The gut houses nearly 100 trillion microbes that are potentially more influential to your wellness then genetics. Our exclusive state-of-the art testing is not available at your traditional doctors office and finds up to roughly 90% of microbes.
Category: Featured Stories (Page 13 of 43)
Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” This attitude is what saved me in my personal life and with my startups. Don’t stop. Don’t dwell on the negatives. Figure out a way to get through the mess. That’s the only way out.
In my first venture funded startup, just as we were running out of cash, a venture firm, which had promised us funding for six months and fully negotiated the deal, backed out. It was right before Christmas. That left us with no money and no options. I had to beg our employees to keep working and then find a way to fund the company. Sixty stressful nights later, we closed our funding, but not before going to Hell and back.
1) AR & VR will disappoint as adoption fails to meet expectations. Let’s face it, the experience on low-end devices is dismal, and most people don’t want to pay for high-end devices.
2) There’s lots of hype around the Blockchain, but it’s nothing but a piece of technology. Blockchain startups aren’t worth anything unless they’ve figured out a real business model.
3) General AI will fail. It’s too complicated. Narrow AI that solves customers’ most pressing problems is where the smart money is.
I’m so proud of Adam Zbar and the Sun Basket team. They were just invited to ring the bell on the Nasdaq exchange, a great honor. Their startup provides healthy meals, including gluten free, paleo and vegetarian.
Adam and I were partners and cofounders of our previous startup, and it’s great to see him on his way to an IPO, while he makes the world a healthier place!
High-flying Yik Yak, the anonymous messaging app, just laid off 60% off it employees. It raised $62 million from Sequoia Capital in 2014. As I always say, it doesn’t matter how much money you raise if you don’t have the right product.
Some bloggers claimed Yik Yak’s demise was due to a lack of business model, but this is untrue. Yik Yak has a perfectly good model. It’s the same as Facebook, SnapChat and Twitter: advertising. The problem was that growth slowed because users simply don’t value anonymous chat. Their initial growth was based on novelty, not customer need. When, in desperation, Yik Yak removed the anonymous posting feature, they lost their one unique value, further accelerating their demise.
Only products that fill a true need are sustainable. When investing in startups, you always have to look at the need over novelty.
Founders Space alumni, Exeq, just launched with $1.5 million in seed funding.
Exeq is the easiest way to stay on top of your finances. It helps users budget, save and invest with recommendations tailored to their lifestyles.
Exeq was started in New York City by Eli and Daniel, two business and philosophy majors trying to get a grip on their personal finances. With growing distrust for financial institutions and the banks, Eli and Daniel set out to create a banking experience our generation could understand and trust.
Founders Space alumni, Exeq, closes $1.5 million in seed funding to launch the first personalized finance app.
New York City angels led the round, and the new funds will allow Exeq to launch after the New Year. Packaging a customized budgeting tool, automated goal-based savings accounts, and robo-investment portfolios into one simple product, Exeq is competing to be the smartest banking experience yet. The new app will be available on iPhone and Android in 2017, and the company is collecting early-access signups today.
“Affordable quality banking services are only available for the wealthy right now,” says CEO Schwartz. “Unfortunately, banking and personal finance, super important elements in our lives, are the least integrated and personalized when it comes to their technology and availability. You need a one app for budgeting and another for investing. And even those aren’t so comprehensive”
Betty Martins works for Brazil’s largest Entrepreneur online community, with millions of members, visitors and followers: http://valedosilicio.webflow.io/english
They are producing 4 documentaries.
The Trends series will address concepts and trends that will dominate the economic market in the future. The idea is to address these issues by analyzing the work of new entrepreneurs and investors who are developing such technologies. In order to achieve this objective we will ask the main characters of each episode to deconstruct their projects/research by looking to the technology itself, while making an overall reflection over the economy context and impacts.
I had zero jet lag bouncing back and forth between San Francisco and China. What’s the secret? Relaxing. I clear my mind and focus on positive thoughts. I think stress, especially when traveling, is what makes it exhausting.
NOTE: Cathay Pacific is one of the best airlines. So much better than United, American or Delta. Make sure to travel in the premium or better seats. They’re worth it!
Just read THE LAUNCH PAD by Randall Stross. It tells the story of YC and provides some unique insights into how the accelerator works. The stories of Paul Graham are the best part.
Too bad Paul is no longer actively involved in YC. He was the spiritual and intellectual guiding force, and this book highlights his unique role and personality.
