From Outer Space to Underwater – April 26, 2018


From Outer Space to Underwater event will be held in San Francisco on Thursday, April 26, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT).

Why should we invest in underwater vehicles and robotics?

Speakers (panel discussion):

Erika Montague (Consultant, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners);
Dirk Rosen (Founder & Executive Director, Marine Applied Research & Exploration);
Sean Casey (Director, Silicon Valley Space Center);
Ben Levy (Co-founder, BootstrapLabs AI VC);
Chris Moran (Executive Director & General Manager; Lockheed Martin Ventures).   Read more...

Jan-Philipp Mohr, Founder & CEO of Hashplay, Inc.

Jan-Philipp is an alumnus of Founders Space and the Founder & CEO of Hashplay Inc. an Advanced Reality company to build the ultimate Visual Data Intelligence Platform, Immersive Data.

ImmersiveData® enables organizations to qualify, unify and visualize both, real-time and legacy data, merge geospatial, CAD, and technical models, along with workflows and operational data to give managers the ability to make better and more informed decisions.   Read more...

Black Mirror

I finally got around to watching Black Mirror on Netflix. After all the hype, I had high expectations. The first two episodes shattered them.

I was so disappointed in Season 1, Episode 1: THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. The decisions the characters made were inane. No one would do that. Episode 2 was just plain boring.

Then I watched Episode 3: THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF YOU, and I was converted. It was clever and well done.   Read more...

Hunting Unicorns: The Art of Investing in Silicon Valley Startups

By Steven Hoffman, the author of Make Elephant Fly!

AI, Mind Tech & the Future of Humankind

Steve Hoffman, the author of Make Elephant Fly, imagines a future where mind technology, brain chips and neuroscience come together to reshape the human species.

Transhumanism is already happening. We are evolving beyond our current physical and mental limitations by using science and technology to augment our bodies and minds. In the near future, we will radically redefine what it means to be human.

CBS on Mark Zuckerberg’s Apology & the Facebook Data Crisis

CBS on Mark Zuckerberg’s Apology & the Facebook Data Crisis.

Principles by Ray Dalio

The book Principles by Ray Dalio is packed with ideas. Clearly, Ray Dalio is a brilliant guy who has accomplished an enormous amount. He’s a pioneer in management and investment.

The problem is that, except for the beginning, the book reads like an automobile instruction manual. Dalio thinks of companies as giant machines, and his book is a list of principles that he has developed over the years.   Read more...

Band of Angels Mentor Day on May 2 (apply by 4/20)


Band of Angels will hold its annual Mentor Day for companies considering raising Angel capital. The event is open to startups in any sector or industry. Companies are invited to sign up for a 45-minute meeting with one or more Band mentors to learn about the Band’s investment process and to receive no risk feedback about the readiness of their venture for Angel investment.

It will be held on May 2, 2018, 12:00-6:00 PM at Hanson Bridgett (425 Market St, 26th Fl, San Francisco), and its application deadline is April 20, 2018.

Extreme Ownership: How the US Navy Seals Lead and Win by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink

Extreme Ownership: How the US Navy Seals Lead and Win is a business book by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink. It’s a fun read.

It’s thrilling to hear the lessons learned from two amazing Navy Seals who fought in Iraq. The business lessons are less exciting. They are mostly common sense, like own the job, prioritize what’s important, simple is better than complex, etc. Very basic stuff.   Read more...

Strategies for Launching Your Business in China (London Tech Week)

Captain Hoff answers the question on how to do business in China. What are companies missing?

StartUP World 2018 on April 25


Date: April 25th, 2018
Location: 2550 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA
Register here with promo code SUW2018 for 50% discount.

StartUP World provides a very high investor-to-attendee ratio, which means you can easily meet investors on the panels. The conference also makes time for you to question the panelists.

Their goal is to make it more favorable for investors to remember you.

Join them to hear issues investors say stand in the way of you or your company being considered for funding.   Read more...

Why are Facebook & Cambridge Analytica the tip of the iceberg?

    Captain Hoff tackles these tough questions:

  • Why is this issue more important than most of us realize?
  • How will it affect every American and everybody around the world?
  • What can Congress do about this?
  • Why hasn’t anything been done before?
  • What does it mean to have companies access our data?
  • What protections do consumers have?

https://MakeElephantsFly.com Captain Hoff is the author of “Make Elephants Fly” and the CEO of https://FoundersSpace.com — a global startup incubator & accelerator.

Should We Ever Trust Mark Zuckerberg & Facebook Again?

In this video, Captain Hoff answers the question: Why has Facebook betrayed our trust and what are the implications?

The Keys to Radical Innovation & Successful Startups

ART+TECH Festival, June 4-7, 2018


Annual CODAME ART+TECH Festival, a four-day conference with workshops, talks and nightlife will be held at The Midway, San Francisco, June 4-7, 2018.

This year’s ART+TECH Festival, codenamed #ARTOBOTS, examines the ever expanding and ever more tangible sphere of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence.

Through art, discussion, play and performance, CODAME probes these potentials.   Read more...

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Just finished reading START WITH WHY by Simin Sinek. He’s a talented writer, but this book is too repetitive. He keeps articulating the same, simple message over and over.

The gist of the book is that leaders should not explain what they’re doing. If they want to inspire and motivate, they need to explain why they are doing it.

He gives plenty of examples, from Steve Jobs to Martin Luther King. The other 90% of the book explains why it’s so important to explain why.

Raising Capital, Closing Deals & Understanding China

Captain Hoff is the author of Make Elephants Fly and the CEO of Founders Space.

In this video, Captain Hoff answers the following questions:

• How do you close deals with Chinese investors?

• How do you launch your business to China?

• What are the opportunities with China right now?

• How do Chinese invest in Silicon Valley startups?

• What are Chinese VCs looking for in a startup?   Read more...

Startup Conference 2018 on May 17


Startup Conference and International Startup Fair will be held on May 17, 9am – 5pm, at Fox Theater in Redwood City.

With close to 2,000 entrepreneurs, the Startup Conference is one of the larger conferences in Silicon Valley for starting your startup, learning how to pitch VCs, find co-founders, launch your product to the press, reach early adopters and influencers.

Past conference speakers include Guy Kawasaki, Drew Houston, Ben Parr and many more entrepreneurs and VCs.   Read more...

BeFastTV: Talented Online Media and Video Production Team


BeFast.TV is an Online Media and Video Production house with the offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco. The BeFast.TV’s focus is Emerging Tech Companies and People behind them. Giving a voice for startup founders and tell their stories through video is the company’s main mission!

Video is a K-I-N-G ! You want you to look more professional and sexier when you have Visuals, Images and Videos! Your brand will get this elevated shine and look!   Read more...

Global Blockchain Investment Summit on March 30


The 2018 Global Blockchain Investment Summit, hosted jointly by HYSTA and GBIB (Global Blockchain Investment Bank), will take place on Friday Mar 30th in Santa Clara, USA.

With the theme “Unraveling Mysteries of the Future-changing Blockchain Technology”, this event aims at bringing the deepest insights in blockchain technology, especially from the perspectives of technology, investment and entrepreneurship. It will feature 30+ industry experts, top-tier investors and successful entrepreneurs in one of the most in-depth discussions of blockchain as a technology, an industry and the core of many emerging business opportunities.   Read more...