Thread AI Secures Series A to Power Enterprise AI
New Job 2026, part X No, not for me, *for you*! Thread AI is based out of NYC and has built the platform the help companies and public sector actually use AI. Two amazing founders - Mayada Gonimah and Angela McNeal . Post Series A. https://lnkd.in/gUrvkFgg
Higgsfield AI Doubles Revenue in Two Months
🚨 Lean AI Leaderboard Update A new speed record was just set. Higgsfield AI went from $100M → $200M run-rate in 2 months. Let that sink in. Here’s what makes this unprecedented 👇 • $200M run-rate in < 9 months...
VC‑Only AI Hackathon in SF: Share Tools, Solve Problems
I've had a lot of fun sharing AI-powered tools I've built to help us run Precursor, and I have learned a lot from folks like Sarah Smith and Chang Xu based on what they are doing. I am thinking of...
Learn Timeless Startup Tactics From Pre‑VC Business History
If you’re struggling to raise, I think it’s sometimes helpful to ask yourself how someone would’ve built this business when the venture capital industry didn’t exist. Some of the techniques founders used back then were GOAT. Reading business / startup...
Lean Startup Eliminates Early Mistakes in Product Building
The first startup ideas tried to build were awful. We built too much. We built without close rapport with customers and built the wrong things. This was pre Lean Startup. Fast forward. Now that everyone knows about the Lean Startup...
Fundraising Standards Shift: $100k Now Considered Failure
In 2008 / 2009, when founders said they couldn’t raise money, they meant they literally couldn’t raise anything. Now when people say they can’t raise money, they mean they can’t raise more than like $100k.
Choose Unconflicted Banks That Prioritize Founder Interests
What does it mean to be a founder-focused investment bank? Founder-focused means that a bank is fully unconflicted and focused on the interests of founders. In other words, the bank doesn't accept revenue from anyone that could be a buyer...
Dilution Can Propel You to Trillion‑dollar Valuation
Sometimes, it takes a little dilution to reach Trillionaire status Where will you land? Try https://t.co/NlPWFTrkQ8 https://t.co/kU3hxso4IY
Performance Beats Hype; Deliver to Stand Out in VC
Much has been said about the challenge of standing out in VC, amid a growing pool of competing capital. Nothing works better than actually doing the work, delivering, performing. Thank you @dunn for your trust ⭐️
Launch Now, Iterate Later: Perfection Isn’t Required
Stop waiting for your startup’s product to be perfect because it never will be and that's okay so launch, get feedback, improve.
Serial Founder Leverages Domain Expertise with Tero
Today, Ben Johnson announced his new company, Tero ( https://www.usetero.com/ ), and I’m thrilled that we at NextView Ventures are joining him on this journey. Read why we invested below 👇 There’s something uniquely powerful about a second-time founder setting...
Build a Minimum Evolvable Product, Not Just MVP
When you're starting out, you don't just need a minimum viable product. You need a minimum evolvable product. In this episode of Main Function, @agupta offers an update to the classic MVP playbook. He’ll outline strategies for getting your first customers,...
Relentless Problem‑Solving Trumps Mere Founder‑Problem Fit
The best founders are relentless problem solvers. They have founder-problem fit; but more importantly, they have an innate desire to just keep solving whatever the next problem is. Founder-problem fit matters. But relentless problem-solving wins.
Founder’s $370B Net Worth, Only $19M Liquid
Typical equity rich, cash poor founder on https://t.co/E5wtQ9xial $370B net worth, but only $19M liquid https://t.co/oF2st2owCX
ElevenLabs Poised to Outvalue Twilio by 2026
ElevenLabs will probably be worth more than Twilio by mid-2026 Really seems like a missed opportunity there
Trustful, Long‑Known Co‑Founders Thrive Without Family Ties
There are a lot of types of co-founder relationships that can work. But the ones I’ve seen w/ the highest success rate are when the co-founders have immense trust from having known each other for a long time AND are...
Soft‑skill Platforms Can Generate Six‑figure Profits
People underestimate how profitable “soft skills” businesses can be. Live on @acquiredotcom: A 15-year social skills training platform built on live, coach-led practice. > $561K TTM revenue > $275K TTM profit > 4,400 active members Full listing: https://t.co/woKnEzxZXN https://t.co/Ejax6k1Lqx
VCs Inflate Valuations to Secure Next Fund
So at the end of the year I wrote an investment down to $0, my biggest write-off so far. $4m to $0. But my co-investor? He marked up his investment. From about $15m to $30m. How is this possible?...
