Dasha Shunina

New Episode Alert! 🎙️ 🚀 Inside the Investor’s Mind: Adrian Mendoza’s Journey from CTO to Venture Capitalist In this latest episode of The CTO Show With Mehmet Gonullu, I’m thrilled to host Adrian Mendoza, General Partner of Mendoza Ventures, who joins us from Boston to share his inspiring journey from tech founder to venture capitalist. 💡 Adrian’s path is a rare one—he’s gone from building startups as a CTO to raising a $100 million venture fund. His empathy for founders shines through as he explains his investment philosophy and the critical lessons he’s learned along the way. We dive into: ✨ What inspired his shift from founder to VC 🔍 Common mistakes founders make when pitching to VCs 🚀 How early traction and technical due diligence shape investment decisions 🌎 His commitment to supporting diverse and underrepresented founders Adrian also offers actionable insights for navigating the VC landscape, understanding the “sales” side of fundraising, and building tech that scales. Whether you’re a founder, tech leader, or aspiring investor, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways! 👉 Listen now and gain a look inside the mind of a former CTO-turned-investor who is passionate about empowering the next wave of tech innovators. 🔗 Links in the first comment. #Podcast #VentureCapital #CTO #TechFounders #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Investment #AI #Cybersecurity #Fintech #Leadership

8

1 Comment

San Francisco's political landscape is taking an innovative turn as mayor-elect Dan Lurie appoints OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to his transition team. This strategic move signals a fresh approach to bridging the gap between city government and the tech sector at a crucial time for San Francisco. What makes this particularly noteworthy is how it represents a shift in how cities might leverage tech leadership to address urban challenges - from public safety to economic revitalization. The inclusion of both Altman and former Twitter CFO Ned Segal suggests a deliberate strategy to reconnect with the tech community while maintaining the city's position as a global innovation hub. Key developments to watch: ▶️ How this tech-government partnership influences public safety initiatives ▶️ Impact on downtown revitalization efforts ▶️ Response from other tech leaders and companies ▶️ Potential new policies to attract and retain tech talent ▶️ Balance between innovation and traditional urban governance https://lnkd.in/gMJ3yvk9

11

1 Comment

TechCrunch’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of #startups. This week brought us some exciting fundraising news from around the world, and even some exits. But if you are looking for tech IPOs, you will have to look at India. Meanwhile in the U.S., startups could help data centers reduce their environmental impact. #techentrepreneurs #business #startup #saasstartups #startupfounders #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs #businessexpansion #businessgrowth #startupchallenge #startupecosystem #startupnews #startupgrowth #startupsuccess #growthstrategy #earlystagestartups #scaleups #startupjourney #startupfunding #venturecapital #vc #investors #fundraising #seedinvestment #seriesa #seedfunding #seedround #seedcapital #startupfinance #fundraisingchallenge #investment #runaway #goingglobal #weeklyrecap #techstartups #aistartups #foundersjourney #venturefunding #seed #preseed #TechCrunch #unicorns #artificialintelligence #ai #startupworld #weeklyupdate #technews #startupstories #siliconvalley #ipo #venturenews #venture #mergersandacquisitions #mergers #startuplife #acquisitions #exitevent #unicornstartup #ainews #aitech #fundingnews #privateequity #privatemarkets

7

https://lnkd.in/en6i2WN3 One classic piece of startup advice is to work at bigger companies for just long enough to identify the pain points, figure out if those pain points generalize to other companies, and, if so, build a product that solves them. But from the company's perspective, this is an economic inefficiency—their most ambitious employees are engaged in a heist, and it's a heist of intellectual property the company didn't know it had! As companies look at how much of their expenses comes from various SaaS bills, they've come to the same conclusion in the opposite direction: solve their problems in a scalable way, and they've probably built the basics of a scalable company. This is all very high-level and theoretical, but it is actually happening: Alaska Airlines has a startup incubator, and it's just spun out its first company, which is now spinning off. The true function of a company is to aggregate information and align incentives, and this is an instance of both.

