[TL;DR: I have an idea; not sure what to do next; guide on metrics to set in order to achieve a seed round or Series A.] | Continue reading
[TL;DR: Rockets and energy as metaphors for productivity.] | Continue reading
[TL;DR: California builds the TCP/IP, other cultures build the websites. Both valuable, but different. Megaprojects and marketplaces.] | Continue reading
[TL;DR: Google has gotten bad; we all know it; ideas for a startup making a better Google.] | Continue reading
[TL;DR: Google has gotten bad; we all know it; ideas for a startup making a better Google.] | Continue reading
TL;DR: Just how big is the recently-hyped “Tools of Thought” market? Maybe there’s so many people on the web now you can actually make a business selling sports cars to the intellectual elite? During the first dot-com bubble, the Internet had 4M people. Today it has over 2B. That … | Continue reading
When I started managing about a decade ago I was terrible for the reasons many founders are: I’m my own biggest critic. I have extremely high expectations for myself, and as a result have high expectations for others. The frustration of incompetence blinded me from seeing the pro … | Continue reading
Railroads were once viewed as a technology. Then oil refineries. Then television. Is Netflix a “technology” business or a media business? What are “technology companies”, actually”? | Continue reading
There’s a lot of debate about the “time well spent” phenomena right now. The idea is that Facebook is an opiate. Checking notifications feels good for a moment but causes sadness long term. Let’s check Instagram less. Spend more time outdoors. Meditate more. Talk to other humans … | Continue reading
Running coaches recommend a default 2% incline when running on treadmills to mimic the outdoors because you need to produce less force to move forward. The belt does the work for you. | Continue reading
I work on Pioneer. Previously I was a Partner at Y-Combinator and started its AI program. I’m an investor in companies like GitHub, Figma, Gusto, Notion, Opendoor, Cruise Automation, Coinbase, and others. | Continue reading
The first TV shows were cameras pointed at radio shows. The first mobile phones looked like miniature desktops. When new paradigms come online, we have a tendency to first clone the old before making something transformative, like Westworld or the iPhone. | Continue reading
As lockdowns lessen in the coming weeks, we’ll be opening the doors to World 2.0. The New World should look quite different, a difference that provides pockets of air that can be filled by new companies and founders. | Continue reading
How frequently do you find yourself mildly annoyed at software dysfunction? Tapping phone numbers in Google Calendar opens them in Maps. The Mac WiFi menu is slow. Google Docs doesn’t let you share external docs on mobile. Etc. Etc. Lots of small papercuts. | Continue reading
Magic is a startup funded by Sequoia, Y-Combinator, and others. The idea is simple: text a thing, and we’ll have a human do the thing for you. “Find me the best open seat on my flight”, “find these sneakers, buy them”, etc. | Continue reading
I contracted the Coronavirus. Well, not exactly. I don’t have the actual Coronavirus (yet), but I did have the Corona mind-virus. It took me about a month to get over this Cognitive Covid. Symptoms included a high intellectual fever, thoughts and dreams about the virus, shorting … | Continue reading
When I started my first business I had no idea what I was doing with my personal finances. I slept on a futon and drove a car roughly as old as my age. This was fine. (I still suffer Frugalisis. I never buy the HD streaming option. Save that dollar! Invest it.) | Continue reading
I believe YouTube is more important than Google search. Search is a great way to satisfy existing intent. YouTube is one step ahead in the funnel — it creates intent. It’s mind control for the masses. It may go down in history as the most important corporate acquisition, ever. | Continue reading
DG’s humble digital abode. I work on Pioneer. Previously I was a Partner at Y-Combinator and started its AI program. I’m an investor in companies like GitHub, Figma, Gusto, Notion, Opendoor, Cruise Automation, Coinbase, and others. | Continue reading
You thought Andreessen’s piece de resistance was “Software is eating the world”. There’s an even better, more secret article. | Continue reading
Writing an investor update is your opportunity to remind people that you exist and to increase the odds you get help where you need it. | Continue reading
Below are some interesting markets and themes for the year. I use “themes” in a broad sense, both for specific markets as well as broader societal changes in the seed ecosystem. | Continue reading
The core IP of a great enterprise company is often the proper re-creation of free market dynamics within the sales org. | Continue reading
We tend to assume things happen as a result of proximate causes. The case is often more complicated. | Continue reading
As we bring the year to a close, I thought it’d be interesting to flag a few emergent markets and themes that I think will be exciting to watch in the new year. I use “themes” in a broad sense, both for specific markets as well as broader societal changes in the seed ecosystem. I … | Continue reading
On first blush, WhatsApp seems like an incredibly durable business. Strong network effects. Incredible distribution. An unassailable giant. But WhatsApp wasn't the first messaging app, nor will it be the last. WhatsApp doesn't own customer identity and it doesn't offer much in te … | Continue reading
Coding is fun. Really fun. Having played other actors in the startup play (manager, investor, twitter user, coffee consumer, etc) I can tell you that coding is the best flow you’ll get. It’s uniquely great. So it isn’t surprising to learn that technical founders over-engineer th … | Continue reading
The latest product trend Silicon Valley has many names: some call it “NoCode”, “Devsumer”, “Lego Code”, or “RPA” (Robotic Process Automation). The idea is this: first we had Assembly. Then C++. Then Python. Then Javascript. Now… point-and-click. It's a new era in software, where … | Continue reading
The latest product trend Silicon Valley has many names: some call it “NoCode”, “Devsumer”, “Lego Code”, or “RPA” (Robotic Process Automation). The idea is this: first we had Assembly. Then C++. Then Python. Then Javascript. Now… point-and-click. It's a new era in software, where … | Continue reading
Why does academia move slowly? I spent some time talking to researchers about the current system. Below are the notes of an outsider peering in, trying to decipher why things are broken and how one might help fix it: A conservative cultural feedback loop. People optimize the cult … | Continue reading
The first time I ran a mile it hurt. It wasn’t fun. “Never run again!”, I told myself. I’ve since run several marathons and thousands of miles a year. It’s transformed by happiness, my health and given me new friends. When I tell someone I ran 16 miles, they’ll look at me like I’ … | Continue reading
There are things you want to do. There are things you need to do. Sometimes these are the same. This post is how to handle life when they aren't. The sensation of thinking of a task can be pleasant or painful. This is because your brain is always predicting how rewarding any futu … | Continue reading
We all want to be our best selves. Improving anything starts with one simple step: tracking the right metrics. You can’t fix what you can’t measure. Companies have been using KPIs for decades to improve themselves. You should use that same methodology and invest in yourself. Ther … | Continue reading
We all want to be our best selves. Improving anything starts with one simple step: tracking the right metrics. You can’t fix what you can’t measure. Companies have been using KPIs for decades to improve themselves. You should use that same methodology and invest in yourself. Ther … | Continue reading
Underlying every idea someone has lies a more subtle, hidden fantasy of what is actually driving them. An emotional narrative the person built around what they want to do. They’re often not aware of it. If you need to convince someone to do something, don’t pitch your idea. Inste … | Continue reading
Underlying every idea someone has lies a more subtle, hidden fantasy of what is actually driving them. An emotional narrative the person built around what they want to do. They’re often not aware of it. If you need to convince someone to do something, don’t pitch your idea. Inste … | Continue reading