David Gossett

As basic and mid-range tech skills become increasingly commoditized, this is going to keep happening. At least I think it will. There are huge benefits to keeping your staff in close time zones, but it's by no means necessary. Plus, there are cheaper geographies within our own country. So you can hire cheaper in the same time zone or one only one or two away. But, there are also advantages to having staff in time zones around the globe, providing closer to 24/7 support, for example. "Udemy, a San Francisco company that sells online educational courses and training, is laying off about 280 workers — but plans to replace some in what it’s calling 'lower cost geographies.'" https://lnkd.in/gqCXYanf

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Breaking down the Seattle Venture Ecosystem! Kudos to Jacob Laes and Nick Khormaei for shedding light on the often complex and opaque Seattle funding ecosystem with their comprehensive investor map. For founders, navigating the venture capital world can feel like a maze, but this map offers a much-needed clearer view of where Seattle’s investors are truly placing their bets. And you know me—data is everything! Data drives decisions and, in this case, holds the key to unlocking new opportunities for startups. This project covers 58 firms with insights on: Industry sector focus Investment stages Portfolio track records It’s a game-changer for founders looking to connect with the right investors more efficiently. Check out their breakdown for a detailed view, and feel free to reach out for the full data set! Evan Poncelet Jesse Posey #Startups #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #SeattleTech #Funding #TechInnovation #Investing #StartupCommunity #VentureEcosystem #FounderJourney #BusinessGrowth #SeattleStartups

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The “forgotten users” have never been forgotten by many of us. They’re at the core of my work, my ‘why’—to create for those who aren’t being served. And this doesn’t have to be through non-profits alone. Profit matters, but I know there are social impact investors who prioritize people. I have a vision for a digital product. Where are the helpers, enablers, supporters, funders, and builders? “Let my helpers find me.” – (from a prayer by) Luvvie Ajayi Jones #VC #investors #socialimpact #founders #indie #empactglobal —————————————————————————- Empact Global is a service design and innovation firm that tackles complex problems to advance humanity. We collaborate with organizations across health, education, and community sectors to reimagine and realize equity, access, and outcomes. Using a blend of strategic foresight, systems thinking, and humanity centered design we partner with health systems, government entities, non-profits, and academic institutions to tackle complex challenges and drive lasting impact. We will improve 5 million lives by 2030. 👉 Contact us at https://bit.ly/MeetShaunte to explore how we can support your organization’s mission and impact.

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Lexington Books managed to release my book Disagreeing despite the Data before the election. It argues the belief segregation underway in the US may be irreversible. Today's battles over climate change, disease mitigation, and election results run deep -- they're cognitive, not just strategic. Here's the gist of it. 20th-century revolutions in the philosophy of mind, meaning, and matter uncover three surprising requirements for widespread factual agreement. Critical thinking and community building have the potential to reverse two of them -- the growing refusal to test assumptions and individual isolation. Factual agreement between groups is impossible without the third one, though -- shared projects or other meaningful interaction. And a large part of American society has insulated itself from the rest. Without shared projects, communities gradually lose the ability to tell whether they agree or not regardless of the words they use. Belief segregation with similar roots has led several developing countries to the brink of failure. We'd better watch out. The attached flyer gives a discount code that makes the book -- priced in this initial run for academic libraries -- a little more affordable. Please feel free to forward it and, if you're connected to any libraries or book stores, pass it on!

