When Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz co-founded Accel, a core principle of their approach to investing was a thesis-based method called a “Prepared Mind”. Referencing the Louis Pasteur quote “chance only favours the prepared mind”, this method remains integral to how we approach, learn about and invest in new opportunities today. Prepared Minds involve our team honing in on specific categories and industries, being proactive, talking to our network, researching the trends shaping tomorrow’s world, finding the category leader - and then moving fast (for the right reasons!).