The Feedback Loop

Hey, NYC — ChatGPT is back on The Feedback Loop this Tuesday! After a fun experimental debut, we're dialing things up: ?? More real-time feedback ?? Sharper, spicier feedback ??? ?? Its own voice — literally ??? And it’s bringing friends! Expect quick cameos from Grok, Claude, and Gemini. Don’t miss it — RSVP in the comments to secure your spot.

What if you could predict consumer behavior with a "digital twin" of society? Avi Yashchin, founder of Subconscious AI, pitched a bold vision on The Feedback Loop: replacing slow, expensive market research with AI-powered digital twins — simulated groups of people that think and behave like real consumers, allowing companies to test ideas instantly. Check out Avi's pitch and the feedback from investors Sherveen Mashayekhi and Mirit Lugassi, link down below!

Freelancers on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are trapped in a brutal race to the bottom — endless competition, heavy agency cuts, and minimal control over their own credentials. But Marisa M., founder of Joba Network, thinks there's a better solution: a freelancer marketplace powered by blockchain. When Marisa pitched on The Feedback Loop, our resident Web3 skeptic, Sherveen Mashayekhi, didn't hold back. He pushed Marisa to justify why blockchain was necessary — arguing that centralized platforms aren't the villains many Web3 startups portray them to be, and that blockchain might be solving a problem that freelancers don't actually have. Check out the full (and occasionally spicy ???) conversation using the link in the comments!

AI for DevOps and a SaaS-marketplace for local beauty services! Episode 059 of The Feedback Loop has range. And, once more, I'm joined by the excellent Mirit Lugassi of Laconia, this episode wrapping up a great session we had giving feedback together on stage in February. Two founders had a minute each to pitch, then they got feedback on their storytelling and concept. And a shout out to the founders on stage, Naveen Kumar and Chidi Ashley – we're rootin' for ya!

We're excited to share that our Managing Partner Ihar Mahaniok will be re-joining the judges' table at The Feedback Loop on March 18th in NYC! If you haven't been, it's a live event where early-stage founders pitch their startups and get real, no fluff feedback from investors. No slides, no scripts- just straight talk on what works and what doesn't. Ihar will be on stage with Sherveen Mashayekhi, breaking down pitches and chatting with founders. If you're building something (or just love seeing how the startup world works), we hope that you will join us. RSVP here: https://lu.ma/lxs852l1 #VentureCapital #Startups #Founders #EarlyStage #NYC

Join us for The Feedback Loop — tech's best startup event — on Tuesday, March 18th! ?? Watch startup founders pitch live and get instant, actionable feedback from top investors: ? Ihar Mahaniok, Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, early investor in Instacart, Chainalysis, and People.ai, and former engineering leader at Google, Facebook, and WeWork. ? Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency, angel investor and startup, careers, & AI expert. No scripts. No slides. Just real pitches and candid, actionable feedback. ?? 29 E 19th St, NYC | 6:00-8:00 PM ?? One-click registration in the comments! ?? Want to pitch? Application link in the comments!

As artificial intelligence takes over, I'm becoming increasingly less interested in software startups. Some will be unfathomably massive winners, but the volume of uninteresting outcomes is going to be just... immense. And so if you've been paying attention to The Sherveen Show, you'll see I've been speaking more and more with founders who are dealing in the physical realm. And one of my favorite conversations on physical product foundership has been with Lily Geiger, founder and CEO at Figlia! It's a modern, non-alcoholic aperitivo – as they put it, "for moments you want to remember." Beyond hearing her inspiration and personal story behind the brand, we get into... the sober-curious community, formulating a new flavor, distribution, and so much more. If this was on a course catalog, we'd probably call it "How to Beverage 101" – highly recommend this one, check it out!

What if you could track your focus and stress levels — just by wearing your earbuds? Pari Patel took the stage at The Feedback Loop to pitch Niura, a wearable designed to help high achievers avoid burnout. But beyond the pitch itself, an interesting challenge emerged: how do you convince people your data is reliable when so many wearable devices have overpromised and underdelivered? It’s a problem every frontier tech founder faces: balancing early adoption with long-term credibility. Watch the full conversation to see how Pari tackled it: link in the comments!

A new episode of The Feedback Loop dropped last week — and this one’s got a twist. Saptarshi Nath first pitched Airboxr in Episode 002. Now, in Episode 057, he’s back with a refined vision and product. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? TFL judges rarely have context going into a pitch — so what happens when they do? Founders often face this: a second meeting, a familiar audience. How do you pitch when there’s shared understanding? Watch Episode 057 — link in the comments!

If you’re an early-stage founder, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Laconia’s very own Mirit Lugassi joined Sherveen Mashayekhi on The Feedback Loop podcast—and quickly became a crowd favorite (we’re biased, she’s always our favorite, but the crowd agreed with us) ??. She brought her signature sharp insights, delivering unfiltered investor feedback that every founder needs to hear, weighing in on: ?? Saptarshi Nath's AI-driven data and e-commerce automation updates ?? Pari Patel's EEG-tracking earbuds designed to boost focus and productivity Want to know why everyone should be listening to Mirit? Watch below! As always, if you are a serious founder building “must have” technology for mission-critical industries, we’d love to meet you here: bit.ly/laconiapitch