Kurt Kratchman

Insightful look into bioplatform strategy, and what it takes to raise a Series A from my partner, Omri Amirav-Drory: https://lnkd.in/dFv7GbF6

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🎨 📺 Sharon Roth is a Product & Design leader who’s built her career in the lab, across different modalities, to bring more creative product experiences to life 📺 🎨 It's W3 / Q3 / 2024 and this week in our MGMT Boston up & coming operator series we’ve got Sharon who serves as the Senior Director of Product Management at Quantified.ai, the AI-driven flight simulator for sellers. The app feels as real as your next video call, scales across teams, programs, and companies, and ramps reps 42% faster. Sharon is leading Quantified AI’s Product & Design team after previous roles in Product leadership at Tamr & Honor Education. She’s excited to be back working in an Enterprise focused company, leading Design alongside Product, focused on strategic & execution based discipline. ❓Questions Are Your Roadmap ❓ It’s popular to encourage new hires to ask a lot of questions. But it’s always a good time to ask questions! When a member of your team comes to you and says “we really need to build X feature”, they’re coming to you for good reason. Dig into the why to understand how often the issue comes up, when it happens in a customer conversation, and why they’re asking for it in the first place. Is there an even better way to build a solution? Also, people are always excited about getting to a solution. By delaying the solution discussion to first get everyone to agree on the problem, you can coordinate a better response. Sharon has been in rooms where stakeholders can’t agree on the problem they’re trying to solve, which can sometimes be even more painful! By asking better questions and articulating the underlying issues thoroughly, they can work together as an organization to chart a better path forward. 3 Career Insights / Learnings 🙋‍♀️ Seek New Challenges - “Trying new things is how you learn and grow. At a startup, there are so many opportunities to try new things. As startups evolve, you need to embrace all that’s going to happen and make it a positive thing. Otherwise don’t go to a startup!” 🤝 Act with Integrity - “Do your best, show your work. But also treat others with respect and kindness while doing it. How you treat people and how you show up every day will impact your work environment. You’re responsible for the energy you bring to the room, so be authentic and try to inject some positivity. It will help you build the type of network you want to have too” 🗣 Invest in Communication Skills - “It helps you ask questions well, advocate for yourself, have your ideas be heard. It also helps others understand your impact. It takes continuous practice to do well.” If you’d like to learn more about Sharon’s career, the full post is linked in the comments. Go ahead and sign up for the newsletter to see the operator learnings we bring you in the weeks ahead too, will ya? #bostontech #operators

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What do you do when a radical new technology puts your main product right in the crosshairs of disruption? Listen to David Okuniev — co-founder of Typeform | Ask awesomely — discuss the challenges of innovation within existing structures. David shared a game-changing insight: Radical innovation is really, really difficult to do inside your own product. He emphasized the need to break free from the constraints of familiarity and embrace change from outside the box. Henrik Werdelin and I have both seen our fair share of this in our respective careers. What struck us most was how David leveraged structure to overcome the innovator’s dilemma. By creating a culture of experimentation and providing space for bold ideas, he propelled Typeform beyond incremental improvements. What other hacks have you seen or employed to help your organization overcome the innovator’s dilemma? Share your stories below! 👇 And if you want to dive deeper into our conversation, click the link in the comments to catch the full podcast episode!

