cheryl Edison
US Market Entry & Fundraising · Startup Growth, 76 Countries

i love reading your posts. Always insightful, amusing. Great combination.

Dan Kelly
Multi-Exit Founder & CEO · ADAR Technologies

“Capital is an amplifier… not a savior.” Love this one-liner. I'm going to use this and quote you for years to come.

Rupal Patel
Professor | Entrepreneur | Investor

I absolutely love this and it's refreshing to hear a VC say this

Kathy Leake
CEO · Board Director To Watch 2026 · AI & Technology Veteran

Kudos on the integrity and transparency to admit all of this. Not enough people admit to failure — it's always swept under the rug.

Jason J. Nabi
Founder & CEO @ WealthAi

The best post of the decade.

Midad Khan
Founder & CEO @ MNEX Group

What makes this perspective interesting is the honesty behind it. In a world where people are constantly encouraged to "scale fast" or chase trends, it is refreshing to see someone emphasize substance.

María Molinar
Founder @ Monthlee

I think this is the most honest and clear take on the reality: "Fundraising is just two groups of ambitious, mildly delusional humans, trying to look sane in front of each other." 😆👏

Dana Alhanbali
TEDx Speaker | Founder | Strategist | Podcast Host

Love this. Don't know you but want to just from this refreshing take.


More ways I show up for founders.

The Book

The Oldest Playbook

Ancient founders. Modern builders. One playbook.

Trends expire. Wisdom compounds. I'm writing The Oldest Playbook in public, one Concert at a time: walking through the founders of the oldest texts and what they teach the builders of today.

The book →

Join the weekly Concert on LinkedIn →

A live teaching every week. Come get a taste before the book arrives.


The Essays

Unicorn Parents

Two builds at once. The company, and the kids.

Most business circles ignore family, and most parenting spaces don't understand the demands of a company. Unicorn Parents is a weekly essay for founders building companies while raising the people who'll outlast them.

Read Unicorn Parents →


The Chapel

Founder Chapel

Building is heavier than anyone admits. The chapel is a quiet room for founders carrying more than they can say out loud: no pitch, no performance, no audience. Come as you are.

Enter the chapel →


About David

Portrait of David Yi

I'm an investor and eight-time founder. Over twenty years, I've helped build more than $10B in value between Asia and America, with two exits of my own along the way. A few years ago I moved with my wife to Saigon and started Quintstone, a permanent capital firm built to hold companies for decades, not quarters. Today, I write letters to founders on conviction, endurance, and building what outlasts you.

Read more →


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