If Dylan was VentureStaked®?

(And, Alignment > 996)

August 01, 2025

Delivered August 1, 2025 @ 5:00pm ET

Weather in Bloomington, IN - Crisp and sunny. Feels like a perfect day to tailgate and watch the IU Hoosiers whip someone’s you know what. 230 C / 730 F

Table of Contents

My name is Gerry Hays, Founder & CEO of Doriot® (pronounced “Doe-ree-oh”), a movement to break open the gates of venture and expand innovation and wealth beyond an elite few. Democratize Venture is my platform to explore the venture markets and share the insights, strategies, and frameworks I bring into the classroom. It’s where education meets execution—for anyone ready to play the startup game.

So what’s next for Doriot?

The Reveal Period for VentureStaking®—from April 15 to July 31—has now concluded. So, it begs the question “where do things go from here?”.

Before we look ahead, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we accomplished together during this 100-day window—and how much ground we covered.

  • 293 VentureStakes® were purchased during this period (our target was 250).

  • Over 50% of those were $25 or less, showing that this model resonates with the non-accredited investors in our target demographic, estimated to reach $2.4 Trillion in the coming years.

  • Est 20%+ of VentureStakers are female - super encouraging.

  • And, at least one VentureStaker® is residing in each of the following countries: Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Oman, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Singapore, United Kindom, and the United States.

  • We were named #1 Fintech Product on Product Hunt.

  • We had the opportunity to present VentureStaking® on the Cato Stage during a panel on Capital Formation.

  • Alts published an in-depth analysis of VentureStaking®.

  • We’ve received inbound interest from around the globe from people curious about this new system.

  • And, the USPTO granted Doriot® exclusive rights to VentureStaking® as both a noun and a verb so that we can protect the integrity of the system we are building.

In our eyes, Phase I of this R&D journey has been a major success. Keep in mind: nobody had even heard of a VentureStake before April 15, 2025. We’ve proven that people not only understand it—they want it.

Now, we move into the next chapter: Phase II — Launch.

This means building the team, growing our capacity, and securing the resources to bring this vision to life at scale. There’s no clear map for what comes next—but that’s the essence of R&D. We’re inventing something new. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far and energized by the momentum. If you’re reading this, thank you. You’re part of the mission, and your curiosity and engagement mean everything.

In summary:

  • ✅ 7 years and 25,000 hours to discover VentureStaking® — Check.

  • ✅ Phase I: 100-Day Reveal to demonstrate viability — Check.

  • 🚀 Phase II: Launch — Began today.

Onward!

What If Dylan Field Had Raised a VentureStaking Round Instead of Taking the Thiel Fellowship?

Let’s reimagine the Figma origin story—not as a solo bet by a billionaire, but as a community-backed journey through what we now call the Doriot Fellowship, powered by VentureStaking®.

First, the Real Story

In 2012, Dylan Field received a Thiel Fellowship—a $100,000 grant awarded by Peter Thiel’s foundation to visionary young people willing to drop out of college to pursue ambitious projects. The fellowship came with no strings attached—no equity, no repayment—just belief in the builder and a bet on their long-term potential.

Dylan used that freedom to explore. That R&D window led to the creation of Figma, the collaborative design platform. A year later, in 2013, he raised $3.8 million from Index Ventures at a share price of just $0.09.

Fast forward to 2025: Figma IPOs at $33 and closes its first trading day at $115.50 per share.

Now, Imagine a Different Beginning

What if Dylan hadn’t taken the Thiel Fellowship?

What if, instead, he received a Doriot Fellowship—raising the same early capital, but from a community?

In this scenario, Dylan raises $200,000 through VentureStaking®, with 2,000 early backers contributing $100 each. These individuals aren’t investors. They’re not buying shares. They’re simply providing early-stage R&D funding—just like the Thiel Fellowship—but from the crowd instead of a single benefactor.

Here’s the twist: while the Thiel Fellowship ends at the grant, the Doriot model introduces something more—the potential opportunity to invest later—at the same terms as the VCs. This is where the “social contract” between the Doriot Fellow and his or community comes into play.