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AI and the Future of Solo Startups - Insights from a Visionary Entrepreneur! 🚀 Thrilled to announce that Claude Arnell Milhouse, CEO of SiliconXL and Entrepreneur in Residence at Brown University, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Boston AI Forum on September 28, 2024! 👉 RSVP now: https://lnkd.in/geTmJZA8 💡 Why this talk matters: 1️⃣ AI-Driven Entrepreneurship: Learn how AI is reshaping the landscape for solo startups and enabling billion-dollar ventures. 2️⃣ Breaking Down Sam Altman's Prediction: Gain insights as Claude deconstructs the future potential of AI-led solo enterprises. 3️⃣ LaunchAThon Insights: Hear about the innovative LaunchAThon, where AI builds 50% of your app and top projects win cash bounties! 4️⃣ Game-Changing Ideas: Discover how AI is poised to revolutionize industries, from software engineering to education. 🏆 About Claude: • CEO of SiliconXL, leading a founder-friendly startup accelerator and investment firm focused on scalable, sustainable startups. • Entrepreneur in Residence at Brown University, mentoring and advising entrepreneurs on scaling their ideas and navigating the startup ecosystem. • Former CEO of CareerDevs and Dracodess, where he pioneered accessible tech education and cutting-edge software development. As a leader who continuously pushes the boundaries of innovation, Claude's insights into AI and entrepreneurship are sure to inspire anyone looking to navigate the future of tech. Don't miss the opportunity to hear from a true trailblazer at the intersection of AI and startups! The AI Revolution in Solo Entrepreneurship AI is transforming the entrepreneurial landscape, enabling solo founders to achieve unprecedented success. It's reducing overhead costs, boosting productivity through parallel processing, and streamlining content creation and coding. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, believes AI could create one-person unicorns, reshaping our understanding of startup potential through scalability, industry disruption, and rapid innovation. While opportunities abound, entrepreneurs must navigate ethical considerations, adapt their skills, and find ways to stand out in an AI-saturated market. Don't miss Claude Arnell Milhouse's keynote for deeper insights into these transformative trends! 👉 RSVP now: https://lnkd.in/geTmJZA8 (Note: The image you see is a creative AI-generated cartoon representation inspired by Claude Arnell Milhouse. ) #entrepreneurship #AI #startups #innovation #BostonAIForum #ClaudeMilhouse

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Some VC investors believe that brick and mortar - referring to a physical presence of some kind - should be avoided at all costs. Yet, the track record of clinic and hybrid care businesses in health care indicates otherwise. ==> One Medical (sold for $3.9 billion to Amazon), Oak Street (bought by CVS for $10.6 billion), Lifestance (IPO at $7.5 billion market cap), and PE-backed Premise Health (acquired by OMERS Private Equity for $1.1 billion) If a clinic is indicated as the optimal way to deliver care for that patient population, there are creative ways to build and operate them. Full article below with advice and strategies on how to build and operate hybrid clinics from my teammate Anarghya Vardhana from Maveron, Amir Dan Rubin from OneMedical Group, Steven Eidelman from Modern Animal and more!

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Open-source models can be a strong lever for increasing gross margins at AI companies, especially those that have hefty cost structures (e.g., enterprise sales orgs that require significant customer success or implementation resources, as well forward-deployed AI services models common in healthcare and life sciences). One of many reasons to maintain a modular and flexible stack with minimal dependencies when building an AI company. More on the importance of flexibility in the AI stack: https://lnkd.in/eA2XATRk h/t Delip Rao #ai #artificialintelligence #generativeai #healthcare

