Anthony Soohoo

💪💡Wisdom is learning from past mistakes from others but also oneself. Retrospection with action is powerful. An insightful weekend read from the WSJ… Christopher Mims shares his list, from 10 years of covering consumer tech for the The Wall Street Journal: ( link here: https://lnkd.in/eKj2wX_t ) 1. Disruption is overrated. 2. Human factors are everything in tech adoption. 3. People lie to themselves… and to you. 4. Tech bubbles are productive, even if wasteful. 5. We’ve got more power to shape how tech impacts us. Some of my list, from 25 years of early stage consumer internet investing and operating: 1. Tech disruption is overestimated in the short run, underestimated in the long run. (Amara’s Law) 2. Social proof is powerful in tech adoption. 3. Hope kills. Execution is everything. 4. Run towards tech bubbles. 5. Tech optimism empowers positive change.

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💡 Interesting article from McKinsey & Company https://lnkd.in/epAPVffD Thanks for sharing! YouKnowMeBest Tea Shashaj InnovaticGroup. Create the Future Now innovaticgroup.com #Innovation #Growth #Technology #Entrepreneurship #Investors #BusinessAngels #VentureCapital #LPs #GPs #DigitalTransformation #Digitalization #Startup #Scaleup #StartupInsights #InnovaticGroup

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In learning more about VC Lab (and applying to their latest cohort), I came away impressed with them -- both as a venture capital accelerator and for their mission of transforming venture capital into a force for good. In particular, I learned of their Mensarius Oath for ethical investing and fully support it, particularly the sections on transparency and equality. If interested you can read it here: https://lnkd.in/db-iq2F4

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I’m thrilled to be announcing that Notion Capital is leading the $15m Series A investment in Cogna today. In the industry, we like to think that software has been eating the world. But when you look at the data a better description would be more of a nibble. Depending on what source you look at the software industry represents between 5-8% of global GDP. Contrast that with the services industry that represents between 60-70% of GDP and worth around $25 trillion on a global basis. Most services have been out of reach for the software industry. They have either been too complex or too specialized for off the shelf software to access in any economically viable way. But that’s beginnning to change with GenAI leading to the emergence of ‘service as a software.’ Cogna is at the forefront of this opportunity - building precision software at scale and delivering huge productivity gains for traditional industries. We know Ben Peters & Lars Mennen well having backed their previous company Five AI that was acquired by Bosch in 2022. And we’re very excited to be backing them again together with Hoxton Ventures & Chalfen Ventures Read my full blog post on why we invested here. Radu Bozga Ben Peters Lars Mennen Bryan Gartner Mike Chalfen Hussein Kanji Kirsten Connell https://lnkd.in/eh8mhcJb

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What do you do when a radical new technology puts your main product right in the crosshairs of disruption? Listen to David Okuniev — co-founder of Typeform | Ask awesomely — discuss the challenges of innovation within existing structures. David shared a game-changing insight: Radical innovation is really, really difficult to do inside your own product. He emphasized the need to break free from the constraints of familiarity and embrace change from outside the box. Henrik Werdelin and I have both seen our fair share of this in our respective careers. What struck us most was how David leveraged structure to overcome the innovator’s dilemma. By creating a culture of experimentation and providing space for bold ideas, he propelled Typeform beyond incremental improvements. What other hacks have you seen or employed to help your organization overcome the innovator’s dilemma? Share your stories below! 👇 And if you want to dive deeper into our conversation, click the link in the comments to catch the full podcast episode!

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Exciting release from our portfolio company Orby AI. They just released ActIO (action in, action out), the first purpose-built Large Action Model (LAM) transforming how enterprise teams and individuals work. They are outpacing leading models like GPT-4o and Gemini in visual web comprehension and task execution.  #generativeAI

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Trump's second term presents opportunities for VC/PE and startups through deregulation and innovation-focused policies, but challenges like stringent immigration rules, reduced AI funding, and fragmented regulations may hinder startups and global talent access. In this post you can find more details. Digital Data Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard #MTLC #BostonTech #BoardReadyBootcamp #TechTop50 Harvard Innovation Labs #PE #VC #Startups

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This is quite a piece on accusations of unethical pay-to-play within the #cyber #VC ecosystem. -Guaranteed first-year sales for portfolio companies -Formal loyalty program for CISOs -Points awarded within the program for CISO commitment level to portfolio companies (meetings, PoCs, product purchases) -Share of GP fees for CISOs in the loyalty program https://lnkd.in/gDta7Gp7

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What is the nature of Austin startup innovation at the early stages? Peter Walker is out with new Carta data on Seed and Series A fundraising by metro & sector. Austin ranks 6th overall with 3.3% of total capital invested, between Seattle and DC. Seattle & ATX again seem to be a tier of their own. Not the first data set where I've seen this pairing & I don't expect it to be the last. Not sure what to make of this trend, yet. When you break it down by sector, the story of what is Austin innovation is beginning to change: 🔹 Healthtech: 4th (5.5%) 🔹 Consumer: 6th (4.6%) 🔹 Fintech: 7th (4.0%) 🔹 SaaS: 7th (3.0%) 🔹 Biotech: 8th (2.3%) 🔹 Hardware: Not ranked (surprising w/ our defense tech boom) ATX’s sector diversity & early stage volume paints a strong future. What's Next?

