Best way to balance short & long term rewards as an investor

The best way to balance short- and long-term rewards as an investor is to first be a founder.

For me, the craving for short-term returns was extinguished as I struggled to get my first startup off the ground. After starting in 2005, it took until 2010 for us to finally become profitable. Then, a year later, our numbers started sloping down, and we tried everything to recover, ultimately shutting down in August 2011.

With my next startup, which launched in 2013, it took three years to reach profitability, which was sustainable until an exit some years later.

As an investor, I only view startups through the long-term lens.