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We have an another lineup of star investors for MELT. Let me introduce 23 amazing VCs and Angels ! ☞ Stedde Capital Sector: Biotech, B2C, B2B ☞ The Collective Sector: Fintech ☞ Muivona Capital Sector: Healthtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, AI, E-commerce, B2B ☞ Touring Capital | AI SaaS Fund Sector: SaaS, B2B, AI ☞ Forum Ventures Sector: Fintech, Climate tech, Govtech, Legaltech, Cybersecurity, AI, B2B, SaaS ☞ Plain Sight Capital Sector: Fintech, Insurtech, Retailtech, Legaltech, Govtech, Adtech ☞ Fantastocker INC Sector: Fintech ☞ Biran Capital Sector: Fintech ☞ Lynx Ventures Sector: Fintech, Proptech, Legaltech, AI ☞ CLNM Capital Sector: Fintech ☞ Brilliant Minds Sector: AI, Fintech, Climate tech, Retailtech, Biotech, Neurotech ☞ Woodside Capital Partners Sector: Adtech, E-commerce, B2B, B2C, SaaS ☞ Generous Ventures Sector: Fintech, Healthtech, Climate tech, Edtech, Insurtech, Proptech, Agtech, Govtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, Biotech, Adtech, Mobility, Cybersecurity, AI, B2C, Gaming, Web3, Robotics, AR/VR, Neurotech, Spacetech, B2B, E-commerce, SaaS ☞ 615.vc Sector: Spacetech ☞ seedlabs co / Harvard Sector: AI ☞ Bullpen Capital Sector: Fintech, Healthtech, Climate tech, Edtech, Proptech, Insurtech, Agtech, Govtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, Adtech, Biotech, Spacetech, Gaming, Web3, Mobility, Robotics, Cybersecurity, AR/VR, Neurotech, AI, B2C, B2B, SaaS, E-commerce ☞ Connecticut Innovations Sector: SaaS, B2C, B2B ☞ Matr (Matter) Ventures Sector: Fintech, Cybersecurity, Healthtech, Climate tech ☞ Sanctor Capital Sector: Web3, AI, AR/VR, Gaming ☞ Clockwork // 171 Ventures Sector: Fintech, AI ☞ W Ventures Sector: Fintech ☞ BASE64 Capital Sector: B2B, SaaS, AI, Cybersecurity, Robotics ☞ Conscience VC Sector: Healthtech, AI, B2C Founders x Investors Dynamic Network 『MELT』 6/3 5pm https://lu.ma/ldbfgkez 【💎VIP Sponsored】 ​Bradley Kam ​・Founded 2 companies Unstoppable Domains & Talkable ・Raised over $70M ・Unstoppable Domains recently raised $65M in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital, reaching a $1B valuation. Aquibur Rahman ​Founder of Mailmodo, has received funding from Sequoia and is an alum of Y Combinator S21 ​Nathan Stevenson ​CEO and Founder of ForwardLane Inc. has been featured by Forbes, the World Economic Forum, and American Banker ​Rene Anziani & Leevar Williams ​Founded by MIT alumni, APrime Technology Technology is an elite team of experienced engineers, product managers, and data experts intent on helping startups build innovative products that matter. Our customers operate in complex, data-driven, highly regulated industries such as quantitative finance, healthtech, fintech, and edtech. We have received 400+ registrations. ​・76 VC and Angel Investors ​・280+ Founders/CEOs ​3 Series D companies ​2 Series C companies ​6 Series B companies ​35 Series A companies ​15 Pre-Series A companies ​106 Seed companies ​146 Pre-Seed companies ​26 Bootstrap companies ​50+ Executives Meet at us MELT!

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Incredibly excited to share our updated Healthcare AI thesis. This is not a market map – in 4,000 words, we dive deeply into the research, products, business models, and market entry points that are reimagining healthcare with AI. More specifically, we cover: • Translating AI research into real-world products • Mapping modalities (software, copilots, agents, services, diagnostics, therapeutics) to problems in healthcare • Designing AI business models that unlock billion-dollar markets • Closing current gaps in healthcare AI infrastructure • Distinguishing AI platforms from point solutions Let us know what you think ⤵️

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Will AI kill the Film Industry? Ben Affleck doesn't think so. But AI will change the industry. Ben recently sat down with CNBC to share his thoughts on AI and filmmaking. Ben views AI's initial benefit as its ability to automate repetitive tasks, such as scheduling and budgeting, allowing studios to focus more on creativity and less on operations. Speaking of creativity, scriptwriters will benefit from AI tools that can analyze scripts to suggest improvements or predict audience reactions, helping them refine their narratives. For post-production processes like editing and visual effects, AI will also help make them more efficient. Key areas where it could help: - Automating rotoscoping - Color correction - Fluid dynamics - Crowd scenes Once your movie is made, you'll then need to distribute it. AI can also help with that. AI-driven platforms will help independent filmmakers distribute their work more effectively, reaching wider audiences without the need for traditional distribution channels. Ultimately, while AI can be a helpful tool in filmmaking, Ben argued the core of the industry remains the irreplaceable value of human creativity. Ben hopes AI can act as a bridge between Hollywood and tech companies, allowing for new avenues of storytelling to emerge. For viewers at home, Ben hopes for more unique content for each of you. In the future, AI will personalize content for you, creating unique experiences tailored to your individual preferences. Here's the video if you want to watch it yourself: https://lnkd.in/gRjMiXMD

