Yegor Korobeynikov

Erik Noyes writes on how entrepreneurs should consider using AI tools to analyze customer data at scale, extract valuable insights, and make informed decisions. At risk of repeating others, here’s the quick take: 🔷Otter.ai - for transcribing focus group sessions or interviews in seconds 🔷Microsoft Azure - detects emotional cues and tones in customer conversations, by aggregating this data over time we can more deeply understand how customers feel about the brand, product or service. 🔷MeaningCloud - voice of the customer (feedback at scale) aggregated from social, product reviews and customer support tickets. 🔷Claude - iterate/generate variations on messaging based on customer feedback 🔷Copy.ai - to create product descriptions that resonate with a target audience It has become clear that the future belongs to those who understand how to leverage AI effectively. Onwards! #AI #Entrepreneurship #CustomerExperience #DataManagement #Marketing

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Vijen Patel is the founding partner of The 81 Collection, a VC fund that invests in unsexy industries. Before that, Vijen founded Pressbox, a dry cleaning startup, in 2013 and sold it to Procter & Gamble in 2018. In our conversation, Vijen shared: → What defined his upbringing → Journey with Pressbox → Building The 81 Collection → Investing in Hard Industries → The Power of Patience and Purpose → India opportunity → Sports & family & much more! Listen now 👇🏼 Youtube: https://bit.ly/3XujEs2 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Tjeah5 Some key takeaways: 1. Breaking the Mold: Coming from a family of physicians, I chose a different path—entrepreneurship. Sometimes, success means stepping out of the expected and embracing your unique journey. 2. The Power of Risk-Taking: American culture's risk-taking spirit played a crucial role in my career. Being the first in my family to venture into technology, I realized that risk is often the bridge between dreams and reality. 3. From Actuarial Science to Building an Empire: My entrepreneurial journey started with a failed attempt at being an actuary. Yet, that experience led me to finance and eventually to founding a dry cleaning startup that grew to 1200 locations. Don’t fear pivots; they might lead you to unexpected success. 4. Investing in ‘Unsexy’ Industries: While many chase the next big tech startup, I found value in overlooked sectors. Investing in what others ignore can yield the most significant returns, both financially and socially. 5. Purpose-Driven Success: For me, entrepreneurship isn’t just about profits. It’s about creating jobs, lifting communities, and making a lasting impact. When your work aligns with a deeper purpose, the rewards are far beyond financial. What risks have you taken that changed your life or career? Share your thoughts below! #investing #entreprenurship #indiandiasporas

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Good news about European venture performance is always welcome! 🇪🇺 🥳 But...and actually there are many "buts" on this one...these numbers are pretty meaningless. Where to start? - Apparently the European data is based on just 223 European VC funds spanning vintages from 1986 to 2023*. That's a low single digit percentage of the total number of European VC funds raised over that time. That's incredibly statistically insignificant. - It's IRR and not DPI. IRR can be more easily manipulated. It's done a lot. DPI matters way, waaay more than IRR. - The numbers are of unrealized performance. 😳 Which we all know you can't eat, and can also be rigged. Seriously, who gives a shit about unrealized gains? - Despite all that the numbers end up so close anyways that they're within any reasonable margin of error. So pretty neck and neck in an illiquid asset class. 🤷🏼‍♂️ - Also, let's be honest, averages don't matter in venture. It's a top decile driven asset class. It's all about outliers. That's way more important than geography. European VC is notoriously opaque. Academics often avoid including it in research on VC because of this. Much of European government LP data isn’t public, and government LPs make up a large chunk of LP commitments in Europe. Also, there have been examples of European government LPs selling underperforming fund stakes to other government buyers to prop up their numbers. Any report should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s adorable though that some quickly point to it having to be accurate simply because CA is involved, as if CA is infallible. CA has an agenda in doing this for a client (Invest Europe) which itself has an agenda to push. European venture has made great progress. It's a strong asset class that deserves more LP attention (much of the upside in European tech goes to North American LPs). Let the real numbers speak for themselves though. This ain't that. TLDR: These numbers are unrealized IRR based on a statistically insignificant dataset of funds. It's a nothingburger. https://lnkd.in/eytxpqpk * https://lnkd.in/eE3HTV5W

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Fundraising = Building a House? Building your dream house starts with a clear vision, often crafted with the help of an architect or builder. You meticulously plan every detail before laying a solid foundation and constructing the house step by step.  You can't build the roof without first having a plan and a solid foundation, right? In fundraising, you also can’t skip steps. Though I see a lot of you trying! Many founders jump into fundraising without a comprehensive plan, a defined process, or a detailed schedule. They might know their funding target, have a pitch deck ready, and even conduct some meetings, but they often lack a strategic approach. This leads to chaos and an inefficient fundraising process, like Tasmanian Devil spinning in a thousand directions. This might work for 2x  founders with a successful exit, in a hot sector. But for the rest of us? It results in high effort with low yield. Instead SLOW DOWN to SPEED UP. Dedicate  a few weeks to preparation and strategic planning, and you will close your round faster and with better terms. This way you are almost guaranteed to raise. And you’re not slowed down by confusion, rejection, malaise, or negativity. Each investor conversation is LOWER STAKES, because you’re having more of them, which shifts the power differential. Imagine approaching investor meetings with ease, clarity, and confidence, and having your round oversubscribed. How does that sound? Book a session with me now to discuss how to secure your funding in 2024. (link in the first comment)

