Vinod Khosla: The world is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. In the past, experts with spreadsheets and econometric models or social scientists with subscale studies and linear models may have been useful. These so-called experts extrapolated from what came before, but as the rate of change has increased, looking to the past often is no longer meaningful – especially in a world driven by new technology.
Continue reading… “Intelligent failure will invent the future”
The Sense sleep tracking device has been backed by angel investors and crowdfunding campaigns.
Wall Street Journal’s Evelyn Rusli reports that startups are tapping new sources of early-stage funding, including ad hoc networks of wealthy tech executives doing some investing on the side, and that should give some big venture capital firms pause. Twenty-three year old entrepreneur James Proud is the latest example. He has raised $10.5 million from a circle of well-connected angel investors and an additional $2.4 million in a Kickstarter campaign for his sleep-tracker device Hello.
Continue reading… “Pre-VC rounds are shaking up early-stage funding”
Piecemeal labor has taken on a shinier veneer under new rubrics: the sharing economy, the peer economy, the collaborative economy, the gig economy.
Jennifer Guidry was in the driveway of her rental apartment just after 4 a.m. on a Friday while most of the neighbors in her leafy Boston suburb were still asleep. Her blond hair pulled back in a tidy French braid she was vacuuming the inside of her car. A Navy veteran and former accountant, Ms. Guidry uses the early time to mitigate the uncertainty of working in what’s known as the sharing economy.
Continue reading… “Workers find freedom and uncertainty in the sharing economy”
Companies will get rid of the traditional worker and replace them with entrepreneurs.
There are many theories and studies that shred light on the future state of the American job market, like futurist Thomas Frey, who in 2012 predicted that two billion jobs would disappear by 2030. Whether or not you agree with this statement, what is true is that change is inevitable. (Infographic)
Continue reading… “In the future everyone will be an entrepreneur”
Democratization of funding is changing the VC landscape.
The venture capital and funding market has changed dramatically over the last ten years. In the past venture capitalists were the go-to-guys in the playground, there are new players giving entrepreneurs with many choices. One used to focus their efforts in the famed VC offices on Sand Hill Road, but today it is happening in every corner and coffee shop around the world.
Continue reading… “Democratization of funding is disrupting the venture capital landscape”
The two most cited disruptive business ventures are AirBnB and Uber.
Today’s “disruptors,” and those who write about them, are doing a disservice by using the word as a synonym for, or add-on to, entrepreneur. By doing so, they are missing some key points.
Continue reading… “Disruption is a byproduct of entrepreneurship, not a business model”
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla at Gigaom’s Structure conference, said one of the biggest opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators in the enterprise is cutting out the human IT staff and going full automation, potentially with technologies like deep learning. “It’s ridiculous to have humans manage the level of complexity that they do. People are a big cost in IT. Let’s take that out,” said Khosla. (Video)
Entrepreneurs fared better taking less venture capital.
It seems that raising as much venture capital as humanly possible is Silicon Valley’s mantra, there are reasons to be cautious when signing termsheets. Startups raising a couple of million dollars had a median exit price of more than $10 million, while the outcome for those raising double that was actually worse, a recent study shows.
Continue reading… “Study shows startups are better off taking less venture capital”
We are set to disrupt the way startup investments are made.
Billions of dollars are flowing through Venture Capital Companies into startups. And that is an incredibly important development to bring more innovation, disruptive thinking and many more businesses to life. However, the Kauffman Foundation, a pretty influential force in the VC world, has expressed their frustration in a recent report:
Continue reading… “It’s time to disrupt the venture capital world”
Richard Branson
Technology is having a profound impact on so many sectors, creating opportunities, speeding up development and leveling the playing field so that leading companies can no longer take success for granted. It is an incredibly exciting time for innovation across the sector. (Videos)
Continue reading… “Financial services ripe for disruptive innovation”
Many organizations are unprepared for the mobile future.
There are hundreds of entrepreneurs every year whose business plans include the “mobile” buzzword. Many of them are app companies that target consumers or ad networks and platforms that help reach them. But there are even bigger opportunities for startups that leverage mobile technology to solve the most pressing problems for enterprises.
Continue reading… “3 trends that will transform how employees use their phones”
Tesla, the electric car company, is slowly reshaping how people think about driving. Following the same pattern can help any social entrepreneur get people excited about world-changing products. Here’s what Tesla is doing.
Continue reading… “Tesla is driving the new Purpose Economy”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.