Radios, Details, and Singles: Stephen Curry on Mastering the Fundamentals

This past weekend, we hosted the broader Penny Jar community for our annual holiday party to celebrate our exceptional founders. Early-stage venture is all about investing in people, especially those who demonstrate a curiosity to learn and a steadfast determination to execute. As Penny Jar Capital’s Special Advisor Stephen Curry put it, the people gathered in the room – founders, investors, partners, etc. – all have “an appropriate fear about producing results.” During their fireside chat, Bryant and Stephen delved further into this topic, offering insight and wisdom on building teams, the importance of fundamentals, and finding a way to win when the lights shine the brightest.

On any team, each person has an individual role to play, but it only works if everyone is on the same page. Stephen’s advice on finding harmony is all about identifying and “speaking life” into the value each person brings and how that combines for the better of the group. Bryant reminisced about how this approach was illustrated for them during their time at Davidson when the coaching staff tuned five radios to different stations (resulting in absolute chaos) and then tuned all five radios to one harmonious station. For early-stage companies, this resonates deeply. Despite the inherent chaos of building a product, engaging customers, and growing a team, alignment around a shared purpose can transform individual talents into collective excellence.

Winning under the brightest lights may overshadow the journey to get there, but the seemingly mundane details should take a bow. This is evident in Stephen’s approach to just about everything, as he said, “It’s how we practice, how we take care of our bodies, how we handle business whether we win or lose. It’s the art of not getting caught up in the emotional roller coaster of what the world is telling you.” Building a startup offers similar extremes, with the journey quickly swinging between triumph and challenge. Success comes not from riding these waves but from maintaining focus and consistency on the details that position teams for long-term success.

While big plays are often remembered, sustainable success comes from making the right play rather than the spectacular one. Dribbling through all five players on the opposing team to hit a step-back three is incredible to watch as a fan, but it may not always be the right choice. As Stephen said, “You have to learn how to balance the two. Learn how to fall in love with the beauty of the single, but know when it’s the right time to take a bigger swing.” Transformative companies aren’t built on grand plays alone but on the compound effect of countless well-executed fundamentals punctuated by breakthrough moments.

A core tenant for us at Penny Jar is the idea of always being in a state of 80% complete. It’s the idea that you’re always looking to improve no matter where you are and how much you have achieved. Even at his incredible height of achievement, Stephen is a living example of this tenant- whether it’s trying something new, playing a different role, or putting in the extra hours, he’s continually iterating on his greatness. This drive is what we see in our founders, and we know Stephen’s insights will inspire them to continually add pennies to their jars.

Photos by Via Imagery