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The European VC fundraising scene is showing a clear trend. Experience matters. Let's unpack some data on this! From The State of European Fundraising Report. 1/ Why track record matters. In a cautious market, LPs (investors) are prioritizing established funds with a proven history of success. Experienced firms captured 54.5% of the capital raised in 2023. 2/ New opportunities for LPs. This market shift presents a golden opportunity for LPs to build relationships with top-tier VC firms. Firms they might not have accessed before. 3/ Focus on creating value. Investors are seeking firms that prioritize building real value, not just hype. This is a great long-term trend for the industry. If you are an emerging fund manager, the time to build a strong reputation and track record is now. Focus on building a compelling value proposition and demonstrating a clear path to success to attract investors. Learn how to navigate the effects of the #TechReset. Get insights from The State of European Fundraising Report. https://buff.ly/4boUlfm Delivered to you by EUVC | Isomer Capital | Floww.  #EUVC #fundraising #venturecapital #industryreport

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It is very easy to develop a pessimistic / negative view of the world these days - in particular when sitting in Europe. And while some developments are undoubtedly far from great, I maintain a positive view - in particular when it comes to entrepreneurship. The slowdown of the tech sector over the last 2.5 years has been sobering, yet continues to create great opportunities for innovation. Three themes emerge in my interactions with founders: Way fewer people are looking to get “this cool startup experience“: While it has never been easy to build and scale a successful venture, the heydays of 2020/21 and media coverage focusing on mega seed rounds / fast successes have made the journey seem straightforward to some. Many people wanted to “get that startup experience”, blinded by the successes that looked like “straight lines”. The struggles of the past 30 months have been a powerful illustration of how hard it is, how much dedication it takes and that success is far from certain. I now see founders thinking more binary - either they feel that it is a great time to start out now or they suddenly feel that times are too risky to start something new. This is a very healthy side effect and separates the tourists from the believers. Opportunity costs of starting something new have dropped: A lot of incredibly strong and experienced people who wouldn’t have thought of building a company 30 months ago suddenly do. We have seen founder application numbers continuously trending up all through 2022 to 2024 and we have had the chance to work with really great people that wouldn’t have started something before. I believe that this is a function of lower opportunity costs (ESOP programs are priced differently, pet projects are gone, focus is on cost not growth). Many people I speak to share the belief that there is an opportunity at their fingertips, since i) markets have been shook up and incumbents / competition have been stirred up, ii) hiring is much easier today - the amount of talent available is amazing and iii) liquidity is there - early stage investors continue to back great companies and unlike other phases there is no liquidity crisis. Founders are pulled towards healthy economics: Capital has a cost - how weird, huh? Therefore, many founders are focusing more diligently on the capital needs and burn rates that their businesses have, knowing that money is expensive. It has also pushed people in ideation stages to focus more on stuff that customers really want - and are willing to pay for. It is very clear that investors take their time to do proper due diligence, that they are more patient when evaluating businesses and that they value (future) financial health over the mere prospect of growth at all cost. All of these effects are healthy - and they will help bring forward a new generation of winning companies! ⛸⛸

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🇪🇺'EU Inc has a rocky road ahead'🇪🇺 📣 TechCrunch just dropped a must-read piece on why The EU Inc Petition is a must have - and the challenges ahead! Nobody said it would be easy, but "This is us as an industry saying very clearly on one topic, very focused, not like a list of 20 requests, but like one thing, ‘This is important." 🗣️ Andreas Klinger 💰The The EU Inc Petition has by now more than €300bn in enterprise value in its signatory. That is more than the Top5 automotive companies in Europe. Startups are the future, let's level the field! Who should get on board and support this petition? tag and activate them today. link in comments:

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Too many construction and real estate tech startups are tracking problems, vs actually solving problems. This is the case with almost every workflow tool. For example- Software that tracks RFIs vs getting rid of all RFIs. Especially annoying when AI startups think this way.