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Facepalm. Seriously. Microsoft, Google, Perplexity, Clean yo shit up... Wired: "Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity Are Promoting Scientific Racism in Search Results. The web’s biggest AI-powered search engines are featuring the widely debunked idea that white people are genetically superior to other races." (Oct 24, 2024) "AI-infused search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing deeply racist and widely debunked research promoting race science and the idea that white people are genetically superior to nonwhite people. Patrik Hermansson, a UK researcher was in the middle of a months-long investigation into the resurgent race science movement when he needed to find out more information about a debunked dataset that claims IQ scores can be used to prove the superiority of the white race. He was investigating the Human Diversity Foundation, a race science company funded by Andrew Conru, the US tech billionaire who founded Adult Friend Finder. The group, founded in 2022, was the successor to the Pioneer Fund, a group founded by US Nazi sympathizers in 1937 with the aim of promoting “race betterment” and “race realism.” Hermansson logged in to Google and began looking up results for the IQs of different nations. When he typed in “Pakistan IQ,” rather than getting a typical list of links, Hermansson was presented with Google’s AI-powered Overviews tool, which, confusingly to him, was on by default. It gave him a definitive answer of 80. When he typed in “Sierra Leone IQ,” Google’s AI tool was even more specific: 45.07. The result for “Kenya IQ” was equally exact: 75.2. Hermansson immediately recognized the numbers being fed back to him. They were being taken directly from the very study he was trying to debunk, published by one of the leaders of the movement that he was working to expose. The results Google was serving up came from a dataset published by Richard Lynn, a University of Ulster professor who died in 2023 and was president of the Pioneer Fund for two decades. A WIRED investigation confirmed Hermanssons’s findings and discovered that other AI-infused search engines—Microsoft’s Copilot and Perplexity—are also referencing Lynn’s work when queried about IQ scores in various countries. While Lynn’s flawed research has long been used by far-right extremists, white supremacists, and proponents of eugenics as evidence that the white race is superior genetically and intellectually from nonwhite races. “Unquestioning use of these ‘statistics’ is deeply problematic,” Rebecca Sear, Brunel University London, tells WIRED. “Use of these data not only spreads disinformation but also helps the political project of scientific racism—the misuse of science to promote the idea that racial hierarchies and inequalities are natural and inevitable.” (keep reading) Wired: https://lnkd.in/gFSjR7GG #ai #fakeai #genai #degenai #airacism #generativeai #degenerativeai

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I don't speak for Apple, but I do have to respond to something I hear a lot. I hear: "Vision Pro is an overpriced failure." People often compare it to a $300 Quest, or a $10k (in material alone) Orion demo that isn't actually available. Let's do a more apples-to-apples comparison. Most of the bars in this chart below show the Apple default configuration price for each product line (AirPods, iPad, iPhone, Macbook and Mac). Since Apple only has one XR product today, the "XR" column uses other options, comparing an XReal bundle for the "mini" category, then the cool new Snap outdoor Spectacles* for the "air", then the Apple Vision for "Pro" and finally the high-end Varjo XR-4 for the "max/ultra" configuration (requires a PC). [* note: Spectacles is $100/month and has run 36 months between versions, so I noted a $3600 lifetime cost. AVP is surprisingly comparable in price, yet a bit higher after Apple Care and accessories. ] Some people may be confused on the expected prices, because the "Pro" label for Apple's phones is not a huge price multiplier today. True, but it's an anomaly. For AirPods, "Pro" adds about 40% more over the base model. For laptops and iPads, "Pro" is about 2.5x higher. And for Apple's box computers "Pro" can run 12x over the cheapest "mini" option. A theoretical "Apple Vision Air" using similar ratios would cost just under $1500. Also, if you didn't notice, the "Air" line of anything is usually so efficient that it doesn't use active cooling (e.g., fans, ironically) which saves space and weight, but limits max performance. The bottom line is that for most people, paying $3500 for a headset is too high -- BECAUSE THEY DON'T YET NEED A HEADSET. It's still a luxury item for most people who still wonder "why?" But for certain work that needs the ability to wear a headset for 3+ hours or for a high-end home theater (albeit for one) that's far more advanced than most man-caves, it's one of the best choices on the market. Reportedly selling 400-600k of these is solid, IMO. IMHO, the biggest mistakes Apple likely made on this particular product launch were 1) not offering it at a "cheap" $100/month like Snap did. 2) the initial discomfort for me was easily corrected with a 3rd party add-on that puts the pressure on the forehead instead of the face. 3) yes, they still need more apps. 4) Perhaps they should have called it "Vision Max" to match expectations? For those comparing this to a $300-$400 HMD from Meta, those Quests are basically mobile phones in a HMD form factor, and their costs are driven down by 15 years of smartphones and then partly subsidized by the invisible 15-30% "tax" we pay on all advertised products. But I still haven't bought one. AVP is a whole laptop plus an iPad Pro worth of compute power. I can't wear any cheap headsets for more than 30-60 minutes, especially with limited pass-through, nor can I read much without the higher PPD. I can wear AVP or ML2 for as long as I want. It's night and day.

