Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Upfront Ventures was created 20 years ago as one of the original VC funds in Los Angeles. Back then only 15% of our dollars were invested locally whereas today 50% of our dollars are invested in LA. 10 years ago we found ourselves trying to persuade LPs and VCs that it was worth spending more time getting to know the LA market and now the most common refrain that I hear from them is “there really is something going on in LA.

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Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

One thing a senior manager can count on is that someday, something will go right, very right. Well, after all the disappointments, pressure and outright failures, this is NEWS. So we tend to go overboard a bit. As a member of the board, I’ve received calls on weekends, at night and texts at hours I didn’t even think existed – from CEOs who couldn’t control the euphoria.

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Tomasz Tunguz

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

We’ve taught computers to do many things. We’ve researched how to teach them to identify cats, spot fraudulent charges, even categorize cucumbers. But what can we apply in our daily lives that computers have taught us? That is the premise of the book called Algorithms to Live By. Which of the advances in computer science can be applied to laundry, choosing an executive assistant, picking the best strategic plan and optimizing your schedule?

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frameworks strategy investing investment 44

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

I asked a founder the other day the following question: Can you describe a candidate that would be a fantastic hire somewhere else that would never thrive in your organization? If you can't answer that, it's going to be really difficult to find the people that *will* thrive in your company. Not every candidate is a great hire for every company. Obviously, you want to hire above a certain level of competency and work ethic--but if you're going to find people who really thrive, you need to underst

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technology

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Every tech or major news journal in the country is preparing to write their Snap, Inc (creators of Snapchat, Spectacles, etc) stories and many of them seem to want a “How does it feel to have missed this investment story.” I won’t speak to most of them due to time and also due to the fact that I simply am not the story and don’t want to pretend like I am.

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Tomasz Tunguz

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

From the millions of Amazon Alexas to the self-driving car, new products are coming to market infused with machine learning. The innovation offered by machine learning techniques are real, and they will changed the SaaS world. But how? How can startups use machine learning to their advantage? There are four broad applications of machine learning: Optimize - this morning, fastest way to travel from Sand Hill Road to South Park in San Francisco is highway 101.

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SaaS startup pitching innovation 43

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

One of the most talked about Fireside Chat’s of the 2-day Upfront Summit was the talk between my friend Joe Green and Pete Buttigieg , the mayor of South Bend, Indiana aka “The Happy Warrior” currently in a bid to become the new head of the DNC ( you can learn more here ). Joe and Pete went to college together at Harvard. Joe went on to create Causes with Sean Parker, then Nation Builder, Fwd.us with Mark Zuckerberg and more recently another startup, which I’m not sure whether it’s public so I w

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media investing investment support 239

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

BuzzFeed. It conjures up a range of emotions anytime I’ve privately expressed my opinion to thought leaders in our industry that I believe it is one of the most innovative companies in digital media. Some, of course, agree with me that BuzzFeed has been and continues to be the gold standard innovator in digital media to emulate. Others are skeptical, “Ha!

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