Michael Dempsey approaches venture investing as applied science, spending most of his time reading scientific papers and building mental models of emerging fields before making investments rather than treating research as a side activity. He has developed formal processes to help deep-tech founders with long development cycles raise capital without compromising their technical missions to fit typical venture timelines, and regularly shares his detailed reasoning about value capture and market evolution through long-form public conversations.

• Appreciation for long-form writing and the intellectual rigor behind it. He frequently shares essays he writes and reads, such as his recent piece arguing that traditional VC-backed startups are becoming low status. He values the craft of writing as a tool for thinking and building relationships, evidenced by his creation of Vignette, a project designed to help people get comfortable writing on the internet.
• Support for unconventional and out-of-distribution ideas that do not fit the standard venture mold. He recently launched Compound Reverie Grants to provide micro-funding for individuals exploring strange and meaningful work at the edges of technology, signaling a desire to back projects that are creative and experimental rather than just commercial.
• Enthusiasm for transformative AI and autonomous systems, specifically highlighting progress in self-improving models. He has spoken positively about the technical strides made by companies like Anthropic and Wayve, noting how the latter challenged long-standing industry assumptions about the need for mapping in autonomous driving.
• Focus on crypto projects that prioritize genuine social interaction and novel on-chain behaviors. He explicitly praised the Party team for launching unique products that encourage groups to do things together on-chain while successfully generating real revenue, rather than just trading assets.
• Valuing the intersection of life, art, and technology. He often integrates music playlists into his work and reflects on artistic experiences, such as visiting a Monet exhibit, suggesting he appreciates founders who have a sense of aesthetics and soul beyond just raw metrics and growth.
• Respect for founders who focus on shipping product and staying underestimated rather than chasing prestige. He encourages builders to ignore the status games of the industry and instead focus on their core mission and building with friends, advising teams to keep their heads down and follow their own path.