Here’s How It Plays Out

  • Suppose Dylan raised $200,000 from 2,000 VentureStakers.

  • He then discovers Figma and raises $3.8 million from Index Ventures at $0.09/share.

  • He invites those same 2,000 VentureStakers (his Community) to invest up to $1,000 each in the round as well.

The Math

  • At $0.09/share, $1,000 buys 11,111 shares.

  • At IPO close of $115.50/share, that stake is worth: $1,282,321

  • Multiply that by 2,000 participants: $2.56 billion​

That’s over $2.5 billion in potential community wealth — created not by institutional access, but by early alignment with a founder’s vision.

This Is the Power of VentureStaking

  • R&D capital with no equity—up front, from the crowd.

  • Optional follow-on access, on the founder’s terms.

  • Same pro terms and timing as institutional investors.

  • Shared upside, powered by belief, not privilege.

What’s the Point?

No, not every startup will be Figma. But that’s not the point.

The point is: you shouldn’t have to be a VC or a billionaire to support the next big idea. You shouldn’t need a fund, a title, or insider access. All you need is alignment—with the builder, with the mission, with the future you want to help create.

That’s what VentureStaking® unlocks.

It takes the brilliance of the Thiel Fellowship—early, no-strings-attached belief—and scales it for a new era. Not one check. Not one fellow. But thousands.

And together, that’s how we build what’s next.

Alignment > 996

Ernest Hemingway

Entrepreneurship is a funny thing.

We’re conditioned to chase momentum — Red Bull in hand, calendar packed, inbox overflowing, always "on." Hustle has become the identity of Silicon Valley. Just look at the increasing popularity of the “996” schedule in the AI startup world: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. That’s 72 hours of grinding—sometimes incentivized with equity, sometimes expected as the price of entry. It’s modeled after China’s tech culture and positioned as a way to compete globally.

The logic is clear: the more you work, the more you’ll accomplish.

And yet… is that really scalable?

Sure, effort matters. But if you're always in the throes of doing—pushing, forcing, cranking—you leave no space for things to unfold. That’s not just exhausting. It's inefficient.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe: There is far more power in alignment than in hustle.

The most pivotal breakthroughs don’t come on command. They come when you’re quiet enough, clear enough, ready enough to receive them.

This became real for me recently. I was in a bit of a lull — waiting for the next move to reveal itself. No rush, just trusting. Then — bam. An email. An urgent call. And within 24 hours, I was presenting information that could directly impact the future of Doriot.

The surprising part wasn’t the pressure — it was the calm I felt. Not because there wasn’t fear, anxiety, or doubt (startups come with drama by default). But because I had already found alignment with my purpose. And once you’re aligned, the right doors open. Not because you kick them down, but because they were always meant for you.

Ernest Hemingway said, “Courage is grace under pressure.” But I’d argue that grace under pressure isn’t just about courage—it’s about clarity. It’s about alignment.

When you're aligned with what you’re meant to do, life doesn’t get easier. But it becomes navigable. You respond instead of react. You flow instead of force.

Here’s the message I want to share with you today:

The sooner you align with who you are and why you’re here, the less energy you’ll burn on internal conflict—and the more momentum you’ll gain from creative flow.

Alignment doesn’t mean coasting. It means knowing why you’re climbing the mountain—and which mountain is yours to climb. It transforms pressure into purpose. Setbacks into steps.

And this isn’t just mindset. It’s muscle memory. It changes how you move through your day:

  • You stop filling your schedule with noise and start making space for signal.

  • You stop chasing what looks good and start trusting what feels right.

  • You stop second-guessing and start building—with presence, clarity, and purpose.

So if you’re feeling stuck or foggy right now, don’t rush to force progress. Don’t default to “do more.” Pause. Reflect. Ask: What’s mine to do? What pulls me forward — not just what pushes me to perform?

Because when you act from alignment — not panic — you move differently. You think sharper. You build better.

And when your moment comes — and it will — you’ll be ready.

Wishing you a focused and fulfilling weekend,

– Gerry ([email protected])

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