Highlights Blogazine: Dec-Jan ‘16
What I found interesting, funny, & random
Most Millennials remember going to the doctors office and spending too much time in the first waiting room. Bored out of your mind there was always one colorful magazine that captured your attention — Highlights. Highlights magazine was to waiting in the doctor’s office as CNN is to waiting in the airport. I wanted to take us back to a simpler time but providing a monthly HIGHLIGHTS post where I share articles, images, blog posts, podcasts and videos that I found interesting from the previous month.
There will be recurring features such as “Ask Anything” (My favorite answer to a pressing questions in the Startup ecosystem), “My Own Pages” (featuring popular posts from my blog that you may have missed), and many more. So sit back and enjoy the many thought-provoking and random ideas that come from the content below. Just enjoy and wait…well until your doctor forces you to go to the 2nd waiting room.
Ask Anything
In this section, I will take questions from real (fictional) readers and point them to people who have already answered the question. It’s called delegating don’t judge.
Q: How Did We Get to this Unicorn-centric Startup Ecosystem? — James L.
A: Great question James. I would suggest you check out Erin Griffith’s article, “The (Very Contradictory) Year in Unicorns,” that chronicles the rise of unicorns.
Q: So I founded this startup last year and all I hear is skepticism about the near future for startups growing. Do you have any insight on the funding environment? — Lauren C.
A. I could answer this but Business Insider provided such a great overview of First Round’s report on the state of startups. Check it out!
Q: No need to give you context because I’m busy, I just need to know if participating in 2+ accelerators is net positive or net negative — Some CEO
A: Hey Some CEO. Since you are so busy I will just provide a link to Imran Ghory’s blog that’s on that subject.
Hidden Pictures
The section is full of random photos, infographics, and videos that I was just feeling at the time.
Numbers Always Tell A Story: Here’s an overall breakdown of gender and racial diversity of venture firms (via TechCrunch).
And apparently one day I felt the need to inspire others…through Nas.
Doofus & Dylan
Let’s be honest. There are times when we don’t excel and act like a Doofus. But there are other times when we exceed our potential and can exude confidence like a top five rapper. The following are examples of one or the other.
How should your founder react to large amounts of venture money being thrown her way? The guys at Tuft & Needle have an answer to this question in Amy Feldman’s article.
Some experts are saying Silicon Valley is going through another bubble. Andrew Yang reframes the discussion by stating that “ ‘Silicon Valley is a bubble’ doesn’t refer to valuations or money — it refers to the fact that you live in a bubble.” Check out his Quartz article here.
This article about Snapchat’s rumored expansion into fintech, left me a little confused and convinced it was a birthday hoax.
Just Jokes
Here are podcasts and articles that I came across because they were funny but when I really paid attention, I came away with some good info.
Entrepreneur’s 10 Hilarious Signs You Should Not Take That Job (Infographic)
His & Hers is one of my favorite podcast that focuses on sports & entertainment. However this episode features ESPN analyst, Sarah Spain, and comedian, Reese Waters, as they share hilarious and insightful anecdotes on how they each found their lane.
My Own Pages
ICYMI I have been publishing articles on a blog called A Trivial Blog for Serious Entrepreneurs. The following are a few of the most popular posts that were published in December 2015 or January 2016. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.
“Making Levar Burton Proud: Introducing the Reading Rainbow Review” was the first of my book review series. In the blog post I share why I’ve fell back in love with reading and explain why all members of your team (personal & business) should read Chade-Meng Tan’s “Search Inside Yourself.
I recently resigned from my role as a member of GLIDE’s Legacy Committee. Through out my 2 year tenure, I was honored to serve San Francisco’s communities and hold the position of Nominations Chair. In my January 5th post entitled “GLIDE Unconditionally,” I wanted to thank the organization for allowing me to give back and work with such amazing young professionals.
Check out “I’m So Hype(r)!!!” a post in which I explain why e-commerce and marketplace startups like Bevel, Thumbtack, and Mayvenn should focus on hyper focused markets.
Hacks & Crafts
Here are a few tips that I picked up this month from others.
Want to read more but don’t feel you have the time? Then you should read Darius Foroux’s “How To Read 100 Books A Year.”
One goal this year was to make my email inbox more organized and I accomplished it through this post about multiple inboxes in Gmail.
Lastly, check out Kerry O'Shea Gorgone’s Podcast about how to become a thought leader. It was the inspiration for my monthly Highlights post!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for February’s Highlights post, please let me know! Thanks for reading and check out the various links.
Earnest Sweat is a Startup Adviser and Business Ops professional for various accelerators. Sweat specializes in sourcing, managing and mentoring startups within the fin tech, ed tech, and real estate tech sectors. If you have any questions, comments or requests please connect with Earnest through LinkedIn,Twitter, or AngelList.
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