Startup

As we exit the information age and enter the automation age, concern has (justifiably) arisen around the topic of disruption in the labor market. What human jobs will be replaced? We consider that question from the standpoint of labor specialization.…

Happy belated Thanksgiving. One of our four closely held values is what we call intentional generosity. We believe that giving with a purpose is a powerful tool for good. It’s baked into the venture capital model and baked into our…

We’re investing in Streem as a play on augmented reality transforming human interaction. Streem focuses on the future of collaboration, diagnosis, and data capture between consumers, professionals, and manufacturers. Streem offers a subscription-based smartphone app that allows consumers and pros to communicate in…

As a former stock analyst turned VC, I still spend time thinking about public company investment opportunities. To that end, I recently read Seth Klarman’s Margin of Safety, a hard to find, but very insightful book about value investing. The…

We’re investing in Skupos as a play on our vision of the future of retail. Skupos’ real-time inventory data fundamentally changes the game for convenience stores (c-stores), distributors, and brands. Automated retail and same day delivery are the future of commerce, and…

We’re investing in Bumblebee Spaces as a play on AI and robotics helping to solve the problem of escalating housing costs. The company has a modular ceiling system to address storage needs. Bumblebee users can store a desk, bed, closet,…

Our conference room has a small library. In it are 19 books (so far) that are important to us in some way, be it a gift, a guide, a reminder, or a fundamental truth. We also have a small shoe…

Every VC says they only invest in great founders, but the majority of venture-backed businesses still end in relative failure. Does that mean we as VCs are just bad judges of founders or do we not know what great founders…

If we had to sum up our investment approach in one word, it would be non-incremental. Venture capital is a power law game: the vast majority of venture returns come only from a few investments. We believe we have to…

I read about 80 books a year and am always looking for new suggestions from people in technology (email us your recommendations). A number of VCs and technologists recommended Failure Is Not An Option by Gene Kranz, flight controller for…