VC Theses #97 | ESG Data, Reverse Logistics, Evolution of APIs, & more
Oct 10th–16th | Insights from Alpaca, Equal Ventures, Mouro Capital, VersionOne, and others
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This newsletter curates a selection of posts featured on the website each week.
Investment Themes, Theses, & Outlooks
New Alpaca Field Study: ESG Data & Reporting (Alpaca VC Team)
The Point of No Return? A New Model for Reverse Logistics (Chelsea Zhang & Rick Zullo, Equal Ventures)
The evolution of APIs: 3 game-changing use cases for fintech’s future (Mouro Capital Team)
3 Things: Humaaans for Generative AI, Fun Shaped Food, Group Buying for Office Meals/Snacks (Elaine Zelby, Partner @ SignalFire)
Industry Developments & Analyses
The marketplace’s role in the circular economy (Angela Tran, GP @ VersionOne VC)
Crypto Market Fit: Redefining Product Market fit in web3 (Jeff Morris Jr., MP @ Chapter One)
Launching a Financial Product: How to Choose the Right Funding Structure (Nathan Yoon, Melissa Wasser & David Haber, A16Z)
Guides, Case Studies, and Best Practices for Operating
Meme Mapping: Learn to Run Better Creative Tests by Reverse-Engineering Hollywood (Michael Taylor, Co-Founder @ Ladder)
Four Tips for Startups Trying to Grow During a Recession (Roger Lee & Chandler Ward, Battery Ventures)
Musings on cap table construction: arm yourself as you level up (Luke Skertich, VC @ FJ Labs)
The Anatomy of the Data Room (Morgan Cheatham, VP @ Bessemer)
Grit or Quit? Tactical Advice for Founders Facing Tough Company Building Decisions (First Round Review)
Additional Reads
What It’s Really Like to Run a Pre-Seed Stage Firm (Alex Iskold, GP @ 2048)
Paid Subscriptions Aren’t Enough. Why Substack Should Build An App Store (Hunter Walk, GP @ Homebrew)
The Trough of Disillusionment (Rob Go, Partner @ NextView)
Growing platform take rates via distribution (Tanay Jaipuria)
Asking the Best Questions (Doug Clinton, MP @ Loup)
Social vs. Science Experiments (Packy McCormick, GP @ Not Boring)
Little Rules About Big Things (Morgan Housel, Partner @ Collab Fund)
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