Peace, Israel, My New Company, AI & more.
It's tough to think about the future when we are still dealing with wars.
Shalom.
"It's crazy that we are now talking about self-driving cars, AI, climate catastrophe and how to survive, but we have two wars going on in the world right now and thousands of people are dying." - Something along these lines came from a good friend over a glass of wine.
I pray for all my friends in Israel and their families. I hope we can find peace in the midst of madness.
Techo Manifesto - A16Z
I think last week's number one piece came in less than 24 hours ago and it's the A16Z Techno Manifesto. Written by Marc Andreessen, the manifesto is flying around the web and people are sharing its details like the Nostradamus of our times.
I think it's a great piece of work and it needs to be read - what you take from it is up to you.
AI Special
Last week I spent some time exploring content around AI, from short articles to 60-minute videos. I have compiled the list here for you:
From the great Wired Magazine:
Generative AI Has Ushered In the Next Phase of Digital SpiritualityFrom the astrology software of the 1970s to the Co-Star app, spirituality has proliferated online. Now, large language models can find overlooked ways to connect with a higher plane.
From the amazing (my top5 medium for sure) New Yorker:
How Will A.I. Learn Next?
As chatbots threaten their own best sources of data, they will have to find new kinds of knowledge.
From ZDNET - Thought it was a very complete piece:
Generative AI will far surpass what ChatGPT can do. Here's everything on how the tech advances.
What does the future of generative AI hold? Multi-modality will move a primitive ChatGPT demo to interpersonal collaboration, advanced robotics -- and maybe even the AI dream of continuous learning.
60 Minutes special with the “Godfather” of AI, Geofrey Hinton:
Startup Studio and My New Venture
I found an interesting guy who was creating - and promoting - solid content on a topic very close to my heart (and mind): Startup Studios.
My new company, We Heart Impact, is a venture studio that creates startups for mid-sized companies from around the world. In a nutshell, we work with mid-sized companies to create scalable solutions to problems and opportunities they have identified in their market.
The way we do this is by bringing together a team of highly talented individuals who operate very much like a Navy Seal team; they take on missions and win. The way we prepare, execute, and learn from each mission is our 'secret sauce'.
I've been inspired by Prehype's work and my interactions with its founders over the years. To be honest, looking back, I wonder why I didn't pursue this dream earlier - yes, I've built companies alongside entrepreneurs, but not from a "solving a problem for a company" angle.
We currently have two clients and early indications are that I have succeeded in creating an operating model based on my 20+ years as an agent in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. My personal mission is to work with hundreds, if not thousands, of driven individuals before I end my story here.
Myself, along with a few amazing individuals, are running experiments and I aim to go public with We Heart People before the end of the year.
Big Startup Studio Research 2023 - Read it here.
Playbook: The Product Lifecycle at OSS Ventures - Read it here.
Corporate Venturing: The Ultimate Guide - Read it here.
One of the most promising startup studios I've ever seen: reached €22M ARR in 4 years, creating B2B SaaS for factories/operations/industrial sector - Read it here.
🇧🇷 BeforeDay1
Ontem lançamos o quinto episódio da série - Mercado de Usados - dentro do B4D1. Dessa vez, eu tive a oportunidade da bate rum papo com a Bárbara Almeida, co-founder da Dress&Go, a maior plataforma de aluguel e venda de vestuário de second hand do Brasil.
A história da Bárbara é incrível e ela compartilhou a saga de empreender ao lado de uma grande amiga, como elas começaram o negócio com R$300k do próprio bolso e com 150 vestidos (muitos sairam do armário dela!!!) e hoje esse negócio movimenta milhões de reais e milhares de peças.
A Dress&Go é hoje uma investida da KPTL e da Kaszek e se prepara para voar muito aldo com sua nova solução, Reloved.
Muito legal conhecer essa super trajetória e espero que inspire uma geração inteira de empreendedoras!!!
Top videos & podcasts
I watched this while I was doing 12x 800m sprints at a 3% incline on a treadmill and it was awesome. This is a must-watch for anyone who is now contemplating life and its meaning. Yes, the video is also a self-promotional event for the guest, Jess, but there are two things I took away from it that I think people can get a good kick out of.
1. Relationship with time - believe it or not, every day we live is a step closer to the end of it and I throw this question to you: What is your relationship with time?
2. After 15 days with monks and no tech, Jesse realizes how much energy we lose through small decisions that we fail to get over quickly. Did you hear the story about Zuck only having one color of shirt in this wardrobe? That's because deciding what to wear is a waste of energy that could be used elsewhere in life.
Ok, if you are an entrepreneur or an investor, this is for you. 20VC delivers another great one and this time it is with Scott Farquhar, the founder of Atlassian (They have just this week acquired Loom in a deal just under $1 billion and all in cash.).
I won't spoil the surprise for you, but I promise that the way he raised money for his business is a rare event. Rare as a unicorn in my garden. Watch and please - be inspired to build a business that can raise cash just like Atlassian.
I sent this one to the boys at Moises because I think they can replicate what Scott did.
Best from Linkedin
Chrome is used by 3.2 billion people.
But most people don't understand its true power.
Here are 11 extensions I can't live without 👇Here's how the best leaders handle difficult conversations:
Read it here.[This one is Ca$h] - The largest market in fintech is the most overlooked and underserved. Seniors are now the biggest spenders in the US and resilient thru recessions.
[Marketing folks] In the past 5 years, I’ve written and reviewed over 200 landing pages. Here is my 7-step process to write high-converting pages:
[Investors and Entrepreneurs] Everyone knows the current narrative behind the slow early-stage funding environment: VCs have become extra cautious due to a lack of liquidity and of certainty about who will fund the business at the following rounds.
Every single entrepreneur NEEDS to watch this, and I don't say this lightly.
This clip is from the amazing episode with Airbnb CEO and founder Brian Chesky.A Product-led strategy I always wanted to do at HubSpot was 'Buy Front Doors, Monetize onto Side Doors.'
Atlassian is doing this by buying Trello ($425M) and now Loom ($975M). Here's how.The easiest and most robust consulting business model I've seen is:
* 20% of your money comes from actual consulting. Working directly with a client and helping them solve problems and make decisions.
This is called "Done For You Consulting" as in, you do work for the client. Some people also call this "One to One Consulting", as in you are consulting One client.Hecho con amor y cafe en Madrid.
Love you all. Stay safe.