TK Caitano

The Power of Equity in Building Stronger Teams! 💼 Ever wonder how equity became the secret weapon for attracting top talent? Let’s rewind to the 1950s when California companies made a bold move by offering equity to tech professionals and scientists from the East Coast. Not only did they incentivize relocation, but they created a sense of ownership that fueled loyalty and innovation. Fast forward, and this strategy is still reshaping today’s job market! 🎧💡 Here’s what we’re unpacking in this episode: 💥 The Power of Equity in Attracting Talent California companies knew that offering equity was the key to drawing top talent. It wasn’t just about money; it was about giving employees a stake in the company’s future—a strategy that’s still driving success today. 🔑 Building a Future Together Equity isn’t just financial—it’s about building a partnership. When employees feel like co-owners, it creates a deep sense of commitment, innovation, and loyalty, transforming workplace culture. 📚 Understanding the Rules of the Game Knowing how to implement equity strategies can change the game for startups and established companies alike. This episode breaks down the rules and offers insights on how equity can help you attract and retain talent. Tune in now to learn how equity can transform your workplace and drive lasting success! 🎧✨ #Podcast #Equity #TalentAttraction #WorkplaceCulture #Innovation #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement Follow for more!

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🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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Old school and probably not popular but I still believe products should be customer-satisfaction focused/led rather than technology-led. Use cases for AI should be byproducts of the product improvement process primarily. The thing though is that founders need to fundraise so they're likely to sprinkle some AI on their decks to even look serious. Not sure that's how the most enduring companies have been built. Of course, if sources of capital become AI-biased, founders have little choice. Happy to keep an open mind and dive in when a use-case that can 10x customer experience for Good Tenants customers and users shows up.

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Summary: Samyr Laine and his wife Ayanna Alexander-Laine, former Olympic athletes, have started their own venture capital firm called Freedom Trail Capital in 2023. They have already invested in seven startups and have more investments in the pipeline. Key takeaways: Laine's background in sports and previous work with Will Smith and Jay-Z has given him a unique perspective on how to invest in talent-led businesses. Freedom Trail Capital looks for products with a good product-market fit and a strong connection between a celebrity or athlete and their brand. Laine and Alexander-Laine have the determination and grit to help founders scale and grow their consumer brands. Counter arguments: Some may argue that athletes and celebrities are not always the best investors or have enough business acumen to make successful investments. Others may argue that prioritizing celebrity endorsements and connections can overshadow the quality and potential of a product. #venturecapital #vc #fundraising https://lnkd.in/g5HpX-e8

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I'm excited to announce our newest product💥 💥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 **You do not need to live in Nevada to use this trust. You just need a licensed Nevada trustee. This product works best for: ▶ Startup founders and execs ▶ VC and PE investors The benefits of this trust include: ---> ZERO state capital gains tax (Nevada is a 0 tax state) ---> Bulletproof asset protection (better than a prenup) ---> Unlimited QSBS potential (you can stack trusts to eliminate federal taxes) My cofounders and I started Dynasty 2 years ago specifically to bring this product to market 🤠 We were 1st employees at Carta and were fortunate enough to take some money off the table. But we paid enormous taxes (over 50%)! On the flip side we met a serial founder who leveraged Dynasty trusts and paid ZERO taxes on over $50m in capital gains 😮 The second we heard about this, we knew we needed to start Dynasty so this product could be available to everyone... So if you are a founder, investor, or anyone with high growth assets - check us out!

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Check out our curated list of #SanFrancisco startups, complete with funding details and key insights. https://lnkd.in/drQWSuqx #startup #startups #venturecapital #funding #vc #investmentbanking

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At Kearny Jackson, founders constantly ask us what we look for in founding teams. I’m sharing the rough framework that my partner, Sriram Krishnan, outlined to assess founders as a pre-seed/seed investor. This is also how I judge whether someone is “biased for action” or “biased for thought.” I get along well with the former and not the latter, but that’s a story for another day. Level 1 - Speed of communicating Whether by text or email. Quick turnarounds, “acknowledged receipt” types of folks. Not being speedy is not necessarily a bad sign; it can also mean they’re busy or don’t care about you or your email. Usually “closes the loop” and, most importantly, tries to leave no email unresponded. Level 2 - Speed of rewriting deck or memo Founders who pitch one version of the deck and share an updated version after the pitch the same day with slides that address the questions asked during the pitch. Or founders that iterate on positioning and strategy quickly based on input and ship a new version of a deck within days. Some founders use a static deck when presenting (i.e. the same deck for weeks on end), but some are more dynamic and change/pivot/edit when new information or tactics come to light. Level 3 - Speed of talking to or onboarding design partners Founders who not only speak to 50-70 potential prospects within a short time frame but also ones who onboard X design partners very quickly. I’ve seen some founders pitch an idea in week one and sign up four design partners in week two. That’s pretty impressive regardless of what is being built and shows they can execute. Level 4 - Speed of shipping new code, new features, new products, or new pivots This is the holy grail. This is what every early-stage investor means by execution velocity. In the world of early-stage startups, the big fish don’t eat the small fish. The fast ones eat the slow ones. And how quickly you ship code represents how efficient or productive you can be in a resource-constraint environment. All investors would preferably want to see how founders execute with code, but (A) founders don’t always have product during the seed/pre-seed rounds, eg. figma designs, mock-ups, ideas, etc (B) so investors have to rely on other signals to decipher whether you can execute on 4 so levels 123 above will hopefully inform them on that.

