Cecyl Hobbs

Some key takeways on this podcast from Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao (Stanford) below: Key Takeaway 1: Friction in organizations increases as they grow larger and more complex, making it difficult to get things done efficiently. This is due to added processes, specialization, and hierarchy that are necessary but can hinder productivity if not managed well. Key Takeaway 2: Leaders should strive to be "elephants" who listen and ask helpful questions, rather than "hippopotamuses" who constantly talk and make statements. Encouraging open communication and collaboration while respecting others' time is crucial for reducing friction. Key Takeaway 3: Speed is important for startups, but it must be balanced with the ability to pivot when needed. Temporarily halting hiring or product development can allow for necessary adjustments and prevent friction from building up. >> This is the top reason startups fail, don't pivot/iterate fast enough. Key Takeaway 4: Founders should be mindful when allocating equity and hiring early on. Keeping some equity in reserve and staggering hiring can help maintain flexibility and prevent friction caused by misaligned incentives or onboarding challenges. Key Takeaway 5: Reducing organizational friction requires regularly "mowing the lawn" by removing unnecessary processes, meetings, and bureaucracy. This is an ongoing effort, not a one-time event, and is essential for maintaining efficiency as organizations grow. https://lnkd.in/e5SfQwCU

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On the latest Vital Signs, Nikhil Krishnan and I had a ton of fun chatting with Dr. Atul Butte. Dr. Butte is a professor at UCSF, Chief Data Scientist of the UC Health System, and a co-founder of numerous healthcare startups. In our conversation, Dr. Butte shared his takes on healthcare AI opportunities, challenges, hype, and more. A few highlights: ⚡LLM use cases, data, and growth LLMs are already helping to solve the “drudgery” aspects of medicine, such as automatically drafting SOAP notes and patient messages. Dr. Butte is excited about future applications of LLMs that can help with the “cognitive” aspects: with difficult medical problems an LLM might be able to stitch together disparate pieces of information to generate a potentially novel solution. He also highlights that prompt engineering will become the next “coding language” as so much of leveraging LLMs is knowing how to ask them the right questions. Additionally, Dr. Butte discusses how since 2016, UCSF has been working to deidentify its patient notes so that it can query them to answer clinical questions and ultimately enhance patient care. ⚡The need for patient-facing AI As patients are increasingly able to access their own personal health data in nicely structured formats (e.g., EHRs, wearables), they desperately need more tools to help them interpret and make decisions using that data. Dr. Butte understands that these patient-facing solutions are challenging to get funded but he emphasizes that patients need to receive the benefits of AI sooner. ⚡Evaluating healthcare AI solutions In order to evaluate AI solutions, we often put human specialists – such as medical professionals – on the same tasks. Understanding that specialists often disagree with each other, a significant challenge arises in figuring out how we can evaluate AI considering we can’t just “average” all the specialist opinions. Dr. Butte points out that there still remains a massive gap in AI evaluation tools. Additionally, there are so many organizations that want to have a say in how healthcare AI is regulated that the landscape is uncertain. An awesome conversation with an expert on all things AI meets healthcare. Listen to the full episode below: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wr3643 Apple: https://apple.co/4acwgan

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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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Quantum computing is here and growing at 32% per year growing to a $6.5B market by 2030. Great overview from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on what as a leader you need to know. This will be like throwing gasoline on a fire when it comes to processing power for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics across large data sets. You need to have a plan now, especially from a cyber security perspective to counter AI & quantum enabled attacks. Take the time to think about how quantum will fit into your short and long term strategies now to take advantage of what it will bring in your market as well. Will your applications be able to take advantage of this compute power? How will you access quantum capability to differentiate in the market with your own data? Let us know if we can help in any way with our global team and network of trusted partners at Red Summit Board Services & Advisory Take care of yourself, and if you can, someone else!

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The Information has breaking news of Amazon Web Services (AWS) mirroring Microsoft‘s #AI #Licensing deal with Adept. Could this be the second of many more to come as acquiring companies try to avoid the complexity and regulatory risk of Department of Justice review whilie still providing investors and employees upside and an off ramp as the cost of scaling these #AI #Unicorns really hits home? What do you think? #management #venturecapital #capitalmarkets #aifunding #privateequity https://lnkd.in/gyrQndYr

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Join me Thursday, May 9 at 9amET, and Microsoft for Startups company founders, Stead Burwell, Lana Feng, Ph.D. Andrew Gostine, MD, MBA and Ankur Teredesai for a lively, *real-world* conversation about applying #AI to improve #healthcare. In addition to hearing these leading #innovators discuss the challenges, value, and future of AI, you'll learn how: 💲 Outbound AI uses AI to improve #RevenueCycleManagement 💊 Huma.AI uses #GenAI to provide meaningful and actionable #insights for #lifesciences companies 🛌Artisight uses #AI and #cognitiveservices to streamline #patientcare and #safety 😷 CueZen uses #AI and #GenAI for hyper-personalized management of #chronicconditions 👉 Registration is below. Stelios Hatzakis Tony Kountz Derek Haynes Bethany Cordes Tom Davis Ted Roduner Microsoft for Healthcare

