Catching Up On Readings: RSA 2021

This feature from CRN looks at some of the hottest cybersecurity products at the RSA Conference 2021 held online earlier this month. For this week’s posts, click on the paragraph links.

Catching Up On Readings: Remote Work Standoff

This feature from The Washington Post delves into the seismic standoff building over getting back to workplaces. As per a Best Practice Institute poll, 83% of CEOs want employees back full-time, while only 10% of workers want to continue with remote work. For this week’s posts, click on the paragraph links.

Best of Bootstrapping: Discussing Alternatives to Traditional Venture Capital with Bryce Roberts, Indie.vc

If you have been bootstrapping and think you are ready for investors, you need to learn how investors think. First, please study our free Bootstrapping course and Investor Introductions page. Then start looking for entrepreneur – investor fit. Today I introduce you to Bryce Roberts.

Bryce Roberts, Co-founder and Managing Director, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV), and Founder, Indie.vc, discusses the issues with the venture capital financing model, and explored alternatives. You can listen to the podcast interview here and the entire roundtable program here:

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Catching Up On Readings: State of Retail Tech Q1’21

This report from CB Insights covers the global retail tech investment trends in key financial verticals, partnership activity, and top deals in the sector. For this week’s posts, click on the paragraph links.

Best of Bootstrapping: E-commerce and Investing with Tod Francis, Shasta Ventures

If you have been bootstrapping and think you are ready for investors, you need to learn how investors think. First, please study our free Bootstrapping course and Investor Introductions page. Then start looking for entrepreneur – investor fit. Today I introduce you to Tod Francis.

Tod Francis, Managing Director at Shasta Ventures, starts with a discussion on the history of retail, all the way from shoe stores, to departmental stores, and back to specialty retail. This is followed by a similar overview of the history of e-commerce ranging from Amazon’s strategy to how specialty retail is translating into niche e-commerce, and how Tod is looking at investments in the category. You can listen to the podcast interview here and the entire roundtable program here:

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Catching Up On Readings: Chip Innovation

This feature from The New York Times looks at how the semiconductor field, despite chip shortage, is entering a surprising new era of creativity, from industry giants to innovative start-ups seeing a spike in funding from venture capitalists that traditionally avoided chip makers. For this week’s posts, click on the paragraph links.

Best of Bootstrapping: Sourcing Global Ventures with Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad

If you have been bootstrapping and think you are ready for investors, you need to learn how investors think. First, please study our free Bootstrapping course and Investor Introductions page. Then start looking for entrepreneur – investor fit. Today I introduce you to Ann Winblad.

Ann Winblad, Co-founder and Managing Director of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, is one of the most successful women VCs in our industry, and as I mentioned in my introduction, I have never heard her whining about bias against women. One of the most encouraging things she discussed when we spoke in 2014 is how her firm is sourcing interesting ventures from all over the world, not just Silicon Valley. Mulesoft, one of their hot portfolio companies, had its CEO based in Malta, originally!

You can listen to the podcast interview here and the entire roundtable program here:

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Catching Up On Readings: State of FinTech Q1’21

This report from CB Insights covers the global fintech investment trends in key financial verticals, partnership activity, and top deals in the sector. For this week’s posts, click on the paragraph links.