Welcome back.
The response to Vol. 01 was incredible—packed events, new Coffee Chat signups, and conversations that reminded us why we're building this community. If you missed it, catch up here.
This edition: We're doubling down. New partnerships launching. Research that's redefining finance. And the kind of access you can't find anywhere else.
Let's dive in.
TL;DR
→ A YC-backed founder who invested in SpaceX, Anthropic, and Anduril shares his frameworks
→ Meet our first Guild Partner hosting Crypto, Capital & Cocktails
→ AI just passed the CFA Level III exam and here's what it means for your wealth
→ Recaps from SF Tech Week, the Stanford Live Ball and Goodfin Deal Room
→ How Proactive Tax Planning Saves Millions
ON THE CALENDAR
Member Talks: From YC Founder to Private Market Investor
You've read Advait Ruia's story in Vol. 01. Now hear it directly from him. How does a YC-backed founder go from building infrastructure to personally backing SpaceX, Anthropic, and Anduril? What frameworks separate conviction from consensus? When does access become alpha? This is the conversation where theory meets execution—closed-door, candid, and built for operators who invest.
Crypto, Capital & Cocktails
A curated gathering of crypto and private-market investors to meet, connect and discuss the current state of alternative assets. Hosted by DeFi legal expert and Goodfin Guild member Charles Belle, this event marks our first Guild gathering—and the start of a new chapter in how our community connects.
IN THE REARVIEW
Stanford Live Ball: Where Tennis Meets Tech Capital
Goodfin sponsored an exclusive afternoon hosted by Stanford Alumni Angels & Entrepreneurs of SoCal at the legendary Riviera Country Club, bringing together Stanford alumni, founders, and LPs.
Goodfin Deal Room: The Vercel Bet (Members-Only Edition)
The Vercel Bet session was everything a deep dive should be. VC partners broke down the thesis—what they see in the company/team, how to separate signal from noise in category-defining software. The kind of conversation that doesn't leave the room.
Fintech Is Femme: Integrating AI Into Your Business
During SF Tech Week, Goodfin's Founder and CEO Anna Joo Fee joined fintech leaders on stage at Fintech Is Femme to discuss integrating AI into business operations. The panel cut through the hype to focus on practical application—how AI drives real growth and efficiency. Beyond the stage, the conversations that matter most happened in the room: unfiltered insights on where capital is flowing and what's actually getting built.
WHAT'S NEW
Goodfin x NYU Stern: AI Passing CFA Level III
Our research with NYU Stern made headlines in the Financial Times, CNBC, and Barron's. AI models just passed the CFA Level III exam—the hardest certification in finance.
What Matters:
Top models achieved 79.1% on complex essay tasks, approaching human expert performance (83.2%)
Reasoning models outperform standard ones by +7.8 points—but cost 11x more to run
Human validation remains critical: certified graders scored +5.6 points higher than AI judges
AI can now handle complex financial reasoning at expert levels but the edge isn't in the technology alone. It's in knowing when to deploy it, how to calibrate it against human judgment, and where strategic insight still makes all the difference. At Goodfin, we're building exactly that: AI-powered infrastructure that empowers sophisticated investors to move faster and smarter in private markets.
Stablecoins: A New Way To Gift Wealth
We're making it easier to share the gift of private market access. Now you can gift Goodfin memberships and deal allocations using stablecoins—a seamless way to introduce the next generation to building serious wealth.
The Goodfin Guild Program For Connectors & Leaders
The Goodfin Guild is a partner program for connectors and leaders who are shaping the future of investing. As a Guild partner, you’ll gain early access to new Goodfin products, exclusive perks, and invite-only events with industry leaders—while opening institutional-grade investment opportunities to your trusted network.
This is a new model for how investors collaborate and build wealth together. If you're an investor ready to deepen your impact or believe the future is built through trusted relationships, we want to hear from you.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
How Proactive Tax Planning Saves Millions: Travis Stephens on What Most Investors Miss
Travis Stephens is Chief Revenue Officer at Agent and an active investor in private markets. Previously Chief Strategy Officer at 10 East, the Harvard Business School graduate has seen firsthand how the right tax strategy can transform wealth outcomes and how the wrong one can cost millions.
40,000 stock options exercised in one shot. $540k tax bill on money still locked up. A successful startup exit and fully taxed. Charitable donations paid in cash instead of stock. Rental property without the right depreciation strategy. The pattern? Reactive instead of proactive.
Travis walks through the exact playbook that turned a $2M+ tax bleed into $1M+ preserved. The moves aren't complicated. The timing is everything.
Want to be featured?
We're curating the minds shaping the moment. If that's you, or someone in your circle, let's talk.
FROM GOODFIN SLACK
Until next time,
Sharath Kuruganty
Founding Community Lead
Goodfin
P.S. – Have feedback on Goodfin Wire? Hit reply. I read everything.
Goodfin | Your inside track to elite private markets