Kirthiga Reddy

In an era where innovation outpaces regulation, how can entrepreneurs embed social responsibility into the DNA of their startups? 🌐💡 Recent conversations and insightful pieces, particularly one by Lyel Resner and Dr. Wilneida Negrón, have sparked a profound consideration in my thinking: the imperative for responsible innovation in tech ventures. They posit a tantalizing question - what if the tech giants of tomorrow were built on the foundations of public interest and social responsibility today? Diving into this thought experiment reveals more than just an ethical proposition; it opens up a paradigm where businesses can be both profitable and purposeful. Embedding social responsibility from the outset could guide ventures to prioritize long-term societal well-being over short-term gains. Imagine a future where companies are not just evaluated by their financial performance but also by their contribution to solving societal issues. The notion is ambitious but certainly not unattainable. This approach challenges us as entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to rethink our roles in shaping the future of technology. It's a call to action to pioneer a new wave of responsible businesses that are equipped to address, rather than exacerbate, global challenges. Let’s discuss: How can we as part of the startup ecosystem integrate these principles into our work from day zero? Your thoughts could light up paths not yet traveled. 🚀🌍

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We're excited to announce our partnership with Kunal and Arunram (former Co-Founder and CTO of Blockdaemon) in leading a $4.0M seed round into Arya. Arya is building an AI-native human capital management system for healthcare workforces. By automating key skills across scheduling, payroll, compliance and employee onboarding, Arya's product allows healthcare services organizations to let their teams focus on care while removing considerable human intervention. We believe healthcare is one of the most compelling markets for agentic solutions, tackling a market measured in payroll instead of technology spend. Most critically, we believe solutions like Arya increase the surface area between clinicians and patients to drive better outcomes, while reducing massive costs and time delays. Since growing ARR 6x yoy, we believe Kunal and Arun represent the types of founders we are lucky to back at Twelve Below: ambitious, humble, technically-oriented and first principle thinkers. https://www.aryahealth.ai/

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I first met Mike Maples, Jr in 2010, when Founders Network was just an idea. Over the years, Mike and his team at Floodgate (special shoutout to Arjun Chopra) have been great mentors, sharing their insights and guiding our founders. Most recently, their advice played a pivotal role in helping us launch Founders Network Fund. Today, Mike shared the key ideas with FN'ers from his new book Pattern Breakers (https://a.co/d/buKBd5O ), which explores the insights he’s gained from backing companies like Twitter, Twitch, and Okta -- and which put him on the Forbes Midas List 8x. This is the most important book on startups in the last ten years, according to Steve Blank. My notes on the key concepts of his talk: 1) Inflections – "not a trend but a change event that represents a turning point in our ability to provide empowerment." e.g. The GPS chip in iPhone 4s 2) Insights – "a non-consensus and right insight about the future that's powerful and non obvious and leverages inflections." e.g. Lyft = GPS + strangers driving you 3) Founder future fit – "Living in the future before other people live in the future and then try to build what's missing in the future." If you're a founder, check out the book. Grateful for the impact Mike and Arjun continue to have on both me and the Founders Network community!

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I decided to "go deep" in my latest conversation with Aarish Shah on his podcast Nothing Ventured on the VC - Founder relationship and the "craft of venture". We primarily dive into the fractured bonds that connect us to our founders and what to do about it. I've tried to distill some of what I've learned over 25 years. Facts: - Systemically, there is a significant trust deficit between founders and VCs - Advice addressed "at" people will rarely be followed. - Founders often view board meetings as a chore. - Many founders prefer "benign" boards that are easy to deal with as a result. This is fixable. - Trust is the foundation upon which we build. Create and protect trust. - Leave your shit at the door - anxiety, partnership pressure, desire to be "value add", need to be seen as smart etc. - Be clear about which hat you are wearing when: accountability partner, thinking buddy, advisor, transaction expert etc. We mesh it up all the time. - Move the needle, don't generate busy work. Pick your contributions or interventions with intent. - Ask yourself the right questions about the outcomes: did the founders feel more energised? How good was the quality of the conversation? Did we actually make decisions, change our perspectives, change the game? Or were we just trains crossing in the night? We then spend a fair bit of time going into what I consider to be the "craft of venture". Hope you enjoy ! YouTube: https://lnkd.in/djAFtsKC Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dXNrcXSd Apple: https://lnkd.in/dUvGAFxB

