VC Theses #97 | ESG Data, Reverse Logistics, Evolution of APIs, & more

Oct 10th–16th | Insights from Alpaca, Equal Ventures, Mouro Capital, VersionOne, and others

Welcome to our new subscribers! SandHill.io aggregates and shares the latest investment themes, market insights, and best practices for operating and investing from 650+ VCs, analysts, and operators.

This newsletter curates a selection of posts featured on the website each week.

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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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