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We're transforming Aithor into the go-to #multitool and have rolled out 3 new features in A/B testing mode. Here’s what’s new: (1) #Topic Generator – Crafting clear titles for coursework. (2) #Structure & Logic Builder – Creating a table of contents and essay plan. (3) #CoPilot – An AI-driven text creation assistant, suggesting whole paragraphs based on your writing and chosen topic. Big deal. Great plans. We're in the middle of a #repositioning, which is priority-1 right now. We’re moving away from our current positioning to better resonate with our #academic commitment. Sticking with our old vibe was tough; including restrictions from a few platforms. As AI skeptics are watching, any negative publicity makes us a target, since #AI is still viewed with suspicion. We're expanding our toolset to reach a broader audience and be more helpful to the academic community. We’re not focusing just on students & scientists anymore; we're also stepping into marketing and text creation. The core of what we do is to #reduce the time spent on routine tasks and #focus more on generating better ideas. With the new positioning, we're also on the hunt for funds to accelerate our growth, aim higher, and plan our grand exit in 2025. Keep your eyes peeled — I’ll share more about our repositioning soon!

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This report came out a few months ago (yes, I know, quite slow to the game here) and while I don't know the SignalFire team that well, they did an excellent job describing the talent migration and dynamics happening right now. Much better than the sensational and silly headlines that you see in the major publications. The biggest and most mind bending, stat in my view? That Gen Z has twice as many jobs 4 years out of school on a cohort basis as Gen X did. I see it in the workforce on a micro level but interesting to see the data back it up. Also, it appears that Gen Z folks don't want to be manager? I do not see that in the real world based on the folks I talk to! Some other interesting nuggets: 1) NYC tech boom is real and still has momentum. When I came back here in 2014, there was a small cohort of funds who called nyc home like Union Square Ventures, FirstMark and Thrive Capital. Since then, many more have opened offices like Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed and Sequoia Capital. Exciting to see. My biggest concern? The cost of living in NYC has gone bananas. $9 cortados? A taxi to Laguardia at $70+? $25+ cocktails? If NYC wants to have a diverse startup ecosystem with different types of roles, keeping the cost of living in a reasonable spot will be important. 2) Founders, despite what you see in the press, are actually getting older, not younger, on average. The data shows that founders are twice as likely to have 15-20 years of experience today than they were 20 years ago. In fact, almost 70% of founders today have at least 10 years of experience today versus only 35% a decade ago. Research by The Wharton School, MIT, Northwestern University and the Census Bureau actually supports this saying that the probability of success in founding a company increases with age until the age of 60 (link in the comments). 3) Data, Data, Data. Yes, AI is big. But the undertone is the rise of data roles. With more and more companies leveraging data warehouses like Snowflake, Redshift, etc. it is becoming increasingly challenging to manage it at scale and structure it in a way that is easy to access. Especially when navigating tech debt and legacy code as software companies mature and delayed this cleanup too long. Big kudos to Heather Doshay and Asher Bantock for putting it together. https://lnkd.in/e55GrpJH

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In scanning articles about how a Trump admin will impact AI and Big Tech--a few prior to the election, I didn't find much insight. This article does a decent job, but I would caution against any assumptions, and it doesn't discuss what the alternative would have been in a Harris admin. My own conclusion was that neither candidate would have changed the status quo terribly much, and that it's mostly in the hands of SCOTUS and markets. If the Rs wind up with a majority in Congress, the only reasonable assumption seems to be that they are more likely to pass something, though it will likely fall short of mitigating risks in LLMs -- at least until a catastrophic disaster occurs, then they'll be bombarded by voters and media. In terms of Big Tech, while I certainly won't predict it, I wouldn't be surprised if Trump came down hard on Big Tech, perhaps in unexpected ways. He's protective of U.S. industry but his core is blue collar, rural, and SMEs, and he's not a fan of at least some Big Techs. Regarding antitrust, I doubt there will be a significant change -- as the article points out, some of these big cases started in Trump's admin. One investment bank analyst last week speculated that Trump would be tougher on Big Tech and antitrust than Harris would have been, and there is some evidence to support that position. One big risk (to some degree regardless of POTUS) is that the USG will continue to align with Big Tech and the defense industry in using China and national security as an excuse to achieve their goals, including to increase government spending, and adopt policies that actually increase catastrophic risks. There is a big disconnect between the hype and reality on this issue. The China risk in AI is certainly real -- I warned about it before Trump's first term, but consumer LLMs have only increased that risk (considerably). It will be interesting to see whether Musk changes his tune on LLM risk now that he has started his own LLM company with many billions of dollars at stake.

