Charles Hudson is a Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, an early stage venture firm focused on classic seed investing in game-changing software and hardware companies. We sat down with him to learn about the gear he considers his everyday essentials. In a nutshell? Good coffee, lots of tech and a plethora of portable chargers.
Tech necessities
I love my Jabra Bluetooth headphones. I have AirPods, too, but find that the Jabra ones offer better audio quality and their battery life is hard to beat. The charge lasts at least five hours. I use them constantly, whether on the go on calls or when I really need to focus. You’ll usually find me using my 13-inch iPad Pro, sans pencil. I also have the new MacBook Air - someone spilled water on my MacBook Pro so I had to upgrade and I’m still getting used to it. Perhaps most importantly, I keep a portable charger with me at all times. I use the MegaCharger by Anker; it’s a huge brick of a charger and is practically my life force. It can charge via two USB ports simultaneously. I also have a pocket-sized Anker charger specifically for my phone - I’m sort of a power fiend. Most of the time, work and meetings take me away from the office for the entire day and it’s vital that I can stay connected.
When it comes to serious note taking, I use an old school notebook. It’s a standard Moleskine with college-ruled pages.
Staying hydrated - and caffeinated
I keep a water bottle with me, of course. This one is actually from Founder Gym, a company that one of my friends started. It’s essentially a founder training program that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs with the process of fundraising and scaling their startups. Also, I’m admittedly a coffee snob and I like to bring my own coffee with me when I travel. I love Dripkit - these great little packets that let you make single-serve, pour over coffee on the go. I always keep my own coffee mug in my bag, too. It’s worn in and well-used, as you can probably tell.
Sunglasses
This mirrored-lense pair is from Revo, an outdoors brand that I love because they hold up well.
The bags
On most days, I use a simple grey Herschel Supply Co. cable bag that holds everything I need. That’s no easy feat - those chargers are bulky. The other bag I use most frequently when traveling is from Aer. The 33L Travel Pack is my favorite one to take on trips and it is basically a rolling suitcase on your back. I could go on a weekend trip to New York with only that bag. Forget trying to awkwardly roll your suitcase on and off the subway, you just throw it on and go. I pack pretty light because I travel a lot for work. It has become a sort of game I play now - how much can I fit into such little space?
Want to learn more about Charles? Follow him on Twitter @chudson