Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, Founders and General Partners at the 1517 Fund, discuss their unconventional approach to venture capital. The firm backs ambitious young founders, many of whom choose to leave college early to pursue breakthrough ideas. Drawing on their experience building the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle and Michael explain how working closely with hundreds of young innovators shaped their belief in character driven investing. They share how they identify talent before traditional signals appear and why curiosity, conviction, and “hyper fluency” matter more than credentials.