It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage

I loved this book so much - as a queer woman in tech, it's so so so great seeing role models like Arlan out there killing it. She's such an inspiration and I remember first seeing her speak at a Lesbians Who Tech conference in SF. I had to know more about her story and was so excited to see she released a book. I learned so much, and see venture capital in a very different way after reading. She did a great job explaining that as a founder, you shouldn't always think of it as VCs doing you a favor by giving you money. You are also giving them the opportunity to make a lot of money, and should interview them as much as they interview you. Because of Arlan, I realized that as an underrepresented person in tech one of the best ways you can lift others up is to start your own company or if you can, go out there and fund other people like you. Arlan proved it could be done starting with no money at all and is breaking all kinds of barriers, stereotypes and expectations in VC. I just love that she isn't afraid to be fully herself and rock the hoodie/t-shirt and purple shoes and making it that much easier for others to be their authentic selves, not just in what they wear but how they approach challenges. It's so refreshing seeing the work she's been able to do in such a short time, I'll definitely be following her podcasts and investments. The world desperately needs more VCs like Arlan and because of her, I'm now considering becoming one. This is one of those books you'll want in hardcover so you can read it again and again. Thank you Arlan!!!

The honesty of this book meant the author grow on me.Her central pitch is that she set up a venture capital fund for people like her: underprivileged, but also underestimated. The underestimation part - her investment thesis goes - makes people like her do a lot with a little, so if they had access to more than a little then they would do more than a lot. And that would generate wealth for investor and invested.She did grow up poor, including periods of homelessness. She clearly worked hard to earn her way into critical jobs looking after successful people in the music industry.I did not like much of her descriptions though as I could not see much outcomes, just a lot of externalised activity such as talking about her life enough to earn social media audiences.She got me when she spoke about her alcoholism. It’s quite a raw honest account - from someone who managed to perform well at work while lying to herself, friends and colleagues - that I respected her a lot for sharing this. Thankfully having hit her rock bottom moment she managed to stop drinking and seems to have made a long term recovery. This is hard and impressive.Hiding this information seemed to me to be sensible given that investors had placed money in her fund. It is a service to us all that she decided to speak candidly. But interestingly she has incorporated candour and authenticity into her work, gaining investors and investees who admire her. Good on her.I have three let-downs about the book. First, she speaks of her venture capital fund. But she only had $2 million, which is the size of a small investment round by one venture capital into one company. Instead her whole fund is $2 million and her goal was to spend this on 100 companies. I understand that this is a function of the obstacles she faced on raising money as an underprivileged and under-represented founder.Second, she spoke too much about herself and too little about the founders she found. Her investment thesis sounds good, and if it worked it should have led to good founders. I would have enjoyed hearing some of their struggles. She covered neither topic.Third, she does not know or teach very much. When she teaches about a topic like how venture capital fund works, the choice of content showed a lack of understanding. Of course she cannot go into details, but the choices she made about what to cover and how to structure was arbitrary and confusing. I say this knowing the things she skipped over, I think she just does not know very much in this industry.Her strength is in communication, and in standing up for herself and everyone she represents. I admire her for that.

A true passionate story about resilience, grit, determination, and being true to oneself. Arlan is the epitome of authenticity.Growing up as a gay, black woman with minimal resources and moving from place to place has not been easy. But, she never let the cards she was dealt to deter her from working hard and chasing her dreams.She started her career in the music touring business because music has always been a premier love of hers. As she grew older, she became very interested in Silicon Valley, the Startup world, and more specifically, Venture Capital. This led her to learning everything she possibly could on the industry. From spending full days in Barnes and Noble to read a book without having to pay for it, to sleeping in airports, airbnbs, and moving around the country countless times with her Mom when they have very little cash to spend.Arlan is now the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capitalist firm that specializes in funding companies owned by underrepresented founders. With her VC firm, they have invested over $7M in more than 130 countries. Backstage Capital focuses on the underestimated and counted out founders. Those who are women, people of color, and represent themselves as LGBTQ.An absolute inspiring story! Arlan has had the most of her success in her mid-30s. Her story shows it is never too late to find your passion, experience success, and change your life. I’d encourage you all to grab a copy of her book and read it before the year ends. It will give you the energy to push through if 2020 has knocked you down. It definitely helped me!

As a black woman I was raised in a society that tells you that you should be happy to have a mediocre job, low salary or a small place in society.I grew up having limiting beliefs like: I’m young, I’m a black woman, I’m inexperienced, I don’t have a network, who am I to have a project of this magnitude, and on and on. When I decided to launch my investment fund those beliefs came back to the surface and I was not confident about myself.Arlan your book #itsaboutdamntime is a true inspiration to me. I even found myself crying when reading your book at time’s. It was very powerful and deep and relevant to what I had been going through.Seeing someone like you, coming so far without any formal education and now running a VC firm makes me sincerely believe in what I am capable of. Because of your book I feel very confident in myself now.More than even I’m aligned with my mission and my vision. I feel motivated and committed to share my message. I now know there are people out there who need and look forward to hearing my message. I will not give up because of the confidence your book gave me.

Like many I had heard and read about Arlan. So reading her book was a must for me, it’s a very honest account of her ups and also her down but it’s her determination not to give up. Some of it will make you smile but it makes you think about what can I do to start that project, and feel your self worth. I read it online and knew I needed a hard copy too.It’s a great book to read, get your copy today.

What an inspiring read !Interesting to learn abs a great easy read.

A blue print for succeeding and shining in the crowded space of VC funding. Book goes beyond with nuggets of wisdom that can help anyone improve the quality of life and work towards tough goals