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨 This past Monday, I had the incredible opportunity to demo and pitch Jammy to over 100 investors at NY #TechWeek AI Demo Day. Two weeks ago, thanks to Cindy Berman, I found out about the event and hesitated to sign up, doubting our product’s readiness. However, I saw it as a chance to push our limits. After a screening with Shriya Nevatia we were one of eight companies chosen, and I had to figure out how to demo our work-in-progress app and deliver an eight-minute pitch. I prepared thoroughly and felt confident. On the day, Dorothy Chang informed me I’d be the first presenter, which made me both nervous and excited. The pitch went well until the live demo. When showcasing Jammy’s ability to recommend post-session music, the integration failed despite my preparation. I still finished the presentation, landing the vision for Jammy and with congratulations and consolation from my peers: “live demos always break,” they said. It helped. Though I didn’t win the $50K prize, I secured a check from an angel investor, generated interest from several others, and met amazing founders in AI. The winning pitch went to the highly deserving CAPSULE, who is set to revolutionize contextual visual shopping search (like Shazam for shopping). Very cool. This experience highlighted the value of taking risks and the importance of failing forward. It also reminded me of the supportive NY Tech and entrepreneurial community. The journey can be lonely, and many dismiss community events and networking as distractions from the "real work." While that might sometimes be true, Monday night was a reminder that we’re not alone in this journey. We all want to see each other succeed in building the - extremely AI-infused - future we envision. On to the next challenge! And definitely check out these amazing companies & founders: Glist, Gülin Yilmaz (Posokhow), Path, Soar.com, Abood Hannoon, DeepLeads.ai, pre.dev, and In The Loop

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🔥 🔥 🙌 🙌 🎆 🎆 I'm *fired up* to share this. #VentureIQ by the 9point8 Collective is officially live. We've heard from investors of every size and type that it takes too long and costs too much to evaluate deal flow; this limits the scale and speed at which these capital allocators can operate. To address this problem, we've created an innovative solution which delivers high fidelity diligence information near instantaneously. From a time and cost perspective, VentureIQ immediately creates leverage to look at more deals - and creates space to focus deeply on the most meaningful opportunities. To learn more, you can reach out to me directly or visit VentureIQ.ai. I'll close with some thoughts on my team, to whom I'm so grateful. Blair Merlino, Neal Ghosh and Evan Allen don't just talk about interesting concepts, point out problems or pontificate on what could be. Instead, they identify a problem, frame and validate the solution, and do the work to bring it to reality. VentureIQ is the best example I've seen of this, to date. #VentureCapital, #FamilyOffice, #PrivateEquity #CorporateDevelopment #Startups

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The #VentureStudio community is thriving and when two leaders from different studios get together it is always going to be a great conversation. This podcast is huge as two brilliant Venture Studio leaders Barry O'Reilly from Nobody Studios and Ben Yoskovitz from Highline Beta join to unpack the innovative world of venture studios and uncover the strategies that make startups thrive. In this episode, you will learn: 📈 The fundamentals of creating and scaling a venture studio 🛠️ Strategies for innovating with accelerators, incubators, and venture capital 💡 How to apply Lean Startup principles to build products people actually want 🤝 The importance of collaboration between founders, corporate partners, and investors 🔄 Insights into the specialization and future trends of venture studios Take a listen and learn from two masters.

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Controversial opinion - but in any case, we have to note "THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SUPERIORITY", as John Cowan writes. Startup Studios, Venture Studios, Asset Studios, but also VCs that want to stay competitive in the future have to take data-driven decisions, based on actual, life data from what humans do in their projects and startups. AI can help, but in the end it's human decisions (still) that make the difference for success or failure. I have been monitoring Max Pog and his grand research, cited in the article, for a while. He already promotes and lives the principles of collaborative startup ecosystem in his online community. We on the other hand are happy to build a platform that facilitates these interactions and the value creation as an operating system for studios and VCs. https://lnkd.in/eQ2uK2U6

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Generative AI is launching more tech enabled startups, more productive and capital efficient than before. AI is accelerating how start-ups operate by streamlining tasks like code writing, legal document analysis, and social media content creation. The efficiency it brings has enabled entrepreneurs to launch and scale their companies faster than ever before. Broadly and zooming out - The impact of generative AI extends beyond productivity and efficiency gains. Start-ups are key drivers of job creation and economic stability from the innovation it fuels. As these playbooks diffuse across other small businesses, cities with pragmatic entrepreneurs stand to thrive. More from the NYT: https://lnkd.in/eYWPw48m

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Alexandr Wang is exceptional at understanding where technology is going and launching into areas with conviction - it’s clear in this conversation with my partner, Mike Volpi, that it’s core to Scale AI ‘s success. AI is moving incredibly fast, but Alex & the Scale team have a clear sense of what’s next without compromising safety. https://lnkd.in/e2HgQyXT

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