Liam Bolling

How do we design funding mechanisms that are regenerative and built to last? In the latest Rehash episode, Sophia Dew from Celo Foundation joins me to talk about what blockchain enables for public goods funding, frameworks for designing regenerative onchain funding apps, and what it takes to build and maintain a layer 2 blockchain. Tune into our full conversation at the links below:

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Many assumed that the industry would be well on its way to AGI or superintelligence before AI model builders’ efforts to take advantage of scaling laws might hit a wall. Recent headlines are chipping away at that assumption. One question I've been getting in my inbox: is this the era of diminishing returns for AI? We don't think so. Even if an avalanche of new clusters and synthetic data fail to deliver significantly better model performance, there are good reasons to believe that AI is still going to become orders of magnitude more powerful in the coming years — powering a new generation of startups and ultimately productivity growth and positive benefits for mankind. In fact, with agents and reasoning just beginning to scale and thousands of industry-specific models coming online, it's about to get really exciting. Read our latest blog post on the topic: https://lnkd.in/gFhniNX8

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Just shipped this week's Diaspora.nz podcast with Paul Copplestone, founder & CEO at Supabase. We talk about: ⚡️why open source is an unfair advantage — as a product development strategy, supercharging recruiting, and helping build customer community. ⚡️how they are building the end-to-end tech stack for AI startups — seeing many customers grow into the millions of users in just weeks, growing to be one of the most tagged products by makers on Product Hunt + most redeemed Y Combinator “perks.” ⚡️raising $116M, and scaling to ~80 people in 30+ countries over the past 4.5 years, operating as a distributed + asynchronous team. ⚡️building three startups over nearly a decade living in South East Asia. Subscribe + listen links in comments below👇 Subscribe at diaspora.nz for weekly episodes 🎧👈

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💭 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗜'𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 In 2019, 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 made a statement that still echoes in the AI world: let computation, not human intuition, take the lead. This idea laid the groundwork for models like GPT-3 and GPT-4, yet Rodney Brooks’ perspective also resonates – sometimes, practical AI needs a bit of human-designed insight to keep things efficient. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how AI is evolving beyond just scaling up models. We’re moving towards 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 that iterate and refine, making our outputs closer to the thoughtful processes humans use. At Creao AI, we’re exploring what it means to truly balance these visions. Can we create agents that design, adapt, and operate on their own, yet still draw on the best of human insight? This blog captures some of my thoughts on how AI might get there. 🔗 Check out my latest blog post for more on these reflections as CREAO takes steps toward a more 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗜 future. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gxqWC7Wh #AGI #CREAO #AgentWorkflows #ArtificialIntelligence #AutonomousAI

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Product for Engineers dropped another awesome post recently: How we decide what to build. It’s a beautiful building-in-public look at how PostHog goes about product development. There is so much to learn from this newsletter. I love it. https://lnkd.in/ewNBSpu4

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I reflect each week using my 3W's. Reflection = Sharpening my Axe. ** W1: What was great? ** We were the only alpha UX/UI Design as a Service company for Tech & SaaS at Collision 2024, for Startups in growth mode and existing SMB's. ** W2: What am I most proud of? ** I hired a fashion designer and we designed costumes that were a huge hit during the conference that branded our agency in a big way. We all dressed up as astronauts from the "digital space". We made it fun. Doing business was fun. Cold visitors, became engaged leads because it was fun. ** W3: What was a lesson learned? ** To believe like a child, and make plans like an adult. We imagined MK-Way as a creative crew from the "digital space". We see ourselves as the creative team from another galaxy. The costume costs were $167, But... We laughed. Visitors were intrigued. We were branded. We had offline visitors becoming online contacts. And the best is yet to come.... #collisionconf2024 #leadership #uxdesign

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Vishal Sachdev highlights the strategic integration of open source and proprietary tech in architecting tech stacks, developer ecosystems and resulting business models. The world class companies effectively balance value commoditization in open source and value capture in proprietary tech. This is the strategic challenge for companies operating in #blockchain and #AI. I believe those who operate at the intersection of blockchain *and* AI stand to win this strategic battle...

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📈 Curious about the startup scene in Massachusetts? Explore our detailed funding list featuring startup names, HQ locations, and investor info. Perfect for investors and entrepreneurs alike! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/dAp3xj-Q #startup #startups #venturecapital #funding #vc #managementconsulting

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The pocket guide of essential YC advice for startups • Launch now • Build something people want • Do things that don't scale • All startups are badly broken at some point • Find the 90 / 10 solution • Find 10-100 customers who love your product • Write code - talk to users • "It's not your money" • Growth is the result of a great product not the precursor • Don't scale your team/product until you have built something people want • Valuation is not equal to success or even probability of success • Avoid long negotiated deals with big customers if you can • Avoid big company corporate development queries - they will only waste time • Avoid conferences unless they are the best way to get customers • Pre-product market fit - do things that don't scale: remain small/nimble • Startups can only solve one problem well at any given time • Founder relationships matter more than you think • Sometimes you need to fire your customers (they might be killing you) • Ignore your competitors, you will more likely die of suicide than murder • Most companies don't die because they run out of money • Be nice! Or at least don't be a jerk • Get sleep and exercise - take care of yourself via Ben Lang