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Every new invention, discovery or innovation comes with its use and misuse. Technology can be used to either make clean electricity or wipe off an area from the face of earth. During my discussions at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore earlier this year the topic of AI ethics took the centerstage. As we venture further in the journey of developing various AI and generative AI products, nothing has been more important than dealing with the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. This categorisation is a great start and helps frame and model ethical aspects of AI. Of course no mapping like this which seeks to put the complex ethics of AI into little boxes is ever perfect. But still, I think that this re-focus will help us grapple better with these issues and also encourage wider conversations and actions within our communities. #AIEthics #AI #GenerativeAI #Productleadership #Techleadership

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The joining of Google Next Renew and OhmConnect signals some validation of an effort started some eight years ago. Championed by Dave Wechsler, Curtis Snyder and Jon Kaplowitz, we worked to develop a virtual power-plant by giving away XFINITY HOME connected thermostats in exchange for demand response agreements. With enough concentration this would prove to reduce consumption on demand. Unfortunately, initial success gave way to larger competing priorities. We must continue to invest in the nation's infrastructure in a way that benefits and rewards customers, improves reliability and reduces human impact on the environment. I'm eager to see how this partnership will deliver a substantial impact in energy efficiency, demand response, grid optimization, and customer engagement. It's a promising step. How do you think the merger of Google Nest Renew and OHMConnect will impact residential energy management? https://lnkd.in/ev_z2Wbz

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Meaningful might seem like a mystery or a nice-to-have, but it's actually quite explainable and achievable. According to researchers at MIT, key elements of meaningful work include its self-transcendent nature, episodic high-impact moments, personal relevance, and often poignant experiences. However, meaningfulness can be undermined by dehumanizing factors, such as a disconnect between personal values and organizational goals, lack of recognition, meaningless tasks, unfair treatment, and isolation. To cultivate meaningful work, organizations should focus on these four strategies: 1. Organizational Meaningfulness: Clearly communicate how individual roles contribute to the organization's broader purpose and societal benefits. 2. Job Meaningfulness: Help employees understand how their specific roles and tasks support the organization's mission, acknowledging that challenging jobs can be meaningful. 3. Task Meaningfulness: Provide context for repetitive or tedious tasks, showing how they fit into the larger goals. 4. Interactional Meaningfulness: Foster supportive relationships and positive interactions with beneficiaries of work. If you'd like to explore how to make your career or organization more meaningful, join me and my colleagues, Bea Boccalandro and Laszlo Karafiath for office hours (next one is September 24th at 11am PT): https://lnkd.in/dszSbcgV Dive deeper into the research here: https://lnkd.in/dmH9cC7E

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I’ve invested in a satellite startup that’s raised $156,000,000+ in 7 years. (By finding a gap and filling it better than anyone else). 5 lessons for founders from CesiumAstro's industry-disrupting playbook. Today, the demand for seamless data is insatiable. We expect it at our fingertips whether we're: • In our cars • On our phones • Flying at 30,000 feet. But traditional satellite comms systems struggle to match this appetite - especially in remote or challenging environments. Enter Cesium Astro, founded in 2017 by Shey Sabripour, a 24-year Lockheed Martin veteran. 1) Spotting the Opportunity Sabripour saw legacy satellite comms were rigid, expensive, and slow to adapt. They couldn't service an increasingly data-hungry world. Cesium Astro’s flexible, software-defined approach slashed costs and accelerated deployment timelines from years to months. 2) The Innovation Instead of building custom hardware for each satellite, Cesium Astro created a standardized platform. It's easily tweaked for different missions. Their software-defined radio tech allowed functionality to be updated remotely, providing unheard-of flexibility. A total game-changer for an industry used to sluggish, pricey, made-to-order solutions. 3) Leveraging Deep Expertise But a great product alone isn't enough. To gain traction, Sabripour leveraged expertise and relationships from his career. His credibility opened doors and helped Cesium Astro win customers like the U.S. Air Force and Honeywell. 4) Providing End-to-End Value Cesium Astro also made a strategic decision to be a one-stop-shop, offering complete solutions: • Hardware • Software • Integration • Testing By owning more of the value chain, they captured more margin for themselves. 5) Scaling Through Strategic Partnerships As its technology matured, Sabripour focused on strategic partnerships to fuel the company's growth. Collaborations with the likes of Airbus and L3Harris not only validated CesiumAstro's approach ... But also gave the startup access to key customers and distribution channels. 5 Lessons For Tech Entrepreneurs: 1) Identify an underserved niche and nail product-market fit. Sabripour’s solution that precisely met customer needs. 2) Differentiate through innovation. Cesium Astro's tech is a radical departure from the status quo, giving them a huge edge. 3) Leverage domain expertise to build credibility. Sabripour's background at Lockheed Martin gave customers confidence in Cesium Astro's capabilities. 4) Consider a full-stack model to drive value. By providing end-to-end solutions, Cesium Astro could better serve customers and capture more value. 5) Form strategic partnerships to accelerate growth. Alliances with industry leaders were key to Cesium Astro's rapid scaling. ____________________________ Follow me Richard Stroupe for analysis and breakdowns like this P.S: I help early-stage tech founders go from Seed to Series A. Fundraising? Let's talk