9

1 Comment

Wed morning share of Mehmet Gonullu most recent podcast of the The CTO Show With Mehmet Gonullu. I enjoyed being a guest and talking about my experience as a CTO as well as advice on being a startup CTO! #cto #startip

14

1 Comment

I got a preview of this talk. It's going to be good. If you think we've reached the end of the gen AI opportunity, then you should listen to what Roman Shaposhnik and Tanya Dadasheva have to share about the future of transformer architecture for AI.

3

🚀 Exciting news: Cyrannus is now LIVE! 🎉 Calling all founders and industry experts: 👨‍💼👩‍💼 Founders: Get your startup evaluated by top industry experts Rapid funding decisions - from submission to funding in weeks, not months Access to a network of accredited investors 🧠 Industry Experts: Join our elite Expert Network Evaluate cutting-edge startups in your field Earn equity for your expertise Our mission: Empower the next generation of founders through rapid funding, expert evaluation, and a supportive community. Are you a founder ready for funding or an expert looking to shape the future of tech? Join Cyrannus today! #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #TechExperts #AIInnovation #CyrannusLaunch P.S. AI/ML founders, we're especially eager to see your pitches. Submit now and get evaluated by the brightest minds in the industry!

6

2 Comments

We've compiled a comprehensive list of #SanFrancisco 270 VC firms! Discover essential details like firm names, websites, office locations, investment stages, and more. https://lnkd.in/dsJKyymy #startup #startups #venturecapital #funding #vc #privateequity

3

Raising a Series A round in today’s competitive market can be a daunting task. To equip seed-stage founders with the insights and strategies needed for success, TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 will host a crucial session on the Builders Stage titled “What You Need to Raise a Series A Today.” This session will bring together some of the industry’s most experienced investors to share what they and their firms are looking for in their next Series A deals. Attendees of this session will gain unparalleled insights from these industry veterans, learning what investors are currently seeking and how to position their startups for success. From understanding the key metrics and milestones that matter to investors, to crafting a compelling narrative that highlights their startup’s unique value proposition, founders will take away the knowledge and confidence needed to secure their Series A funding. Let’s meet these Series A mavens! #ai #tech #technology #AItech #business

5

1 Comment

📅 August 07, 2024 AIBuzzWorld Daily Newsletter! Dive into the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence and be the first to learn about the latest AI news: 1. **OpenAI Co-Founder Schulman Leaves for Anthropic, Brockman Takes Extended Leave**      • John Schulman, a co-founder of OpenAI, moves to rival Anthropic.   • Schulman aims to deepen his focus on AI alignment and technical work.   • Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president, announces an extended leave.   • Readmore: https://lnkd.in/gfTZ9D3Z 2. **Elon Musk Renews Legal War on OpenAI, Two Months After Dropping Lawsuit**      • Elon Musk files a new lawsuit against OpenAI.   • The lawsuit alleges OpenAI misled investors by shifting to a for-profit model.   • OpenAI dismisses Musk's claims, suggesting his discontent stems from missing out on the company's success.   • Readmore: https://lnkd.in/ggGTnQpu 3. **OpenAI Tempers Expectations With Less Bombastic, GPT-5-Less DevDay This Fall**      • OpenAI will scale back its DevDay conference.   • No new flagship model will be launched; focus on API updates and developer support.   • Events scheduled for San Francisco, London, and Singapore.   • Readmore: https://lnkd.in/gV8qicPG 4. **Runway Gen-3 Alpha Can Now Bookend Your AI Videos. Creators, Take Note**      • Runway enhances its Gen-3 Alpha Image to Video tool.   • Users can now anchor AI-generated videos with chosen imagery.   • This feature improves consistency and creative control.   • Readmore: https://lnkd.in/g5PkgKjs 5. **AI chip startup Groq lands $640M to challenge Nvidia**      • Groq secures $640 million in funding.   • The startup aims to challenge Nvidia in the AI chip market.   • Groq focuses on high-performance AI chips for advanced computing.   • Readmore: https://lnkd.in/gvUKwf8t #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML #LLMs #TechNews #OpenAI #ElonMusk #AIResearch #AItools #Innovation #AIalignment #AIethics #AIsafety #FutureTech