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Juniper Square recently released their look back at the state of venture in Q2 2024, and the data is interesting. 👉 The liquidity drought continues to stifle fundraising, with $37.4B committed to 255 funds YTD. 👉 In the current climate, established managers are securing 77% of fund value YTD, the highest concentration in the last decade.  👉 Over 63% of capital raised in 2024 so far is in funds of $500M+, the second-highest percentage in the last decade. 👉 Q2 reflects an uptick in US venture deal momentum, with quarterly deal count climbing to the highest level since Q2 2022. 👉 Q2 data shows a third consecutive upward quarter in both exit value and the total number of exits.  👉 Q2 hit a 9-quarter high in total number of exits, and the total exit value recorded was the second-best quarter since Q1 2022. The data shows that the landscape is especially competitive for emerging managers. When it comes to generating returns though, a fresh perspective can help find the most interesting deals. I wrote a bit about this last week, if you’re curious to dig into stats on unicorns at the seed stage, and the funds they’re raising from. You can check out the full report from Juniper Square here: https://lnkd.in/eN6VnY-k #emergingmanagers #stateofvc

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While David C. Baker focuses on the agency space, this article outlines a very useful decision-making framework for leaders across industries. A lot of startup CEO's and founders are grappling with the same questions/opportunities. VC's trying to coach CEO's should also read this and lookout for the signs of paralysis.

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Are we building too much supply side infrastructure for AI? Will revenue ever catch up? I discussed these questions and more with Laura Chau, partner at Canaan, in episode 452 of The Full Ratchet. Tune in today to catch our full discussion. Link to the full episode is in the comment section below.

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Payments companies are increasingly acquiring software and tech firms to enhance their technology capabilities, expand their service offerings, and secure their digital operations. Recent acquisitions include Mastercard's purchases of cybersecurity firm Recorded Future and subscription management company Minna Technologies. This trend of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has accelerated in 2024, with 62 deals announced by mid-October, likely surpassing 2023's total. The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut may further boost M&A activity through 2024 and into 2025, as companies seek to strengthen their technology stacks, combat fraud, and expand into new markets. Key deals include Roper Technologies’ $1.5 billion purchase of Transact Campus, Veritas Capital’s acquisition of NCR Voyix for $2.45 billion, and Global Payments' acquisition of Yazara, a mobile payment solution. Continue Reading Here: https://lnkd.in/gKYgVYuv Payments Dive Shefali Kapadia Branded Hospitality Ventures #Ventures #Hospitality #Technology #Mergers Hospitality Headline Newsletter Ajay Banga Michael Miebach Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. Dan Schulman Hiroki Takeuchi Jason Gardner

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Really interesting question. Can it be done? Does the outdoor industry need it? Clearly some of the largest retailers have struggled with maintaining the correct amount of the right inventory and teams that are helpful and knowledgeable. But building a logistical beast such as Amazon is complex. Cheryl Stark any perspective?

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A lot of conversation around #AI could feel repetitive, but luckily for us, MIT Sloan Management Review has recently delivered us brand new research and insights into how to effectively utilize #generativeAI: including how to optimize performance and productivity with AI, and importantly, how to set reasonable #sustainability goals and build discovery groups to promote #diversity in the workplace! The article goes a lot more in-depth than my short post could do justice — including lists of upcoming trends and technological shifts to be mindful of in 2024, as well as a webinar series by MIT Sloan lecturer George Westerman that aims to demystify and contextualize the role of AI in near-future. Definitely give this a read when you have some time. I’ve been arguing that ultimately, AI is a tool not unlike a calculator — new technology will feel less scary and disruptive once we have had time to fully understand it. These reports prove my point, and even just one full year into the big AI boom, we have a model of #ethical and #sustainable rules to set as a precedent for the future. How do you feel about this? If you have had time to read the full article, do you have any new takeaways?

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Interesting piece from Marc Andreessen on how startups are not getting the regulatory support they need to sustain America's technological leadership. "Regulatory agencies have been green lit to use brute force investigations, prosecutions, intimidation, and threats to hobble new industries, such as Blockchain. Regulatory agencies are being green lit in real time to do the same to Artificial Intelligence." While many investors themselves (both in the US and Europe) are worried how AI will change our lives, our jobs and social interactions, the top VC opinion leader thinks regulation is already too restrictive. #techstartups #techleadership #strategicgrowth

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Generative AI and competitive advantage https://buff.ly/4aZ6WVM by @sanguit competitive advantage beyond the hype: 🤖to leverage Generative AI 🤖to create new sources of intelligence advantage 🤖that help strengthen their position 🤖and commoditize partners’ positions #rafAIgual

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Just finished an interview with CNBC at SuperReturn in Berlin, where we discussed opportunities in enterprise software and how GenAI will revolutionize the software sector. At Thoma Bravo, we see AI as an opportunity, not a threat, and software incumbents are in a great position to benefit from this technology. Over the years, we've seen enterprise #software evolve from the limitations of on-premise to the flexibility of SaaS, and now, GenAI is set to redefine business operations. We're actively embracing #GenAI's transformative power and are already seeing products emerge within our portfolio companies. Focusing on #AI is more important than ever, and we're excited and optimistic about what this means for the future of enterprise software. https://lnkd.in/ePHUTjNe

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I’m thoughtful about the impact that the dissolution of OpenAI’s risk and ethics team led by Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike might have on the direction of the company’s tech & product development. And - this strengthens my resolve to earn a Masters of Data Science & AI degree over the next 18 months, weighted toward the deeply important conversation around building tech within a framework of ethics, equity and risk mitigation. We must find an equilibrium that balances the raw speed of AI innovation with intentionality. Can’t wait to get started! OpenAI #ai #BuildWithIntention #venturestudios #vc

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