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Today's Boring Biz: Pool Leak Detection Company - $2.3M Revenue - $610K Cashflow - South Carolina - Day 39 of "50 States In 50 Days" Note: We do not represent this deal, highlighting for informational purposes only for viewers What do they do? 1. Leak detection services 2. Electronic detection equipment 3. Pool inspections Investment Highlights 1. Strong market demand 2. Established reputation 3. Business systems in place Investment risks/concerns 1. What is the competition 2. Customer concentration 3. Length of contracts #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner #pool #leakdetection #southcarolina #servicecompany Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party

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If you aren't already reading "The Singularity Is Nearer" by Ray Kurzweil, you should be. This will be the defining book for this next critical decade of tech innovation and navigation (AI will affect every single industry.) The book dropped last night via Audible at 2am and is available on shelves today (virtual and in-store). His prior of this ilk, "The Singularity is Near", dropped in 2005 and had a profound impact on me, especially thinking exponentially (not an easy thing to do and still even hard for me to estimate where AI will be even just 10 years from now). Like many tech entrepreneurs, I read sci-fi since I was a young kid and grew up programming since age seven, so AI has been on my mind for the past four decades. Sci-fi tip - if you haven't re-read "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson recently, do it. Our 14-year old son, Levi, and I have already been devouring "The Singularity Is Nearer". We'll probably finish it by the end of this weekend (I have a very time-consuming day job that I love as the CEO of data.world!) It is already blowing our minds. I was lucky to meet Ray with our daughter, Rachel, when we were at TED2024 back in April. His talk on this book still hasn't dropped on TED.com but be on the lookout for that soon. There are many terrific new talks on the site, including the latest from Uma Valeti, MD.

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A good case of glass half full or half empty. The $2tn investment is way short of what is needed to be net zero in coming decades. But, some of the categories like battery storage capacity or solar generation have been growing 100% or more annually for the last 10 year or so. Interesting short read. #Cleanteach #Climatecrisis #Energytransition https://lnkd.in/dAy9P3Jn

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Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet's excellent (& lightning quick) summary of a Jeff Bezos transcript: ~ ~ Jeff Bezos shares his practical approach to decision-making, centering on "disagree and commit." As CEO, he'd often back his team's ideas even when skeptical: "You're closer to the action. I've known you for 20 years. You have great judgment. Let's do it your way." The key? Fully supporting the decision - no second-guessing, no sniping, no "I told you so." He's blunt about ineffective methods: - Compromise: "Splitting the difference on ceiling height? That's missing the point. It's low-energy but doesn't lead to truth." - Stubbornness contests: "Wars of attrition where the most persistent person wins. Exhausting and gets you nowhere." Instead, Jeff advocates escalating tough calls: "Come to me. Tell me you respect each other but can't agree. I'll help decide." It's about finding truth, not just ending debates. Jeff emphasizes speed and smart risk-taking. He distinguishes between reversible "two-way door" decisions (make them fast) and consequential "one-way door" choices (be more deliberate). He's proud that Amazon, despite its million-plus employees, remains nimble: "We make quick, responsible decisions at all levels." For Jeff, this approach isn't just business—it's building a culture where good ideas win, people take smart risks, and progress trumps being right. It's about creating an environment that's both decisive and truth-seeking.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ~ ~

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The NY Times today published an article on generative AI's relative weakness in math. While very important, the article doesn't get much into why this is the case, or what the implications are. A few months ago I wrote an article called "The Numbers vs. Words Gap" (https://lnkd.in/gBCcRhZm) that touched on this truism of generative AI. I pointed out that the issue stems from the fact that LLMs are trained based on unstructured largely textual data to interpret and create characters, and thus 10 and 1000 look almost identical to an LLM. This is especially an issue for marketers, because marketers depend on structured tabular quantitative data to make decisions, optimize, measure, target, and personalize. This means there's a significant chasm that generative AI technology needs to bridge for marketers to take full advantage. https://lnkd.in/gNF_xn67

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