Welcome to this week’s edition of Startups Weekly, where Senior Reporter and Equity co-host Natasha Mascarenhas offers a nuanced take on the latest startup news and trends. Don’t forget to subscribe to get this content delivered to your inbox with HTML tags intact.
This week, Mascarenhas explores how the guiding principles of tech businesses, namely discipline, focus, and cash conservation, can sometimes conflict with the expectations placed on early-stage founders who need to have Elon Musk-level ambitions, big dreams and sell their vision to investors before there are any real metrics to back it up. She notes that the recent downturn has resulted in early-stage founders becoming more professional earlier in the process, with a focus on monetization over messiah-like visionary leadership.
Elsewhere in the newsletter, Mascarenhas discusses the role of artificial intelligence in company layoffs, citing Dropbox’s recent decision to cut staff and its CEO’s comments about AI’s impact on the future of work. She also delves into news about venture capital firm Anthemis Group’s restructuring, which included a 28% staff layoff, and shares her recent conversation with Ankur Nagpal, founder of fintech firm Ocho, Teachable and Vibe Capital.
Don’t miss out on the latest in startup news and trends, and be sure to follow Mascarenhas on Twitter and Instagram for more. Also, check out Disrupt for tickets and follow-up coverage of the recent Boston event.
