About the Business

Ryan Sells is a full-time operator who builds and leads GTM teams from zero to scale at the intersection of software and fintech. He was employee #7 at Second Measure (acquired by Bloomberg), employee #8 and VP of revenue at Pipe, and the first revenue leader at Turnstile.

He’d been investing on the side as a co-founder of Dash Fund, where he had raised and deployed $25M across two funds and 57 companies. Notable exits include Power (acquired by Marqeta) and Teal (acquired by Mercury), and investments in companies like EvenUp, Cocoon, and Pave.

Ryan was looking to continue his strategy under his own banner, Footnote Ventures. Footnote would be small, early, and hyper-focused on fintech-enabled B2B software; the category he knew well as an operator and investor.

Our Engagement

Ryan came to us with the name already in mind, but on the fence about it. “Footnote” could be construed as self-minimizing. Why name yourself after something small?

We helped him see it differently. A footnote is the supporting evidence that backs up a bold claim. The founder is the thesis, the investor is the source that makes it credible.

We built a brand identity around that idea. The wordmark ends with an asterisk, creating a visual call and response between the claim and the source. The system is subtle, confident, and deliberately understated. Alongside the brand, we collaboratively built the story and pitch deck for his LP raise.

Ryan got strong traction on the materials with commitments for half the fund and consistent feedback that the design and positioning stood out. Then Pear VC approached him with a full-time partner role, which he accepted. So now, Footnote stays on the shelf. But we were so proud of our work together that we had to share it.