This Week in Startups Weekly Recap Feb 21-27

Hey Everybody,?

This week we spoke with?DHH from Basecamp,?Seth Bannon from Fifty Years,?Joshe Ordonez from AirPals?and?Tony Tran from Lumanu.?

As a surprise guest for our Angel series, Molly put?Jason in the hot seat?to learn about how his first venture fund came to be.?

Producer's Pick:

DHH's interview?was super candid. Last spring, after Basecamp's leadership decided to ban political discussions at work, the company became the main focus of TechTwitter for 2 weeks. In this episode, DHH shared what happened in the aftermath and what he learned from the ordeal. This is a great episode for anyone navigating remote leadership.

What investors mean when they are “waiting for a lead” (VC Sunday School) + Seth Bannon of 50 Years | E1395

In a "VC Sunday school" session, Jason explains why investors often express interest in investing but only will commit?after?a startup has identified a lead investor.

Molly's This Week in Climate Startups segment was with deep tech investor Seth Bannon, a founding Partner of Fifty Years. You will learn:

1. The convictions that unpin Fifty Years' investment thesis

2. Why Seth thinks VC has lost his way

3. Why increasing longevity could be a net-positive for climate

4. How Fifty Years measures impact of their investments

5. How Seth evaluates the potential negative externalities of his investments

6. How his PhD to VC program works

DHH on Basecamp’s painful evolution, Bitcoin, Revitalizing internet discourse | E1394

Jason chats with David Heinemeier Hansson about global governments reacting to COVID, Basecamp’s Twitter cycle blowup last spring when more than 1/3 of the company left, the shift from debating in the public square (Twitter) to debating in private with friends on group chats. We also talked about why David now sees a case for Bitcoin after Canada leans toward authoritarianism.?

How Jason Calacanis grew the Launch Fund: Angel S6 E7 | E1393

This season of Angel is focused on the nitty-gritty details of raising and running a first-time fund. Molly turns the tables on Jason and interviews him about raising "LAUNCH Fund I." Jason shares everything from getting his first check to his biggest mistakes.

AirPals’ Joshe Ordonez

Molly chats with Launch Accelerator Cohort 24 founder Joshe Ordonez, the CEO of Airpals a b2b marketplace for courier services. You will learn:

• Why there is a growing need for hyperlocal delivery
• What customers are using this AirPals?
• How AirPals differentiates itself by providing instant upfront pricing
• Why they use a hybrid approach of full-time and contract delivery drivers

Lumanu CEO Tony Tran?on the Creator Economy

Producer Rachel does another OK BOOMER segment where she talks to Tony Tran, the founder & CEO of Lumanu, a company for creators to run their business.

News

• Platform dependency risks?of building on Facebook
• Financing platform?Pipe enters entertainment finance?with the acquisition of Purely Capital
• Critical cyberattacks of the last decade
• Coinbase’s mutable messaging?about who made their superbowl ad
• Barry McCarthy's plan for?revitalizing Peloton
• Kanye’s genius business model?(stem player > streaming)
• Breaking down?high-growth companies poised for a comeback?

Best,

Producer Justin

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