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John Sviokla, co-founder of GAI Insight and HBS Executive Fellow, and Tom Davenport, Professor of IT and Management at Babson College, continue to provide thoughtful and practical guidance on generative AI! 🏆 Importantly, they consider the human, technical, financial, and political realities of companies today. 💎 They share six organizational disciples and capabilities needed for generative AI success. 💥 Companies without these disciplines face challenges in creating ongoing value from their generative AI experiments. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eSkXGY-D Paul Baier

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Exciting release from our portfolio company Orby AI. They just released ActIO (action in, action out), the first purpose-built Large Action Model (LAM) transforming how enterprise teams and individuals work. They are outpacing leading models like GPT-4o and Gemini in visual web comprehension and task execution.  #generativeAI

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I couldn't agree less with this article. In my view, AI will change the world as much as, if not more than the internet did...which is a lot. '60s computer scientist Roy Amara said it best: “we overestimate the impact of technology in the short-term and underestimate the effect in the long run.” Both Altman and the author are falling victim to this blind spot, but to me, it seems far more dangerous to underestimate the impact and get blindsided by the change than it is to be slightly overzealous on estimating the rate of change. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #Innovation #cdntech [Read more](https://lnkd.in/gJWwyFZR)

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If you believe that #Diversity and #Inclusion matter, specifically in times like this, join us on October 30th. We will discuss the challenges and success stories of promoting Diversity in 2024. With me you will find industry leaders who were able to pull it off (!) 💥💥💥 Dorit Dor, Hasan Abasi, Vered Raviv Schwarz, Gal Shaul Guesty, Augury, HAAT Delivery, Check Point Software Power in Diversity Glilot Capital Partners Poalim Tech, Meitar | Law Offices, ESOP - Phoenix, Microsoft, Calcalist כלכליסט #nomatterwhat

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I'm thrilled to announce that Salesforce Ventures recently led the Series A round in Zeck, a pioneering startup transforming board management and governance workflows. We're thrilled to partner with Zeck's visionary co-founders Robert W., Jeffrey Wolfe, and Edward Norton as they bring their proven track record of building successful businesses like Moosejaw Mountaineering (acquired by Walmart) and CrowdRise (acquired by GoFundMe) to the boardroom. Zeck is shaving hours off the board deck creation process with a collaborative platform and new medium of sharing information. Their full-stack solution streamlines the antiquated process of assembling data in PowerPoint, automatically integrating content from prior meetings and live data from spreadsheets. This enables CEOs and functional leaders to spend their time writing thoughtful commentary and driving substantive discussions. You likely know Edward Norton from his acclaimed acting career, but he also brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to his role as Zeck's Chief Strategy Officer. As a founder of several companies and a board member for numerous corporate and nonprofit organizations, Edward intimately understands the challenges of boardroom dynamics. In his words, "Those of us who've started companies or sat on boards felt like the dynamic of the board meeting was broken. Board meetings had become a 'punch yourself in the face' moment for so many companies and organizations." Similar to Carta's early days, Zeck has identified a specific pain point within corporate governance and built a targeted solution for an underserved end-market. Network effects among nonprofit board members, VC/PE firms, and trade associations has driven capital-efficient growth to date. We believe Zeck is positioned to become the ubiquitous system of record for board governance. Their product fundamentally improves workflows and drives meaningful ROI for time-constrained executives. We're proud to support the Zeck team as they enable boards to spend less time on low-value tasks and more time on high-impact strategic discussions. https://lnkd.in/gthnmStV #Zeck #CorporateGovernance #BoardManagement #VentureCapital Salesforce Ventures Kevin W. Khosla Ventures Breyer Capital

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RETHINKING RETIREMENT We've been investing in the Future of Work since we launched BBG Ventures, targeting underserved segments like deskless workers (Anthill, OX) and solopreneurs (Topline Pro). Over the summer we spent time digging into another deeply underserved segment of the workforce: Boomers. By the end of this decade, the entire generation will have hit retirement age and, for the first time, Americans 65+ will outnumber those under 18. This has huge implications for every aspect of society, and it mandates that we start thinking differently about retirement. The question for all of us is this: Can we re-focus healthy Americans 60+ on a new phase of productivity, a “third act” that enables them to keep learning, keep earning, keep socially-engaged and contributing to the nation’s economic growth? And what role can AI play in helping every senior identify their unique skill set and personal priorities — and connect them with the right opportunities? We have some thoughts on how to make this happen, and we'd love you to give it a read, add your feedback, forward it to a founder who's working in this arena (or who you think might be intrigued), and share it! AgeTech has been too focused on death and decay; it's time we embrace longevity and give older Americans a way to keep working -- on their terms. cc: Carol Magalhães Isaacs, CFA Nisha Dua, Claire Biernacki, Drew Silverman Fennessy

