Stay Shameless

When I started my career, I cold emailed every CEO, executive, and venture capitalist whose email I could find. I wanted to learn. I wanted to find out how they got their job. I knew nothing about this world. To my surprise, quite a few actually responded. Those moments taught me the power of shamelessness: I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This mindset – cold emailing anyone, publicly sharing thoughts, jumping at opportunities without fear of rejection – became a superpower early in my career. As we progress, the dynamics shift. Those same people who once seemed unreachable are now peers and co-investors. The stakes feel higher because now we have relationships and a reputation that seem fragile. It's in these moments that many of us begin to self-edit. But here's what I've realized: that initial shamelessness worked because it came from genuine curiosity and the desire to learn. That authenticity resonated with people far more than any polished persona ever could. I still

saved by

• Aryan Naik