Nikhil Basu Trivedi writes a public essay series called "next big thing" where he analyzes breakout companies like Canva, then invests in founders building in similar spaces—creating an unusual "write-in-public, then invest" approach rather than developing investment theses behind closed doors. He co-founded the art marketplace Artsy before becoming a full-time investor and is known for his traction-first investing philosophy that emphasizes observable customer love and usage over narratives, while frequently analyzing the "slope of learning" in founders and how quickly they compound knowledge over time.

• Focus on the acceleration of software development through artificial intelligence agents. He argues that the ability to wield these new tools creates a significant competitive advantage in speed, citing a specific instance where an engineer was able to eliminate an entire backlog of features in a single month due to increased output.
• Preference for business models that bridge the gap between consumer and enterprise markets. He views this hybrid approach as a defining characteristic of the most ambitious companies, pointing to massive success stories like Canva and OpenAI as examples of organizations that effectively target both individual users and large business clients.
• Attraction to exceptional, outlier revenue growth rates at the early stages. He highlights recent portfolio performance to illustrate this standard, mentioning companies that have sustained rapid monthly compounding or achieved massive year-over-year multiples that exceed what he has typically seen in his career.
• Appreciation for vertical AI startups that combine deep technical ability with specific subject matter expertise. He looks for tools that give professionals superpowers in their specific fields, such as a strategy engine for agencies that turns weeks of work into minutes.
• Commitment to a high-touch, accessible working relationship with founders. He emphasizes the value of a small, dedicated investment partnership, noting that he actively communicates with a significant portion of his portfolio companies via text or in-person meetings on any given day to help with tasks like customer introductions.
• Strong belief in the San Francisco tech ecosystem and the power of in-person collaboration. He frequently champions the city's energy and supports local founders by offering free office space to early-stage teams, encouraging physical presence as a way to build culture.