Ben’s List 39
It’s NFT NYC and someone bought a FWB membership for more than $40,000 to get into their party. Probably nothing.
Also see more startups coverage: /startups/
This week, 50% of my weekly selection is about Web3 and community. I’m getting deeper into the rabbit hole, wondering if and how we should launch a social token for Sesamers.
There’s also a fascinating piece on the history of pandemics that I spotted on Slush CEO’s Twitter account.
Sequoia made waves last week with its new open-ended capital vehicle but Draper Esprit has been doing the same in Europe since 2016. Check out the article below.
Finally, I’ve got two great pieces about launching your startup, including a bunch of Notion templates.
Entrepreneurship
A Guide to Launching Your Startup
“Launching a new startup can be a complex process, but a well-organized game plan, guidance from value add investors with industry connections and a strong network of service providers can make all the difference.”
Merci Grace’s early-stage startup templates will take your company from zero to one
“‘The hardest thing about going from zero to one is not building something, it’s getting people to care about your product,’ says Merci. Discussing each of your four product fundamentals — core product, business model, positioning, first customers — will set you up well when you’re ready to go to market.”
Venture Capital
Scoop: Sequoia Capital just blew up the VC fund model
“Venture capital is often about fast follows, and rival firms might have called management meetings before getting to the end of this story. But the odds are that Sequoia will stand alone on making these sorts of changes, due to its outsized public holdings and its unparalleled brand reputation.”
- axios.com/sequoia-capital-fund-venture-capital-model-36425923-deff-430e-9945-09b0ccb69c78.html :: Dan Primack
Web3
The Creator Economy: An Interview with Rally.io CEO Bremner Morris
“At the moment, utility is the most exciting use case for NFTs. Platforms are beginning to understand that focusing only on scarcity to create digital ‘collectibles’ is an interesting, but extremely limited and transactional, use case. NFTs should be more than just an income stream for creators; they should drive deeper connections between creators and fans.”
- speedinvest.com/blog/the-creator-economy-an-interview-with-rally-io-ceo-bremner-morris :: Paola Vivoli
Tokens Are a New Digital Primitive, Analogous to the Website
Fundraising in a Community First World
“Creating a safe space for the community to ask honest questions and receive meaningful feedback built trust and showed that investors were here for more than profit-oriented motives. Imagine if the first thousand users of Facebook had a chance to sit down with the platform’s investors 15 years ago to align on values and future vision.“
The point of no return
“The collision of money and finance with the infrastructure of a new internet inextricably links two very powerful forces – technology and investing. With Web3, the development of the internet and the financialization of the internet cannot be decoupled. Web3 is both the next consumer internet and the next wave of financial services.”
Misc
The Pandemic Speaks
“When I appear, I pick my time carefully. I enter the picture when your elites lose their consensus, grand empires reach a border too far, institutions lose their practicality, refugees clog the byways and the climate changes. You may remember my COVID as the beginning of several long emergencies. Or you may watch Netflix instead.”
