Tech Layoffs Slow as Quarter Ends (read more)

Big rounds of tech layoffs have slowed as the quarter closes. Dead cat bounce? Sign of things coming back? 

Mattermark’s Kevin Liu ran the numbers and found a few rays of light to brighten your mood.

From the Investors 

Lars Dalgaard of Andreessen Horowitz walks through the five areas founders must focus on to build long-lasting, strong companies in “Thoughts on Building Weatherproof Companies”

Ali Hamed of CoVenture explains why whom you’ve helped is more important than who you know when it comes to getting a job in venture capital in “How to Get Your First Job in Venture Capital”

Tristan Pollock of 500 Startups discusses how vice technology is turning sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll into viable, trustworthy companies that power some of our culture’s most loved products and experiences in “Silicon Vice”

Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures argues in favor of basic planning before starting a company or raising money in “How to Decrease the Odds That Your Startup Fails”

Sammy Abdullah of DAN Fund reminds us that while metrics like ACV are valuable, the real metrics you should be focused on are revenue and cash flow in “Stop Obsessing Over Average Contract Value (ACV)”

Ben Narasin of Canvas Ventures reflects on why he loves venture and entrepreneurship in “Why I Love Venture (Constant Brain Refresh)”

From the Operators 

Bryan Birsic of Wunder Capital writes about how to evaluate alternative investing platforms in “3 Ways To Invest In Alternative Platforms Like A Pro” SPONSORED

Jake Fuentes of Level Money uses his startup hiring experience to offer strategies that will help you avoid the mistakes he made in “Startup Recruiting: Sniper Rifle, Not Carpet Bomb”

Misha Chellam of Tradecraft offers a framework for navigating the current startup hiring market in “Finding Your Next Startup Role in 2016”

John Saddington from TOMO shares his thoughts on business building in “The Full Stack Founder”

Christian Thurston of Gigster outlines a few things you should keep in mind to make the most out of the experience of working at a startup and how to set yourself up to create the most value in “11 Things To Know About Working At A Rocket Ship Startup”