Build Your Audience Before Building the Product
If I were starting a product-company today, I would first start by building an audience that’s relevant to said product before even thinking about the product. Way easier to build and sell if you have close rapport with future potential...
Testing Daily Signals to Boost Operator Decision Speed
For 11 years, I’ve sent a weekly newsletter. Five hundred seventy-two issues built around links people consistently tell me they actually read. That cadence works. I’m keeping it. But frequency isn’t the same thing as usefulness. A lot of operator...
CEOs in Fintech, SaaS Thrive via Thought Leadership
People often think social posting is most beneficial for consumer products, but being a thought leader as the CEO of a fintech, developer, or SaaS company also pays off big time.
Founder Friends Seoul: Eric Bahn & Ethan Cho Live Jan 20
There are 7 days until Founder Friends Seoul. @ericbahn will be chatting with Ethan Cho and you know is gonna be a great chat when two super unhinged, honest, and hilarious humans hang. If you're in Seoul and free Jan 20, save...
Most B2B AI Features Fail; Winners Do Differently
Hot take: 90% of "AI features" shipping in B2B right now are terrible. The companies winning are doing something completely different. Come to SaaStr AI 2026 May 12-14 and learn what actually works from founders with the receipts. https://t.co/Ff7DKVt1H2
YC Partner Pete Koomen Discusses AI Boom with KTH
YC partner Pete Koomen (@koomen) is visiting KTH this month for an off-the-record talk with @HenrikTaro, KTH alum and CEO of Vesence. They’ll talk about startups, Stockholm, and how the AI boom is unfolding in Silicon Valley. Learn more at https://t.co/ymSLsFFmTw https://t.co/XEP0YL8QKO
Six Key Steps to Close an M&A Deal
What are the basic milestones of a process (M&A or capital raise)? 1. Pre-marketing Complete the marketing materials (information packet and buyer list) and get your house in order. 2. Marketing Reach out to buyers, execute NDAs, and share marketing...
Two Must‑Attend Events for Founders and Investors
Two upcoming events worth checking out for anyone building or investing: 🤝🇰🇷 Founder Friends Seoul - January 20, 2026 A space to connect and learn from each other. No pitches, no pressure. ⛺️ Camp Hustle 2026 - May 11-13, 2026 An oasis...
VC Success: Prioritize Founder Agency Over Rigid Rules
Rules are the enemy of great returns -- but this is a very good heuristic for VC 👇 1⃣Founders with high agency 2⃣Encyclopedic about their industry 3⃣Who can materialize labor, capital & customers 4⃣Have "Count of Monte Cristo" motivation. Great pod by my...
Founders’ Retention Payments Can Outshine VC Liquidation Preferences
Yes, VCs often have a “liquidation preference” But there is also a “founder preference”. It’s called retention payments, which can often be eight figures on top of any return from common. And are often structured in a way to...
Untapped Domain Knowledge Fuels Niche Decentralized Entrepreneurship
" Everyone has domain knowledge in their head that is not monetized yet." @amasad of @Replit on the explosion of niche, decentralized entrepreneurs: https://t.co/Fd5FhtZSOG
AI Accelerates Competition: Stay Ahead or Become Irrelevant
Old rules: Around Year 5, the Competition Catches You in Whatever Made You Special Around Year 10, you have an Existential Threat. The tech world has changed so much, what you started with is sort of irrelevant. Today, with AI, often happens...
Juniper's $7B Return Proved TCP/IP's Internet Dominance
Juniper returned $7b+ to Kleiner's ~$500m fund ... I think it was 2500X but often ignored. Only player doing TCP/IP for the public internet in 1996 when every telco customer wanted ATM. If Juniper had not started the internet likely...
Scrappy Young Immigrants Outpaced Funded Giants, Redefined Industry
In retrospect, Sun as the beginning of a different kind of startup, the SCRAPPY but ambitious startup, from 20’s year olds without credibility or big connections. We beat the establishment startups like Apollo that had martini’s for lunch, had raised...
One‑Time Billionaire Tax Is Just First Step
My take on California’s “One-Time” Billionaire Tax. It’s much worse than it looks. 📉 Will it pass? Yes, likely. It only needs 50%+1 voter approval. SEIU + CTA have done this before—Prop 55 won 63% in 2016. ⚖️ Will it...