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I recently had the chance to sit down with Bilal Asif's GenieTalks to discuss something every startup founder faces: how to effectively go to market with limited resources and a technical audience. We discussed: ✨ The shift from product development to distribution (marketing!) mindset 🎯 Finding your target audience + the right channels 🧑‍💻 Building a personal brand as an engineer-founder 💸 Marketing strategies on a tight budget 💡 Using content-first approaches to maximize long-term impact Catch a sneak peek below 🎥, and tune in when the full episode drops on Monday! #startups #bootstrapped #marketingtips #contentstrategy #podcast

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𝗦𝗙 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀: I'm putting together a curated dinner for founders, designers, thinkers & doers in SF on a day between Sept 7th and 12th. If you're interested in joining fill out the form below. 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: 1. Intersection of AI and creativity 2. Building trust in AI 3. Building your own AI agents 4. How to adapt and adjust 5. Building AI products in a saturated market Have questions, want to collaborate? DM me! #founders #dinners #SF #thinkers

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This really hits home for me As a second-time founder, I'm currently testing prototypes for my new startup. This time, I'm focusing more on distribution and letting our users shape how the product is designed and delivered. In my first venture, I was deeply passionate about my idea and the product itself. I believed that if the product was exceptional, it would naturally attract customers. Now, with the experience of running a venture-backed company, I've learned that even the best products can fail without effective distribution and marketing. Success really hinges on how well the product reaches and is adopted by the target market. Now, I'm going to ensure scalable strategies and growth channels to quickly expand our market presence and ensure our product reaches a wider audience. It's all about balancing product quality with strategic distribution to build a sustainable and scalable business. Bukky Wonda. Thanks for the chat we had on this same topic. You brought clarity to my thoughts on partnerships. 🙏🏾 #Entrepreneurship #GoToMarket #Scalability #DistributionStrategy

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During the pre-launch customer discovery stage is exactly where product design experts' most critical value comes into play 🌟 This is not spoken on enough. • We know how to UNCOVER gaps in customer's journeys • We know how to TALK to the right customers (yes, there is a wrong way) • We know how to CRAFT tangible products for feedback Asking the right questions with ideal customers upfront saves time and uncovers misconceptions early. Plus, designing low-fi prototypes for user testing is vital for any product's iteration journey. This is all easy to type - but the DOING is most defiantly not. That's where designers come in 😉 // If you liked this post please follow Christie Kaplan for more on building successful digital products. The secret is the team crafting it – start off right with a design unicorn 🦄 💜 #designexpert #yc #investors #unicorns #startups #entrepreneurs #designers #uxdesigners #productdesigners #venturecapitalists

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The funding landscape for founders has been tough over the past two years—but for female founders, it's been even tougher. At Fierce Foundry, we're stepping up to change that. Like the trailblazing organizations How Women Invest and WE Global Studios, we’re fueling the flywheel of female investment. Our innovative approach isn’t just about making noise—it’s about making measurable impact. Join me at my info session today (and every other week - register via the link below) to learn how you can help drive meaningful change for female founders. Let’s make it happen! 🌟 https://lnkd.in/e9FUg9Uj

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A non-obvious benefit of building start-ups is the deep appreciation you develop for every new product around you. People who haven't built anything tend to be more skeptical, but not you. You start to see the details. You see the underlying effort, the design choices, the color palette, the copy, what features got prioritized, how they were introduced, the pivots, the failures, the resilience of the team, and even the emotions the first demo is trying to evoke. You recognize the many discussions that likely took place for this to come alive and the trade-offs that came with them. Your brain becomes attuned to all of this, and you appreciate how the world gets a tiny bit better with each new product.

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Back to 🌱 startups — TechCrunch 2024 sparked an interesting discussion led by Elizabeth Yin, co-founder of Hustle Fund: high early valuations aren’t always a win. Inflated early valuations can set 🌌 sky-high expectations that become harder to meet as the rounds progress, often doubling or tripling. That’s why early valuations should be realistic — ones you can 🚀 grow into with traction. Failure to grow can demotivate employees, causing their stocks to 📉 lose value. 💭 What do you think — are investors right that overestimation can be risky? #startuplife #startups #valuation #entrepreneurship #growthstrategy #techcrunchdisrupt #tech #goodfaceagency #bestexperience

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An interesting article below, that demonstrates out how San Diego is punching above its weight.  And how Connect's strategy and execution over time, contintues to be central to that success. The article describes the current state of the market in Seattle.  (And i love Seattle.) It's a market that we tend to track with relative to venture fundings.  They used to kick our butts, we outraised them each of the last three years.  This despite the fact they have 3x as many funds there, and 9x the amount of resident capital there. (per pitchbook) Some key takeaways:  * They continue to compare themselves to SIlicon Valley. Instead, we leverage our proximity. *They whine there's not enough local investors (see note above - they have more than us). We bring over 200 VCs to SD annually! * They say founders are not connected with one another. We bring CEOs together regularly, in a variety of ways - private dinners and through our Springboard program. * They say they need to elevate their image on a national & international stage. Why we created and continue to build Five.Ten.Thirty (aka Inno Day).  * And the last paragraph - they need to concentrate on making their region a great place to live. Our mantra: "It's about Better, not Bigger." (See XEO, TL Fund). THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE ON A MISSION TOGETHER!!!  (Comments, whining, suggestions on SD always welcome.) https://lnkd.in/g6Rq_f2Y

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