The patterns we're (not) seeing.
EDITION 14: INVEST ON PURPOSE
A few years back I read an article about different types of thinkers, and while I had always considered myself a visual thinker, I didn’t know there is nuance to that. I realized that I was in fact a pattern thinker. And so many things in my life started to make sense—the way I learned best, what I enjoyed most about jobs I had, even what I look for in the relationships in my life.
Two decades in financial services and strategy had trained my brain to spot trends, recognize signals, connect dots. But lately, I've become obsessed with a different kind of pattern—the ones hiding in the gaps between conventional wisdom. The patterns that emerge when you stop looking where everyone else is looking.
When pattern-matching fails.
Take this story a founder shared with me during my research.
When she pitched her business to a venture capitalist (VC), he told her it wasn’t scalable and she didn’t have the right connections. His pattern-matching told him she didn’t fit the mold of a high-growth startup. Fast forward just a couple of months, and she had $2M in revenue and contracts with the very people he thought she’d never reach. The pattern the VC was following turned out to be outdated—but he couldn’t see the gap.
The more I look, the more I see these 'gap patterns' everywhere. Founders turning "too small to matter" into million-dollar revenue streams. Entrepreneurs proving that "not scalable enough" often just means "not familiar enough" to those controlling the capital.
The hidden cost of sameness.
When investment decisions run through the same filters, we fund variations of the same ideas, serving the same markets, solving the same problems.
Consider this: only 2 of the 12 largest investment firms have women CEOs. These CEOs shape investment frameworks and customer strategies, define what "good" looks like, and determine which patterns are worth betting on.
Even the best investors pattern-match based on their experiences, investing in what feels familiar. It’s not intentional—it’s human nature. But when everyone making decisions shares similar experiences, we create blind spots big enough to hide billion-dollar opportunities.
Creating new patterns.
That’s why we’re approaching funding differently.
We believe some of the best opportunities are hiding in plain sight—profitable businesses that sit in the gaps of conventional investment patterns, but are creating real value in their communities.
Think about the businesses you interact with every day. The ones solving real problems, with loyal customers and steady revenue. Now imagine how many could grow exponentially with the right capital at the right time.
These aren’t exceptions—they’re the backbone of our economy that traditional finance has not always seen clearly.
Your turn to spot the pattern.
Most of us know a brilliant business owner. If you ask them, they’ll probably tell you a story (or two) about how they were overlooked by traditional finance. Maybe they’ve stopped asking for funding altogether because they don’t fit the conventional pattern.
Here’s where you come in.
We’re piloting a $3,000 microloan program for businesses that traditional finance isn’t seeing. No accelerator admission required. No "warm intro" needed. No pattern-matching to past successes.
Your network, our next investment.
Take a moment to think about your network:
That friend whose side hustle is quietly becoming a real business
The local brand you keep recommending because their product is just that good
The neighborhood business owner who remembers everyone's name
Share this opportunity with them. Sometimes the most powerful way to break old patterns is to create new ones, one connection at a time.
Forward this newsletter or share our pilot details.
At BeeCene, we're shifting the lens on investing—spotting the patterns within traditional finance and filling the gaps with capital that fuels overlooked businesses and communities. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay in the know.
What patterns are you seeing in your community that others might be missing? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your perspective.
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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.