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My first ever Waymo, courtesy of a fund I met. I rarely make such a bad impression that they'll pay to get rid of me. Full marks for creativity! I love tech so much - this is one of the highlights of my San Francisco trip. #founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic More at unbundled dot vc.

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The startup ecosystem in San Francisco is ROBUST, my experience: I've explored various startup ecosystems lately, and each has its unique shine. In San Francisco, what stands out is the sheer volume of activity. Every day, there’s been at least one pitch event, networking mixer, or founders/investors gathering to attend. Here are some highlights: -I had the pleasure of listening to Christina founder of Vanta and Jeff Seibert founder of Digits share their startup journeys and tactics. It was incredible to get advice from them. I also had a great conversation with MG (if you're not a fan of accounting and you are building a startup, you should connect with MG). Benjamin brought lots of humor to our conversation with James who is building Duet, a SaaS startup providing mission control software for medical transport (he is raising atm). -Supply Pay won a pitch-off against nine other startups at a Startup Valley event. A huge thank you to my new friends Oleh and Dmytro for their willingness to be in front of the crowd—they helped me explain factoring by playing the roles of a farmer and importer. Tom and I swapped stories about building software in the medical space (founders in this space should connect with him). Special thanks to Andrew for recording the Supply Pay pitch—DM me if you want to see it. -Hyperbolic's event, “AI After Hours,” was a hit. I met Bradley and discovered a product that could be a game-changer for organic marketing. Imagine getting paid to promote and eat at your favorite pho spot—that’s just the start of what he’s building (going to test it out with my wife at our family restaurant soon). Following that event, I went to the Microsoft Reactor after-party, which turned out to be "Death by PowerPoint." Fortunately, Bradley read the room and led some cool people to a bar across the street, where I learned from my friends Fred and Christina how to locate free graduate/Ph.D.-level engineering talent 👀 (DM me for access to this). I also discovered the cool things happening at Hive—connect with Shrinidhi if you need models that understand your content! -The week ended with Founders Friday, an event hosted by Kyosuke and his team. For those building in fintech, be sure to connect with Steven—he is helping fintech startups manage their code better! Zakreya blew my mind with what's possible in nanorobotics and phototherapy—he’s building some truly sci-fi products that will make a huge impact in cancer detection and elimination. A big thank you to Ismael, who dropped many gems, especially on navigating my upcoming NYC trip. My new friend Paul also gave invaluable advice on how to prepare before heading to NYC (Paul is building effective anti-theft solutions for big retailers). Finally, I learned about an interesting accelerator opportunity from my new friend Pavel, who’s doing something exciting in the due diligence space for VCs & founders. It was a great first week in SF. I look forward to learning more from everyone here!

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Sharing this primarily for markets outside the top 5 in VC as it's a problem I've experienced as well. One can and sometimes should criticize SV founders who have too much ambition in the way some pursue it, but a super serious problem almost everywhere else is not enough ambition, certainly to include NM. It may surprise some to hear that Seattle lacks ambition given headquarters of Microsoft, Amazon, Costco, Starbucks and others, but that's actually part of the problem--golden handcuffs and conformity, versus hungry and competitive when I grew up in WA in business in the 80s. It's also a problem with many VCs around the country now. They have become so focused on flipping to incumbents their (BT) dominance became a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's not the role of VCs -- if that's their goal they should be a CVC. NM has a similar golden handcuff problem to Seattle, but it's worse in some respects. The national labs pay really well relative to the local cost of living, so it's the career goal of thousands to spend entire careers working for the labs. In both markets the level of early stage funding is so low that it's difficult to leave big tech or labs to join a startup. And in both, the experience of big tech and labs doesn't apply well to startups. Very different world. A related challenge is SV rarely invests outside the region in would-be market leaders--most want to see those remain in CA. So we have a problem for certain, and big disconnect in the market.