Squarespace Design Plugin Generates $340K Revenue, 39% Growth
Plugins + SaaS print money. Live on @acquiredotcom: All-in-one website design plugin for Squarespace freelancers and agencies. Faster builds, no custom code, sticky subscriptions. > $340K TTM revenue > $223K TTM profit > 39% YoY growth Full listing: https://t.co/Y8gnOYsd82 https://t.co/kiUkoUUPCu
Incumbents Shift From Open APIs to Closed Walls
Salesforce, Datadog & Epic are building walls. After two decades of flourishing through open APIs & data portability, the software industry's largest incumbents are locking down. https://t.co/7n6Tio3aJK
Build for Forever, Sell Tomorrow: Leverage Through Systems
Build your startup like you’re going to run it forever but prepare it so you could sell it tomorrow. > Organized books > Standardized operations > Product that works without you That’s how you create real leverage with buyers.
Zuckerberg Faces $49B Tax Bill Over Voting Power
Everyone’s focused on Brin and Page fleeing California. But there’s a ticking time bomb buried in the billionaire tax: Mark Zuckerberg may be facing a $49 Billion tax bill he literally cannot pay. 🧵 The California billionaire tax has a provision that...
Startups Only Need a Strategist for Few Hours
The one hire I don't need, and none of my portfolio cos need, is a "Strategist" I know at certain stage in many folks' career, that's what they want to do Advise on strategy more than do work themselves No criticism But most startups...
Bootstrapped SaaS Secures $480K Sale After Advisory Process
65 days ago this founder didn’t know if their SaaS was sellable. > Bootstrapped > 3 serious offers > Structured advisory process Yesterday they closed for $480,000 on @acquiredotcom. https://t.co/IHlzfr48zL
Celebrating 12 Years of A16z Support and $12B Fund
Grateful for a16z’s support which started nearly 12 years ago when they led Product Hunt’s Series A. Congrats on the fresh $12B, team. :)
Clarifies Divestments, Denies Media Claims of Profit Motive
It’s true that we divested both Groq and xAI. I wouldn’t have mentioned this except for the fact that the MSM continually lies about this, claiming I took a government role to make money when in fact the opposite is...
Slow Growth, Faster Spending: Hire Aggressively
I did office hours with a startup yesterday that I ended up advising to (a) decrease their growth rate and (b) spend the money they've raised faster by hiring more people and paying them high salaries. Possibly the first time...
Voting Power Triggers 50% Tax on Alphabet Founders
Larry and Sergey can’t stay in California since the wealth tax as written would confiscate 50% of their Alphabet shares. Each own ~3% of Alphabet's stock, worth about $120 billion each at today's ~$4 trillion market cap. But because their...
A16z's Fundraise Could Hand $1M to Every American
With its latest fundraise, a16z could give $1 million to every American and still have $10 billion left over.
Management Pitches Are Friendly, Not Tense, Focus on Fit
When you're going to sell your business or raise capital, what should you expect from management presentations? Generally, you should expect those meetings to be friendly. Buyers will be asking questions, but they're also trying to sell themselves. The main...
Series B Bar Rises: Vertical SaaS Outlook 2025‑26
Are you a company looking to raise their Series B? I spoke to the king of the category, Jason Kong from Base10 Partners . Every day he wakes up and works with founders in this zone, which straddles traditional venture...
Join Josh Kopelman at First Round Capital – Apply Now
📣 Best opportunity out there to work with my dear friend and the OG Josh Kopelman at First Round Capital . Reach out if you fit the bill to the link below not me.
AI‑Driven GTM Built in 180 Days: Key Wins
1/ Personio's CRO Phil Lecor built an AI-powered GTM in 6 months. From nothing to all-in in 180 days. $8.5B company. 400 salespeople. 15,000 customers. Here's what actually worked (and the mistakes to avoid): 🧵 https://t.co/qhDbuFmAxS
Transformers Hit Ceiling; Hybrid Models Unlock True Multimodal AI
During last month’s NeurIPS 2025 conference, YC’s @agupta sat down with @krandiash, founder and CEO of Cartesia, to explain why today’s AI architectures may be fundamentally limited. They discuss how transformers act more like retrieval systems than learning systems, where new...
A16z Deploys $15B to Fuel Global Innovation
The gap between what’s possible—and what’s actually built—has never been bigger. Excited to back entrepreneurs around the world building the future with >$15B in new funds - Apps, Infrastructure, Bio + Health, American Dynamism & Growth🚀 @a16z