I’m Sterling Smith — founder, angel investor, and photographer based in the US.
I build at the intersection of AI and hiring — my company RightMatch AI helps employers screen candidates faster and fairer. Before that I spent years as a startup founder and angel investor watching what works and what fails. Outside of startups, I shoot film. Analog photography keeps me slow and honest in an industry that rewards speed above everything.
What you’ll find here
Field Notes is where I think out loud. It’s not polished thought leadership — it’s the actual stuff I’m working through as a founder, investor, and someone paying attention to how technology is reshaping work, business, and creativity.
Expect posts on:
AI & the future of work — what’s real, what’s hype, and what it means for founders and job seekers
Startup building — the honest version, including what’s hard and what I got wrong
Angel investing — what I look for, who I back, and lessons from the deals I’ve seen
Photography — film, slowing down, and why analog still matters in a digital world
Who reads this
Field Notes has 5,000+ subscribers — founders, operators, investors, and curious people who want more signal and less noise. People who are building things, backing things, or thinking seriously about what AI means for the next decade of work.
Subscribe
Free posts go out regularly. Paid subscribers get deeper dives, early access to my thinking on deals, and a direct line to the conversation.