1

It's AAPI month again. No victims or model citizens here. Join me on a panel discussion all about Asian women crushing it as founders and VCs. We're gonna spill some tea on: 💪 How AAPI women are claiming their rightful space in VC 💰 Strategies for women to build serious wealth 🙌 Real-world ways we can uplift and support each other as founders and VCs

2

Technical founders can develop into great leaders by having a strong sense of urgency. As BCV partner Kevin Zhang explains, modern engineering teams are used to organized sprints, so technical founders should treat other parts of the business with a similar timeline of “as soon as possible.” After all, time kills all deals. Read more in our head start guide for founders.

12

It was an honor (and a ton of fun!) to record this episode of Supra Insider! The podcast is a project of Ben Erez and Supra founder Marc Baselga, highlights members of the Supra community, and extends the great conversations we have within the private Supra community. Why was it so much fun? It was less an interview and more a conversation with two smart, good-looking friends. We covered my decision to take a break from salaried work to become the primary parent, my wife Carla's career as a bestselling author, the relationship between the first product hire and founders, my current role as a coach, and a lot more. Links are 👇 below - I hope you'll let me know what you think! If you're a mid- to late-career Product leader looking for a high-quality community, support, and coaching from your peers, you should check out Supra—it really is a special place. #podcast #product #productmanagement #productleadership #coaching #mentorship #parenting #entrepreneurship

59

9 Comments

The New York ecosystem for dual-use technology is small but strong and growing rapidly. Thanks to companies like Decisive Point and @a16z who continue to support the community with networking events for founders, investors, and community members. More and more founders are recognizing the value in partnering with the DOD as a strong way to support the country's national security interests while hopefully decreasing the tax burden on citizens regarding government spend as commercially available technology becomes more available and affordable for government organizations. Not only this, but the DOD serves as a great test bed and sandbox for emerging technologies and talent. #dualuse #emergingtech #defensetech #Kilsar

91

4 Comments

Andreessen Horowitz (#a16z), one of the most successful and active funds in the world, is leading the global VC world once again with a bold new strategy: Building an in-house infrastructure of over 20,000 #GPUs to secure global #AI #Deals. It's not a surprise since a16z has been actively investing in AI and technology infrastructure. They already have a dedicated $1.25 billion Infrastructure fund, showing their strong focus on supporting companies in the AI space. #EarlyStage #startups often focus on raising cash, but for those building AI tools, GPUs are the #newgold, the problem is that high-end GPUs used for AI and machine learning can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars each and paying these amounts isn't sustainable for early-stage startups. The cost of 20,000 GPUs would be a significant investment of a6z's portfolio companies, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars and building such a large GPU infrastructure could give the VC firm an advantage in AI-related investments. It's a #SUPER unusual move for a VC firm, as they typically invest in companies rather than building extensive hardware infrastructure IN-HOUSE. Once again, Andreessen Horowitz is ahead of the game, proving that money alone isn't enough to support startups these days. This might soon affect the entire investment industry (and possibly GPU prices). I believe the traditional investment model for big/huge VCs (give us equity - we'll give you money) will likely evolve soon. My question is, can micro-funds and smaller VCs keep up with this new game in the long run? #VentureCapital #InvestmentStrategy #earlystagestartups

9

5 Comments

This news is definitely disturbing. Time to figure out why and what we can do to better level the playing field for entrepreneurs and founders. Is this mostly due to the "anti-DEI" environment? Something else that is being overlooked? Eager to hear reactions and solutions. Thanks to Crunchbase for highlighting this. #dei #investing #impact #fairness #bias #equity #gapclosing

2