From the Operators
Jason Cohen of WP Engine explores how predictability, materiality, recruiting, communication, infrastructure, and every other aspect of a company can (and probably should) change as a startup scales from one to hundreds of employees in “The fundamental lesson of the forces governing scaling startups”
Yinon Weiss of CarDash uses traffic intersections as a metaphor for management style and asks, then answers, which is best for a growing startup in “What traffic intersections say about your management style”
Jason Jacobs of Runkeeper tells the story of his startup pre-acquisition to demonstrate that sometimes having a seemingly illogical vote of confidence is exactly what a founder needs in “Irrational Support”
Jeffrey L Minch of Littlefield Advisors has a set of guidelines that provide clarity and help ensure a difficult task is accompanied by poise and brevity when it comes to “Firing People”
David Cummings of Leadtime (and former Pardot founder) cites two recent private equity purchases of SaaS startups as evidence that PE is no longer an unlikely acquirer in “Private Equity as the SaaS Savior”
From the Investors
Jason Lemkin of SaaStr follows up David’s post and not only dives a bit deeper into why PE would be interested in SaaS, but also the risk they’re willing to take that a corporate acquirer wouldn’t deal with in “The Rise of Private Equity in SaaS: A Gift to Founders”
Doug Clinton of Loup Ventures comments on the visceral reaction from people confronting that they may not work in the future, and says that in 10 years, every company will need to be an AI company in “Rediscovering Utopia”
Homan Yuen of NewGen Capital explains the power law and its relevance to how (especially early stage) VC firms operate and orient themselves in “VC Math”