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🎙️Eric Colbert came on Startup Mindsets to talk about starting Vouch Vault, Inc. with Jay Chandrasekhar from Super Troopers. We also talked about surfing 🏄‍♂️ early morning, the need to have trustworthy recommendations, user acquisition strategies and more. 👕🧢Browse our new merch collection: https://lnkd.in/dDjPEvSt #startupmindsets

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Are founders wired differently? I recently posted about ENTJ founders, but there's a lot more written about this. One study finds that founders are more likely to have ADHD. [1] Another study shows that being bipolar can be an entrepreneurial strength. [2] And this one goes even further, suggesting that psychopaths may make great entrepreneurs. [3] I have a sign that hangs behind my desk, given to me by a good friend. It reads, "You don't have to be crazy to work here; we'll train you." Perhaps it's more accurate than I realized. References: 1 - "This Study Shows That People with ADHD Are More Likely to Be Entrepreneurs." Inc. https://lnkd.in/gBT8mKrU 2 - "Why Being Bipolar Can Be an Entrepreneurial Strength." The Sydney Morning Herald. https://lnkd.in/gATrZ6JF 3 - "Do Psychopaths Make Better Entrepreneurs?" Entrepreneur. https://lnkd.in/gTPGPDkF

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There's not a day that goes by without someone asking me, "How are you managing to do all this?" Besides the fact that I've been waking up at 5 am every day for the past six months, I've come to realise there's more to it. This week, I listened to a podcast episode featuring Lenny Rachitsky and Shreyas Doshi, and it really resonated with me. They delved into why we're always so busy in product development, and it felt like they were speaking directly to my experiences. Shreyas shared that we often find ourselves overwhelmed no matter how many productivity hacks we employ. As we take on more responsibilities, our to-do lists grow faster than we can manage them. He emphasised that the real issue isn't about working harder or finding the next big efficiency trick. One point that struck me was the importance of having a clear and aligned product strategy. Without it, we end up drowning in endless meetings, planning sessions, and unexpected tasks. This lack of focus eats up our time and adds unnecessary stress. The same goes for life in general, by the way. Listening to their conversation confirmed that the steps I'm undertaking now in terms of productivity and efficiency are on the right path. Being constantly busy isn't a badge of honour, but a sign that I need to reassess how I'm working. It's about being intentional with my time, making thoughtful decisions, and ensuring that my efforts align with a meaningful strategy. So yes, waking up early helps, but it's not the whole story. It's about working smarter, not just harder. This podcast reminded me that sometimes, stepping back to see the bigger picture can make all the difference.

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Goldcast's startup journey has perfectly mapped the last 4 crazy years of SaaS. Palash Soni and his cofounders first started the company in 2021 to build great, customizable virtual event solutions for enterprise marketers. While their business kept growing past the pandemic, it was clear that overall spend was shifting back to IRL events fast. However, video consumption continued to rise and quickly became the best way to build your brand and an audience in software - if you knew how to operationalize video marketing. Goldcast's product evolution from a virtual events platform to an AI-native video marketing solution has been incredible to watch. The company had its best quarter yet, adding customers like OpenAI and Coupa Software and I couldn't be more proud. Here's Palash talking about their product evolution and the future of video marketing in an AI-native world.

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✨ Chet Kapoor ✨ is quite the Silicon Valley legend. Three-time founder and currently the CEO of DataStax his wisdom for founders is incredibly spot-on ✅ and timeless ⏰ ! In this most recent and probably best-ever episode of The Enterprise GTM podcast, Chet discusses what it takes to build enduring tech companies. Some 🎤 soundbites 🎤 from our conversation: 👩‍🏫 The quality of people influences the outcome of your startup the most. 🔥 You do not need smart people who sit around and pontificate. ☄ Momentum is everything. Never underestimate it. 🌟 Having complete clarity of thought at any given time is very important--who are you doing this for, and how will it change their lives? 🌈 One of the best ways to create a large company is to create a parade or join one. ☝ Know who you are. There's a high likelihood that the company will become more like who you are rather than who you want to be. 🛑 Don't make the mistake of hiring sales execs too soon. Be extra cautious about partnerships. 📣 Tune in to hear about what he has to say about AI startups getting started today, the future of the data layer, the evolving importance of data roles (data science, data engineering), and so much more! #devtool #founder #startup #data #ai https://lnkd.in/gW-58nvE

