While leading the first human-powered crossing of the Arctic Ocean—a 41-day row across shifting ice and open water—I learned something simple and profound: with the right team, all pointed in the same direction, you can achieve things the world has never seen. I took that insight and founded Ensemble VC, a venture firm built to find those rare teams chasing audacious missions—and back them with the resources to take on the hardest problems in technology. It’s working. We’ve backed Zoom Video. Saronic’s autonomous boat swarms. ICON’s 3D-printed homes. Chaos and their next-generation radar. Groww, India’s largest investment platform. And many more. I run the firm by a set of principles I call the Simulation Commandments: You are on Earth. It is a simulation. * Define your quest. Be specific. Then create. * Trust is the token of the realm. * Exploit the edges of the game map. * Fear is the killer of dreams. Choose fun. * Ask for what you want. The universe will provide. * This is a game of endurance. * If nothing else: ask more questions. Default to movement. * No respawns. No excuses. If you’re the kind of person who asks big questions and moves fast toward the unknown—we’ll get along just fine.