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AI discussion and often fear is everywhere. Yet it’s here and has been, so my philosophy is embrace, experiment with caution and common sense, and understand.  Am recommending an interesting new book by Erica Orange 'AI + The New Human Frontier: Reimagining the Future of Time, Trust + Truth.' As a futurist she has a unique perspective on what AI will mean to us as a society and to us as individuals.  At the book signing, we had a robust discussion. No surprise there were many different viewpoints!  What stood out to me most, however, was a compelling point raised during the discussion by longtime friend Edie Weiner, President and CEO of The Future Hunters. Reflecting on the intersection of AI and ethics, she offered a thought-provoking take on free speech:    “Here in America we prioritize free speech above all else. But in reality speech should be truthful first, not unkind second, and then free."     This reframing of the free speech debate is so timely, as we grapple with the role of AI in amplifying or distorting truth. It’s a reminder of the ethical responsibility we all share—whether creating content, developing technology, or shaping conversations in a rapidly evolving world.     #AI #EthicsInTech #Leadership #ThoughtLeadership

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Check out the part two of the Startup Science Podcast David Danks, Professor of Data Science and Philosophy at UC San Diego, where we dive deep into the practical applications of AI that entrepreneurs can leverage! Here are some key themes we explored: - Causal discovery techniques to identify the true drivers of outcomes rather than just correlations - How AI can aid investors in evaluating startup trajectories and finding whitespace opportunities - The critical importance of having high-quality data to feed AI models - Time series models for forecasting how situations evolve over time - And so much more! David provides insightful guidance on navigating the AI landscape, helping entrepreneurs determine the right applications for their businesses.

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Look forward to speaking at the Enterprise Generative AI Summit this week along side esteemed panelists Dr. Yvonne Lutsch and Mike Shirazi on the importance of data relevancy and data privacy considerations in next wave of LLM investments. #dataprivacy #GenAI #LLM https://lnkd.in/efj2egAG

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One of the things we see quite often at Grit Capital Partners, is a newly minted CEO. We see a big difference in the transition to CEO based upon the historical lane the CEO is coming from. There are different new muscles if you are coming from Product, Engineering, Finance, etc. In this article, we go deep on the CRO to CEO transition, which includes some thoughts from Rosie O'Meara, a particularly fine example of someone who has made the transition quite well. What were your biggest transition moments? https://lnkd.in/eEB-K2ZU

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Still feeling energized from last week's roundtable on building successful relationships with hospitals. We invited 7 portfolio companies and health system leaders from Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai and UCLA Health. The founders shared their questions ranging from the strategic to the nuts and bolts of closing partnerships. For example, how do you determine what measures of effectiveness help drive alignment? And how do you get all the stakeholders together to actually drive a decision. Answer: put them all in a room for half a day! “I think we're in a pivotal moment regarding how we assess AI. There are numerous risks currently dominating AI discussions, particularly those concerning bias and other associated risks. However, there's a notable absence of focus on evaluating the proactive value of AI. We need to consider what AI actually offers and what we want it to offer. It's not solely about determining whether it will cause harm; people are apprehensive about how this technology will be implemented. One perspective gaining traction involves ensuring the product's validation process is robust enough to prevent risks to various populations.” -Vladimir Manuel, Medical Director at UCLA Health From Vlad's comments above to perspectives others shared, we heard a sense of excitement for the promise of #AI and other new technologies. But we're also in a unique moment where the risks are not well understood. Still much to do here.

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Have a story to tell... Use Narratize AI Co-Authoring platform to tell your stories in an impactful manner. Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD and the entire team is committed to helping you in becoming amazing storytellers. Check out their impressive work at https://lnkd.in/gnNYHSSX Start telling your stories with Narratize AI as your co-author. #generativeai #storytelling #innovation #aicoauthoring #innovators #researchers #impactstories #startups #problemsolvers #AI #AIStartup

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Christina Farr authored the excellent article (with helpful contributions from Nathaniel Lacktman) on the potential impact of California's proposed law (California AB 3129) banning the MSO-Friendly PC business model for healthcare organizations. The description of the law as a "blunt instrument" is apt and the article is a useful read here: https://lnkd.in/gsDDqGNn The primary concern prompting regulators to pursue such drastic laws is that investor-funded healthcare businesses are driving healthcare costs up and reducing patient care quality. Blanket bans like the proposed law throw the baby out with the bathwater--a very concerning move given the size of California and the tech presence involved with healthcare in the state. I encourage investor-funded healthcare providers to evaluate meaningful strategies to combat this growing perception, sadly abetted by some notorious bad apples. In my work, we have helped organizations adopt the Value-Based Enterprise structure to both align the incentives of management and clinicians with #ValueBasedCare goals and build a governance structure suited to demonstrating progress in controlling costs and increasing medical care quality. There are a lot of great resources to reduce the time and capital investment needed to adopt this business model. We recently participated in a podcast with attorneys from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough addressing just this topic. I will link to it in the comments if you are interested in learning more. #digitalhealth, #valuebasedenterprise, #healthcareinnovation

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