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It’s critical to determine the right product pricing strategy from the get-go by keeping in mind the eventual unit profitability! 🙌 Shoutout to Sajith Pai and Madhav Chanchani for highlighting this important pitfall for startups. Setting initial product pricing too low for consumers, may result in a *perceived* PMF, but it can lead to trouble down the road. If you are forced to increase your product’s pricing to achieve unit profitability, it could result in the entire customer segment itself changing! This becomes a massive problem since you would need to start your PMF journey for this higher segment all over again! We are seeing this in late stage venture companies all the time. This issue is particularly challenging in emerging economies like India, where lower GDP per capita makes consumers much more price sensitive than places like the US, China etc. We need to coin a new term PMUEF (Product-Market-Unit Enomics Fit) instead of just PMF for India! 🙏

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Episode 341 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Somak Chattopadhyay, Managing Partner at Armory Square Ventures. Yes, markets like the Bay Area, NYC, and Boston get a lot of attention when it comes to building startups and having the ability to raise capital, but there are lots of other places to build a successful company. This has always been the case, but the pandemic definitely pushed this reality further.  This is why a firm like Amory Square Ventures exists. There are lots of secondary markets where entrepreneurs need access to capital and it is also a very important matter for the local economy for these companies to grow and create jobs, versus relocating. Somak shares the details of what led him down the path to start Armory Square Ventures, a seed and early stage venture fund, and why their approach of investing in seconday markets has not only been a differentiator for their firm but what they also consider as an optimism engine and a community catalyst for regions outside Silicon Valley. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Advice on how founders can push back on advice from investors. * Somak’s background story and his early career in startups. * How he landed in venture capital at Edison Ventures and Tribeca Venture Partners. * The details on what they are targeting for investments and portfolio company examples like Machinery Partner and ACV Auctions, a Buffalo company that went public. * Somak’s anti-portfolio, companies that he reviewed and an investment didn’t work out and went on to be a successful company. * Advice on building a marketplace. * And so much more. #venturecapital #startups #marketplaces

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While David C. Baker focuses on the agency space, this article outlines a very useful decision-making framework for leaders across industries. A lot of startup CEO's and founders are grappling with the same questions/opportunities. VC's trying to coach CEO's should also read this and lookout for the signs of paralysis.

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Will we need websites at all? How can you compare the current AI boom with the age of oil exploration? What does it mean when we say in the world of AI, compute vs. data will have gravity? During the Antler India Residency 4 that concluded recently, we had our good friend Hemant Mohapatra stop by to chat with founders re: his and Lightspeed's take on AI, and especially AI for India, incl. one of their marquee investments Sarvam AI. Sharing our interaction w/ Ishavasyam Dash

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Participating in Cohort 14 of the VC Lab has been an energizing experience so far. I am learning so much about the ins and outs of being an emerging fund manager and how to succeed in this space. Today they hosted a panel for Women in VC that provided some real world advice from some fantastic panelists. The curriculum is rigorous for sure, but rewarding. If you are curious about why this is such an exciting area check out this article. #venturecapital #vc #investing https://lnkd.in/gMMM_mwp

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Rebalance Cohort 07: Introducing one of the most energetic (and mindblowing!) scientist-duos 👩‍🔬 👨‍🔬 we've ever met in the last few years, Shruti Kutmutia and Dr. Pranav Nair who were recently part of Rebalance's 7th accelerator cohort that concluded in August 2024. <Applications for Cohort 08 are currently open! Link at the end of the post> Shruti and Pranav are long-standing friends who decided to start BacAlt Biosciences together on a mission to develop green alternatives to synthetic biopolymers found in personal care, agricultural practices, textiles, and many other industries. They have discovered a breakthrough platform to develop green biopolymers on a mission to address hidden plastics at the source.🫧 🤯 Hidden plastics are a $66Bn opportunity! Some cosmetic products contain as much plastic added as ingredients as the plastic they are packaged in. 🧴 87% of the top-selling cosmetic products contain microplastics (bulking agents, emulsifiers, opacifying agents, film formers, glitter, viscosity regulators, etc). 🧼 With growing awareness and impending bans globally, a wide range of industries that have relied on plastics in their formulations are now forced to pivot to green ingredients in record time. 💄The green ingredients market is worth $54.8Bn currently and growing at a CAGR of 16.5% It's not easy to traverse the journey from the lab to a VC pitch! If we can make this journey even a little easier and worthwhile for academia that are venturing into entrepreneurship, we'll feel we've done some good. It warms our hearts when we see feedback like this for our program because we know put our whole heart in it as a team. 🥹🥹 Thanks Shruti Singh for recommending us! You can watch it below or on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g_MRzUjk Applications for Cohort 08 are closing on 15 October 2024, apply on this link if you're a female-founded/co-founded startup and are looking to accelerate your journey from 0-1 or raise capital: https://shorturl.at/45z7W More about us: www.therebalance.com CC: Vikas Kumar Pallak Jain

