TLDR FOUNDERS 2025-02-10

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GOOD MISSES AND BAD HITS IN VENTURE CAPITAL

Sometimes it's good to see into the brains of our VC counterparts. Using Steph Curry's legendary shooting practice as a framework, this article explores what separates lucky VCs from skilled ones. It presents a detailed breakdown of controllable factors in venture investing - from deal flow to portfolio construction - that reveals how funds can build lasting success.

THE LIMITS OF FOUNDER FRIENDLY: WHAT HAPPENED AT BENCH & WHY ITS BOARD PUSHED OUT ITS FOUNDER

Ian Crosby, former CEO of Bench Accounting, was ousted after board members and executives lost confidence in his leadership and management style. Concerns included high cash burn, stalled scalability, and executive complaints of bullying. Despite Crosby's social media portrayal, some Bench insiders supported the board's drastic move, arguing the company's trajectory necessitated leadership change.

LED BY A16Z, ACTIVE INVESTORS UPPED THEIR GAME IN 2024

Andreessen Horowitz led global VC activity in 2024, participating in 100 rounds, with General Catalyst topping as the most active lead investor. Thrive Capital led in funding volume with major investments in Databricks and OpenAI. Despite a slight decline in seed investments, no slowdown is evident as late-stage funding surged, driven by anticipation of robust exit opportunities.

KILLING A BAD STRATEGY BEFORE IT KILLS YOU

Looking through 2,500 years of history can show us how to reach big goals with limited resources. This piece shares eleven key lessons from leaders who changed the world, from ancient times to today. It explains why people who can change their plans do better than those who stick to one way of thinking - and how this helps us make smarter choices now.

THE #1 WORST HIRE OF ALL WHEN YOU ARE JUST STARTING TO SCALE: THE MEDIOCRE VP OF ENGINEERING

The worst mis-hire for a startup is an ineffective CTO, as it stifles innovation. A good CTO must be a skilled hacker, not just a manager, to maintain the "magic" of the codebase. A mis-hire in this role can lead to stagnation, making recovery difficult.

7 ACTIONABLE TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR NET PROMOTER SCORE (NPS)

Brands grow through word-of-mouth marketing, often measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), which indicates customer loyalty and the likelihood of recommendations. Improving NPS involves fast feedback responses, creating a customer success roadmap, empowering support teams, personalizing experiences, and transforming feedback into product features.

KIVA AI (PRODUCT)

Kiva AI produces high quality, scalable, and cost-effective data labeling, annotation, and RLHF for enterprises.

ONLOOK

Cursor for designers.

SUBTRACE

Observability platform that gives backend teams full visibility into every request

HOW GEMINI 2.0 CHANGES PDF PROCESSING

Processing millions of documents just got 90% cheaper thanks to Google's latest AI. This post presents detailed benchmarks that compare Gemini 2.0's performance against existing solutions across accuracy and cost. The analysis shows why this breakthrough makes large-scale document processing accessible to most companies while highlighting current limitations.

VCS DON'T OWE YOU A RESPONSE OR A FOLLOW UP

VCs aren't obligated to provide feedback after meetings, so founders should secure next steps during the pitch. Ending meetings without a follow-up plan is a missed opportunity. Directness and clarity can improve fundraising efficiency.

GUSTO CEO JOSH REEVES ON VALUES-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP AND REVOLUTIONIZING SMB PAYROLL

Gusto's CEO Josh Reeves emphasizes the importance of a values-driven approach, focusing on people and long-term success in scaling the company. The discussion on the Startup CEO Show highlights Gusto's strategy of prioritizing great products and customer partnerships, leveraging organic growth, and building a strong company culture. Founders are encouraged to create purpose-driven companies that balance customer impact with employee fulfillment.

READING THE ROOM

In tough times, smart businesses need to adapt how they sell.

WHAT'S STILL HERE

Instead of chasing what's new, study what endures - examine products and practices that have survived decades of disruption.

WHY CASH-RICH GIANTS MIGHT NOT LEAD 2025'S M&A RACE

Tech giants, despite holding $370 billion, are focusing on AI infrastructure over acquisitions in 2025.