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Chegg Inc. Is struggling according to this article - $12B valuation to less than $200M. https://lnkd.in/gW8VKdbp https://lnkd.in/gW8VKdbp I asked ChaptGPT for some suggestions and here’s how it looks. What do you think about how AI is creating an opportunity vs creating challenges? Prompt: How could Chegg harness opportunities in genAI to grow and provide value for customers instead of shrinking and blaming genAI for its downfall? Result: Develop Personalized AI Tutors: By integrating generative AI, Chegg can create personalized tutoring experiences that adapt to individual student needs, offering tailored explanations and study plans. This approach aligns with the trend of AI-driven personalized education, as seen with platforms like Khan Academy's Khanmigo. Enhance Content Creation and Curation: Utilizing AI to generate and curate high-quality educational content can streamline the creation of practice problems, quizzes, and explanatory materials, ensuring they are up-to-date and aligned with current curricula. This strategy has been employed by companies like Duolingo, which uses AI to accelerate content development. Offer AI-Powered Study Tools: Implementing AI-driven features such as intelligent flashcards, summarization tools, and interactive problem-solving assistants can make studying more efficient and engaging for students. For instance, Quizlet introduced Q-Chat, an AI tutor designed to enhance student learning. Provide AI-Enhanced Career Services: Expanding services to include AI-driven career guidance, resume building, and interview preparation can attract a broader audience, including recent graduates and professionals seeking career advancement. This diversification can mitigate reliance on traditional academic services. Collaborate with Educational Institutions: Partnering with schools and universities to integrate AI tools into their curricula can position Chegg as a valuable educational ally, fostering long-term relationships and trust within the academic community. Such collaborations can also facilitate the development of AI tools that address specific institutional needs. Focus on Ethical AI Use and Data Privacy: Emphasizing transparent and ethical AI practices, along with robust data privacy measures, can build trust among users concerned about the implications of AI in education. Providing clear guidelines on AI usage and ensuring data security can differentiate Chegg from competitors. Invest in AI Research and Development: Continuing to invest in AI research can keep Chegg at the forefront of educational technology, allowing the company to innovate and adapt to emerging trends. This proactive approach can lead to the development of proprietary AI models tailored specifically for educational purposes.

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Zain and I did something - We launched a podcast! We will be sitting down with builders, investors, and researchers to learn about their journey and decode new technology trends. Listen to our episode 1 where Zain and I jam on my journey building start-ups in the AI space.

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Non-Engineering Roles at Early-Stage Startups Offering $120K+ Base Salary with Meaningful Bonus and Equity: Chief of Staff @ Milo (Consumer), Remote Biz Ops Lead @ Fractal Agriculture (FinTech), Remote; Backed by Virta Ventures Chief of Staff @ CakeAI (AI SaaS), NY; Backed by Primary Venture Partners Demand Generation Specialist @ Rootly (Consumer), Remote; Backed by YC, 8VC, Gradient Ventures Account Executive @ CommandBar (Enterprise SaaS), Remote; Backed by Soma Capital, YC, Insight Partners Product Marketing @ Slope (Enterprise), Remote; Backed by YC, Union Square Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures Supply Planning Manager @ PROVEN Skincare (Consumer), Remote; Backed by YC, FJ Labs, Soma Capital, Social Capital Account Executive @ Accrue Savings (Consumer), NY; Backed by Ground Up Ventures, Tiger Global Chief of Staff @ UNIGRID Battery (Climate), CA; Backed by Union Square Ventures, LiquidMetal Ventures Job details and the full list (40+ opportunities) are in the comments below. If you're interested in non-tech jobs focused on specific industries like HardTech, HealthTech, Climate, etc., then DM me or let me know in the comments.

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Summary: WndrCo, a holding company and investment firm founded by former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Dropbox employee Sujay Jaswa, has raised over $460 million in its first venture capital fund. The company focuses on investing in innovative startups and has a diverse portfolio in various industries. Key takeaways: WndrCo's founders have a strong track record in the tech industry, with experience in major companies such as Disney and Dropbox. The company has a unique approach of acquiring controlling stakes in underappreciated tech companies and also investing in early-stage startups. WndrCo's current focus is on investing in startups that are using technology to solve previously unsolvable problems, with a particular interest in artificial intelligence. Counter arguments: WndrCo's focus on investing in underappreciated companies may limit their potential for success, as these companies may have struggled to gain traction in the market. The company's strategy of creating one or two companies a year through its Seed fund may result in a smaller portfolio compared to other venture capital firms. #venturecapital #vc #startups #tech