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🚀 Entrepreneurial Insight: Build a Painkiller, Not a Vitamin 🚀 One of the key lessons I shared in my recent keynote speech at the University of the Witwatersrand was all about focusing on solving real problems. Here’s why it’s crucial: 🔍 Painkillers vs. Vitamins: In the world of startups, your product or service should address a pressing need—a "pain" for your customers. A painkiller provides immediate relief, while a vitamin is a nice-to-have but not essential. 💡 Why It Matters: When you solve a significant problem, you create real value and a strong demand for your solution. This approach not only drives growth but also ensures you’re meeting a genuine need in the market. 🔥 Actionable Tip: Always ask yourself, “What problem am I solving?” Make sure your solution is indispensable, not just an enhancement. Stay tuned for more insights from my keynote! For a deeper dive into this and other key lessons, check out the full video https://lnkd.in/d34JfAFY ! #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #BusinessAdvice #PainkillerNotVitamin

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Build it and they will come... Is the dream of many entrepreneurs! And a real heart breaker at the same time! Over the past year, AmigoAI has evolved significantly. As natural builders finding ourselves at the dawn of this new LLM powered wave of innovation we have spent several months in 'product studio' mode rapidly building and pioneering AI powered prototypes. Sadly, this rarely translates to waves of organic users just because you've built something! Our projects included a ChatGPT-like web app, an Amazon-Q-like Slack bot, a Chrome Extension and more. We've experimented with image generation and enhanced open-source projects. We've learned to navigate the strengths and weaknesses of RAG systems, experimenting long before it was cool with knowledge graphs. We've built a chat bot that continuously ingests your Slack, GDrive, Confluence, Jira and more (as you configure it!) to provide up-to-date answers on project statuses, impediments, design decisions and conversations. All things we identified some appetite for but were unable to make many sales of. Recently, we began sharing our expertise and helping our first client get their first LLM applications off the ground. Building on this we're now looking for more companies to help leverage this new wave of technologies. Our team boasts a comprehensive range of expertise, from managing both on-premise and cloud-based deployments to mastering the subtleties of Scrum, and delivering robust solutions in Python, Java, Kotlin, and Node/Typescript. Our collective experience equips us to adapt swiftly and efficiently, crafting bespoke strategies that align perfectly with your specific challenges. We are eager to forge partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to enhancing our world. Whether you are an emerging startup in need of your first landing page and MVP, or a well-established enterprise, we are here to support your journey. Let’s explore how we can work together, or, if needed, connect you with a partner that best meets your requirements. Visit us at amigotech.ai or reach out to me directly, DMs open!

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Join us for a new, inspiring conversation on AI & Robotics. In the latest episode of the EUVC podcast, we welcome Mikhail Taver, Founder and Managing Partner of Taver Capital Partners to discuss about: 👉 How AI has the potential to revolutionize various industries? 👉 The impact of regulation on technological progress. 👉 Why effective communication between startups and corporations is crucial? 👉 How founder experience does not automatically translate into being a successful investor. 👉 .... and many more exciting things that we invite you to listen to below. Tune in on EUVC | 🎧 Link in comments. #EUVCpodcast #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startupfunding #europe

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Climate Tech remains untapped, underfunded and underestimated. Especially in Europe. Yes, the sector's growing, but we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. A large part of series A and beyond funding for European climate tech startups is coming from the US. We’re talking about a $5 trillion opportunity here. To get there, we need to bridge the funding gap. #climatetech

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REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund is open for business. If you are a startup founder building a startup that fits our thesis, please visit our website and pitch us. We are not your average fund. We are #ObsessivelyEnthusiastic about what we do. Our Investment Thesis: REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund invests in early stage startups refashioning legacy industries through Data & AI, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, & Next Generation Supply Chains; Defensible through economic moats. We have backed 54 startups since July 1, 2021. Pitch us: https://lnkd.in/eZ2K5Ry2 #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChainTechnology #VentureCapital #Startups

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Measuring marketing in Venture is useless. Never one to mince my words, I was back on the EUVC podcast alongside Vincent Touati-Tomas & Jeroen van Doornik to discuss all things marketing in VC. Alongside all things narrative development, positioning, culture, and content and distribution, we also covered one of the hotly debated topics of the moment in the US vs Europe debate and even got into the weeds of the impact of regulation and what funds need to do in order to stand out. If you're curious about the mysterious world of venture marketing then have a listen here:

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The Angel Investor’s Dilemma: Choosing Projects In 9 years, I reviewed over a thousand projects and invested in 52. All startups go through three stages before receiving investments. 1. The Pitch Deck: Your MVP's first impression. I prefer slides over videos, covering the problem, market size, scaling bottlenecks, team, unit economics, customer background, and product-market fit. 2. In-Person Meeting: Build my confidence with your passion, knowledge, and experience. Be transparent about your product's current stage and future outlook. 3. Due Diligence: A thorough project review, taking up to two months, including legal, accounting, technical, and team audits. I detailed these stages in an article for @The_Recursive. Read it, share with a founder, and leave your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/efBi7ac8

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Absolutely love this, Namrata! This is exactly what The Octopus Movement is all about—turning nonlinear brilliance into tangible change. The way we are harnessing AI to capture, organize, and validate ideas is a game-changer. It's like we've found a way to connect the wild creativity of our non-linear brains with the precision and depth of AI's pattern recognition. This isn't just ideation—it's about creating a constant flow from thought to think tank, to white papers, to startup potential, and beyond. We are unlocking new possibilities, making sure no brilliant idea slips through the cracks. I'm excited to see how this synergy between human creativity and AI's capabilities will lead to world-changing outcomes. Let’s bring those ideas to life and redefine how we create in this age of chaos!

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