Launch AI Pitch Coach Now, Refine Later
I built chatbot and voice versions of myself so founders can get feedback without waiting for my calendar. It stress-tests decks and filters the strongest pitches to my team. Was just featured byPitchBook. The tech has gaps but waiting for perfection costs more than starting now. Ship and utilize now. Fix and refine later. https://t.co/LPS6kykWqu
From $4 Mistake to $10k Prediction: Bitcoin’s Resilience
I bought Bitcoin at $4. Or so I thought. Peter Viscenne had offered to mine it for me. He bought some fast mining chips from Butterfly Labs, but rather than delivering them to him, they used them to mine their own...
Pitch Crypto Startup at Vegas Conference for $1M
We’re heading to Las Vegas. On April 27, during Bitcoin Conference week, I’ll be filming Meet the Drapers in partnership with BitGo. This is a chance to pitch on a global stage, get in front of top investors, and compete for up...
VC Endorses Colin Hodge's Must-Read Entrepreneurial Book
As a VC, I am always looking for the fearless entrepreneurs who are willing to challenge the status quo and potentially make our world roll differently, and usually better. Colin Hodge is a terrific entrepreneur and he is an even better...
From Wedding Best Man to Smart‑Meter Revolution
Cree Edwards was the best man at my wedding. That friendship changed the energy industry forever. Back in 1985, Cree and my Stanford roommate Larsh Johnson decided to tackle one of the biggest problems they could think of: electricity waste. Here's what they...
Real Series A Winners Thrive Amid Messy Challenges
Series A “winners” rarely become the real big winners. Everyone's chasing the obvious picks: -The one with the famous founder -The company with the flashiest pitch deck -The startup that's already getting press coverage The real winners are quietly building. At Series A: → Tesla was bleeding...
Early Bet on PrettyLitter Fuels Decade-Long Draper Success
Hollywood came to Draper University in 2015 to film a reality TV show called "Startup U." Fast forward to 2021: PrettyLitter sold—nearly a unicorn. Let’s rewind… One of the contestants was Carly Martinetti. She came with her partner, Daniel Rotman, to pitch PrettyLitter. The...
Bitcoin Goes Mainstream; Retail Adoption Likely Next
Very exciting time for #bitcoin as it makes its way into the financial mainstream. Can retail be far behind?
R3 Bio Engineers Whole Organs, Featured in WIRED
This is so awesome. @JohnSchloendorn and Alice Gilman at R3 Bio talk through what they’re doing at R3 Bio: building something that's never existed before. They're designing genetically engineered whole organ systems. See them featured in WIRED. @WIRED full story here: https://t.co/8z5iGXR0uK
New Investor Council to Review Next‑Gen Entrepreneurs' Applications
Welcome @stevewoz, @JoeMontana, and @thefriley to the Investor Council of @America250 ! I am so excited for them to join @RosieRios @andytangvc and me to review submissions from the next generation of American entrepreneurs. apply here. ...
From Football Field to Chip Founder: PLX’s Legacy
I got to know Jim Guzy on the football field. My school, Hillview Elementary, was playing against Fremont Elementary in flag football. They had this kid who was crazy fast on the field. That was Jim Guzy. Later, he became an electrical engineer...
Recording Every Conversation Unlocks AI-Powered Global Knowledge
Sam Liang came to the DFJ offices in Menlo Park from China with broken English and a strong spirit. He told us he was creating a business that allowed phones to tag people as they moved around the world and would...
Visionary Energy Trading Pioneered Before Cleantech Existed
Before there was a "cleantech" industry, there was Tim Healy. Tim figured out that he could route electricity through digital switches and create an energy marketplace. Companies could trade and share their energy when they weren't using it, then back it...
Early Bet on Digital Music Yields 20x Return
I backed a 25-year-old first-time founder who wanted to digitize music. This was 1988. I was excited by the prospect. I knew it was possible, but to most, the idea sounded insane. Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooke had started Digidesign, and I...
CEO Livestream Interview Now Available Through CoinPasar
Hosted a livestream with https://t.co/Dl5jTSoKZQ’s CEO a couple weeks ago. Thanks to CoinPasar for covering it! Listen to the full thing here: https://t.co/odDY40Tkg3 https://t.co/C1YE4ByupY