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It was an honor to have worked with Preetish Nijhawan and an even greater honor to have known him. Preetish was the first one to truly believe in StackShare. We met in 2016 when I was fundraising. A small handful of investors wanted to be a part of the round but no one wanted to lead. Then Jocelyn Goldfein introduced me to Preetish and Neeraj Gupta and everything changed. Cervin ended up leading StackShare's seed round and investing $1M. It's hard to overstate how important that was for the company. Not only was it the largest investment we'd received, but at the time, being able to raise $1M+ as an unproven founder with no experience was extremely rare. Add to that, StackShare was focused on building a community so it wasn't the typical enterprise software company that Cervin invests in. In so many ways, Preetish made a huge bet on me. Preetish joined StackShare's board as part of the seed round, and over the years he coached me and helped me learn how to run a company. And more importantly, he did it with compassion. Because he had been a founder himself, it always felt like he understood exactly what I was going through and the true weight of the decisions that I faced. I've said this before, but a lot of investors say that they're founder friendly, while few actually are. Preetish was one of the few. He showed me some tough love but he was always fair and gave it to me straight, and I respected him tremendously for that. The level of dedication and compassion Preetish showed for founders was incredible. It didn't matter what time of day or what was going on in his own life, he always made my company a priority. Whether it was hopping on a quick call at 3am to give me advice or signing documents on the way back from a doctor's visit. There are countless stories I could tell from the 9+ years I knew Preetish that show how dedicated he was to supporting me, so I can't imagine how many other founders he's impacted throughout his career. Preetish, thank you for changing the lives of so many founders, including mine.

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After hearing it from Juan Montoya, I'm starting to fall in love with the phrase "disrupt yourself." For companies, this is a great mindset to never be satisfied with your previous successes. Your cash cows have an expiration date and if you're not actively developing the next generation of great products and business lines, you're falling behind. For people, it's a nice reminder that the knowledge landscape shifts really fast and the pace is only accelerating. What we learned just a few years ago is probably obsolete now and it's all about continuous learning and diving headfirst into new subject matter over and over again. One thing we love about startups is that it merges the people and business elements of disruption into one team and venture. It's a holistic mindset to maximize disruption and to never be complacent sticking to the old ways.

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During yesterday's LibreQoS APNIC webinar, I posed the question: won't more bandwidth solve these problems? As Herbert Wolverson said, yes, more bandwidth is good, but, still these problems remain if queueing is done incorrectly. Here's my take on why bandwidth alone is not as good as bandwidth + good queueing policies: Generally it was believed that 'data is important, so don't throw it away; hang on to it and send it later'. In practice, this has proven to be suboptimal as two issues may emerge: 1) latency increases for some flows due to heavy demand from other flows using the same bottleneck link, 2) even a single flow can have excessive latency due to aspects of typical TCP behavior (referred to bufferbloat) when the buffers grew large enough that the data being buffered was retransmitted anyway. It turns out that not all data is equally important. Active Queue Management is the art of deciding priorities, both in deciding what data to throw away, but also in allowing some later arriving data to be transmitted ahead of data in another connection that arrived before it. These problems have been studied, and good solutions have been found by using certain queueing policies in routers and switches, referred to as “fq_codel’ and “cake”. These track the different flows not by classifying the data, but by watching the behavior. Flows that send relatively little data (DNS lookups), or at a measured pace (video chat) have priority over flows that send a lot of data as quickly as possible (App and System updates, Video and ISO downloads).

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