triple down

Definition

When a VC aggressively increases their investment in a portfolio company across multiple rounds, betting their career on being right. Conviction investing taken to its logical extreme.

Example Usage

After leading the Series A and B, the partner convinced his fund to triple down with a massive Series C check.

Origin

Gambling terminology adopted by VCs in the 2010s, escalating from 'double down'

Fun Fact

Sequoia's decision to triple down on Airbnb through multiple down rounds is now taught as a case study in conviction.

Source: Venture capital investment terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

CAC

Customer Acquisition Cost—how much you spend in sales and marketing to land one customer. VCs compare this to lifetime value to determine if your business model is actually viable or just an expensive hobby.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

venture debt

Loans provided to venture-backed startups, typically secured by assets or future funding rounds. It's called 'non-dilutive capital,' which really means 'you'll dilute yourself later when you can't pay it back.'

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

signaling risk

The danger that passing on an investment or accepting certain terms sends negative messages to future investors. In VC, optics matter as much as economics—sometimes you reject money because taking it would look desperate.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

preemptive rights

The right to participate in future financing rounds to maintain ownership percentage, preventing dilution through passive-aggressive legal provisions. Pro rata rights by another name, somehow more intimidating.

🚀 Startup / VC

Beginner

metrics-driven

A company culture claiming to make decisions based on data analysis rather than gut feeling, though which metrics get measured mysteriously align with what leadership already wanted to do. It's astrology for MBAs.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

founder mode

An operating style where founders maintain deep involvement in company details rather than delegating everything to managers. Popularized by Paul Graham as a counterpoint to conventional management wisdom that says CEOs should stay hands-off.

🚀 Startup / VC

Translate This Term

See “triple down” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Intermediate

endorsement

A formal written approval, signature, or annotation on an official document—the bureaucratic stamp of 'yep, this is le...