VC Theses #132 | SaaS 4.0, Supply Chain Opportunities, Language Model Stack, & more
June 11th–18th | Insights from Lightspeed, Sequoia, Equal, Upper90, Canaan, and others
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Investment Themes, Theses, & Outlooks
SaaS 4.0: Say Hello to The Era of Cognition (Alex Kayyal, Partner @ Lightspeed)
Equal’s POV on Investing in Supply Chain & Logistics (Chelsea Zhang, VP @ Equal)
The Time is Now for Transformational InsurTech Businesses (Steve McGovern, Principal @ Crystal VP)
A Wave of Personal Agents is Coming (Maria Gilfoyle & Scott Jacobson, Madrona)
Industry Developments & Analyses
The New Language Model Stack (Michelle Fradin & Lauren Reeder, Sequoia)
Does an AI Premium Exist in the Fundraising Market? (Tomasz Tunguz, MD @ Theory)
A New Era in Technology: Applications of AI, VR, and AR (Rex Woodbury, Partner @ Index)
FedNow instant payments are about to unlock fintech investment opportunities (TX Zhuo, GP @ Fika Ventures)
The Evolution of Sustainable Materials: Six Trends to Watch (Sophie Bakalar & Sarah Rodriguez, Collaborative Fund)
Compound Startups (Nandu Anilal, VC @ Canaan)
Guides, Case Studies, and Best Practices for Operating
Executive Hiring | The Key to Scaling in the Growth Stages (A16Z Team)
What is the most critical talent to master for great technical founders? (Massimo Sgrelli, GP @ Lombardstreet Ventures)
How startups can raise money in emerging markets today (Robin Butler, Partner @ Sturgeon)
PLG and Sales in 2023: How to Combine Them for Efficient Revenue Growth (Kyle Poyar, Partner @ OpenView)
Measuring Marketing Performance (Jax Vullinghs, VC @ Airtree)
Growth-stage startup valuations: Guiding principles for comps selection (Janelle Teng, VC @ Bessemer)
Additional Reads
Asset-Based Lending vs. Venture Debt, Demystified (Upper90 Team)
Will AI Kill Vertical SaaS? (Rob May, Partner @ AI Operator's Fund)
Death to Revenue Multiples: Long Live the DCF! (Rick Zullo, GP @ Equal Ventures)
Tutors for Everyone (Albert Wenger, GP @ USV)
The Differences Between a $50M and $1B VC Fund (Trace Cohen, Partner @ NYVP)
Can you Scale a Venture Capital Fund? (Abhishek Maran, VC @ Rampersand)
Overhyped AI, macro challenges, and more from Eniac’s Q2 Seed Sentiment Survey (Dan Jaeck and Anthony Ha, Eniac Ventures)
Savoring the AI Meal Without Being Eaten: A Rejoinder to Marc Andreessen (Christoph Janz, GP @ Point Nine)
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