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I love YC Demo Day season. It’s an insane concentration of driven founders building something they deeply believe in at the frontier of tech. I know it's more trendy for VCs to complain about YC. But I believe Garry Tan when he says 5-10% of companies become worth a billion dollars. Maven’s hit rate from YC is even higher: 16% have had $B+ exits, and we’re trending toward a 40% graduation rate from Seed to Unicorn with investments we’ve made alongside YC. Since Maven’s founding in 2013, we’ve funded 12 YC startups out of the 66 companies we’ve invested in. Here are a few: Cruise: acquired by GM for $1B+ Embark: $4B SPAC, acquired by Applied Intuition Chariot: acquired by Ford before Series A May Mobility: raised $300M+ in follow on funding, including from Toyota Carrot Fertility: raised $100M+ in follow on funding, including from CRV and USVP Daybreak Health: Series A from Lightspeed, Series B from USV Moment Robotics: acquired by Cruise founder Kyle Vogt’s new company, The Bot Co (Maven is an investor) Our strategy differs from other YC investors. Many funds build a YC “index fund”, investing in many startups per batch. It’s not a bad move. But we focus on concentration, meeting all the companies in our thesis area and investing in one or two. Gratefully, I think every company from the list above can point to Maven as one of their most trusted partners that made a difference: intros to customers, closing follow-on funding from top VCs, connecting key hires, and offering genuine care and advice in both the best and toughest of moments. What are we looking for in a YC investment? 1) Team - a technical product team with startup DNA and hustle that can achieve a bold vision. Brilliant, determined founders no one would bet against who are ambitious enough to build an iconic company. 2) Vision worth fighting for - what are you bringing into the world that is worth all the time, effort and money required for success? Why aren’t existing solutions good enough? Are we proud to help bring this idea to the world? 3) Massive market - because of the valuation premium YC demands, even a $B outcome may not return today’s average Seed fund. Honestly, that math sucks. In order to pay the premium, we have to believe that if we’re right, we’ll be wildly successful. 4) Consumer trend - Maven invests in tech companies addressing emerging consumer trends. Even if some investments are B2B or B2B2C, they are always grounded in a consumer insight: autonomous vehicles in 2014, fertility care in 2017, mental health in 2020. Today, we’re looking at consumer applications of AI and frontier consumer health. Many successful companies we fund are outside of YC as well – like Zoom, Hello Heart, Epic!, Class, Wildtype. So we match YC’s Unicorn % across the rest of our portfolio, too 💪 YC founders in consumer tech and digital health: if you want to build an iconic company that delivers a positive impact for millions of consumers - I can’t wait to talk to you!

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🔔 ByteNite Joins Techstars San Francisco! 🔔 I’m beyond excited to share that ByteNite has been selected to join the Techstars San Francisco Fall 2024 accelerator! 🚀 As a distributed computing startup committed to reshaping the future of #computing, this opportunity to work with Techstars, one of the world’s leading accelerators, marks a pivotal moment for us. We’re thrilled to be part of a cohort of 12 incredible startups from diverse sectors like #AI, #healthcare, and #gaming — each tackling some of today’s biggest challenges. Being accepted into this inaugural SF program means we’ll gain access to top-tier mentorship, resources, and a network that will help us accelerate our growth and scale our vision. A huge thank you to the Techstars SF team—especially Neal Sales-Griffin, Lilliana Robinson, Sylvia Bouloutas, and Chloe Lannert—for believing in our mission to revolutionize distributed computing. We’re excited to refine our strategies, scale operations, and take ByteNite to the next level during this transformative journey. We can’t wait to share updates as we navigate this incredible program and learn alongside some of the brightest minds out there Dominique Harrison-Bentzen, William Stone, Çoruh Şimşek, Filiz Y., Uğur Koç, Barış Ülgen, David T. Scott, Nirat Attri, Talitha Abraham, Florence Ettlin, George Reed, Morgan M. Stanton, Monica R., A. Kirimgeray Kirimli, Kevin S.. Exciting times ahead—stay tuned! Let’s make some waves 🌊 together! #ByteNite #TechstarsSF2024 #Innovation #DistributedComputing #AcceleratorProgram #Entrepreneurship

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We love seeing founders be able to keep their equity and take advantage of non-dilutive funding sources⚒️. We're excited to collaborate with Stacy Chin, PhD leader of KeepYourEquity.co, who has secured over $15M in SBIR/STTR grants for startups across various sectors. She's written a guest blog post sharing her insights on navigating the competitive landscape of grant funding 💰. Some highlights: ❇️ Understanding SBIR/STTR: A lifeline for startups, offering up to $2 million in non-dilutive funding! ⏺️ Learning how to overcome hurdles and capitalize on the golden opportunity. ❇️ Gaining essential tips on outlining your go-to-market strategy, choosing the right program, and preparing thoroughly. ⏺️ Benefiting from Stacy Chin's 10+ years of grant writing experience and her extensive track record in securing funding for startups. Read More in the blog post linked in the comment below 👇🏾 #SBIR #STTR #GrantFunding #StartupSuccess #SmallBusiness #KeepYourEquityCo #ShayCPA #cpafirm #techaccountants #startupaccountants #techstartup #techcompany #nondilutivefunding

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