Peter Pham

Peter is a Co-Founder and Partner at Science, an LA-based incubator and venture fund. Currently investing out of a $100M fund, Science holds notable positions in Dollar Shave Club, MeUndies, and Wealthfront, among others.

On his morning routine.

Usually I’m up around 7.30 or 8.

The first thing I do is take my ADHD meds — I can't function without them.

If I have time for breakfast, it's bacon and eggs. If not, it's a giant bowl of greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries. Most days I skip breakfast.

On evolving his core habits.

Pre-COVID, I spent a lot of time traveling. I try not to set schedules too far in advance and I like the flexibility of adjusting for last-minute things.  

I read a lot — not books, but the Internet.

Some days it feels like the whole Internet. I try to stay on top of things on Twitter and a handful of summary newsletters to know which companies are getting funded, how much, by whom, and so on.

Techmeme is a must just for that, as is Fortune's Term Sheet newsletter.

On his workout regimen.

I don't do cardio! I hate it actually.

I only use my Tonal, which happens to sit in my home office — I was also an angel investor. I lift heavy weights every now and then but do very few reps.

I'll do 3 sets with 3 to 4 minutes of rest in between. It’s usually only 2 or 3 movements total, so it’s a very efficient and short workout.

It allows me to eat a lot of carbs on my lift days and fat on my rest days. The reality is I just love food.

On his advice to founders 

Find a good partner.

Don't listen to too many different voices, especially from people who aren't seeing the results of that advice.

Drive-by advice is not great, considering the fact that startups are about iteration. You want to try something, see results, and continue to adjust.

That's why for us at Science, the studio model works best because the advice we give gets adjusted because we see the results in real-time.

Overall, move quickly but don't hurry. Startups take a while to figure out.

The highs are high, the lows are low, and it's important to remember everything will take longer than you expect. 

Make sure you prioritize your work appropriately, accounting for the harder tasks you may have to do in the near future.

For anxiety and stress, make sure you take some breaks and lean on your team more to take care of things without you. Don't micromanage.

On the future of consumer wellness.

Everyone wants to be healthier.

They also want to tell everyone else how to be healthier. 

Do as I say, not as I do — which creates virility and social referrals. Companies can't just solve the wellness goal. It has to be worth talking about. 

On his evening routine.

I go to bed at around 2 am. 

No wind-down, I pass out. I live tired, I can sleep anytime anywhere. 

But I do sleep on an Eight Sleep bed (also an angel investor) that makes the bed nice and cool. That was a game-changer as the temp adjusts through the night.