next big thing

Next Big Thing is a weekly essay series by a venture capitalist exploring critical insights and trends in the startup ecosystem, with a focus on financial metrics, investment strategies, the impact of AI, sustainability, the aging population, education innovation, and the venture capital landscape.

Startup Financials Investment Strategies Artificial Intelligence Sustainability Aging Population Education Innovation Venture Capital

The hottest Substack posts of next big thing

And their main takeaways

What I'm preparing for in 2024

120 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Startups Venture Capital Artificial Intelligence Cryptocurrency Consumer Tech
  1. 2024 might see a fundraising frenzy in the venture capital world with many companies trying to raise capital.
  2. Many late-stage companies are working on becoming IPO-ready, focusing on strong financial performance and management teams.
  3. AI will be a major focus in 2024, with advancements in AI-enabled products, but also facing challenges like lawsuits and safety concerns.

Tracksuit

34 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Marketing Investment Culture Technology
  1. Tracksuit is a brand tracking software company helping businesses monitor brand health more affordably and frequently than traditional services like Nielsen or Kantar.
  2. The company has shown rapid growth by focusing on brand marketing and offering a SaaS platform for brand marketers to measure and act on insights.
  3. Tracksuit's success is attributed not only to its product-market fit, but also to its high-performing team that has built a strong culture across different regions.

The next big thing in 2024 will be...

85 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Infrastructure Healthcare Content
  1. AI will drive business productivity in 2024 with a focus on AI showing ROI and AI-enabled applications.
  2. AI infrastructure will evolve with models pushing beyond transformer architecture and real-time AI becoming more embedded.
  3. Traditional enterprises will adopt generative AI at scale and the rise of private equity predicated on data moats and AI transformations.
  4. Geopolitical tensions will shape tech landscapes, and a return to the office culture might be on the horizon in 2024.

Watershed

32 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Investment Startups Emissions Growth Team
  1. Footwork invests in exceptional companies that deserve exceptions.
  2. Watershed is a leading enterprise climate platform with a focus on reducing emissions.
  3. Investing in Watershed was a deviation from Footwork's core strategy due to potential market growth and team execution.
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The Decades-Long View

120 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investing Leadership Technology Startups
  1. Successful founders and CEOs have the ability to take a decades-long view in building their businesses.
  2. Companies that want to last for decades must earn the right to serve customers and have a sustainable business model.
  3. Founders who take a decades-long view have a strong belief in their work and show an obsession-level commitment.

The Billion Dollar Revenue Club

145 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
💼 Business Technology Venture Capital Startups Investing Revenue
  1. The Unicorn era is making way for companies that focus on achieving over $1 billion in annual revenue.
  2. Venture funding should prioritize companies with potential to reach over $1 billion in annual revenue, rather than just a high valuation.
  3. The focus on $1+ billion in annual revenue is seen as a healthier and more sustainable goal for companies than chasing a valuation north of $1 billion.

The P&L Tells The Story

157 implied HN points • 08 Feb 23
  1. The profit and loss statement (P&L) is crucial for fundraising as it tells the story of a company's financial health.
  2. Investors now focus more on the reality of a business today rather than just the vision for the future.
  3. While the P&L is important, other factors like unit economics, product improvement, and market landscape also play a significant role in fundraising success.

A conversation with Harry Stebbings, The Twenty Minute VC

48 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investing Startups Podcasts Entrepreneurship
  1. The post is a conversation with Harry Stebbings about venture capital, investing, AI-first companies, and more.
  2. The discussion covers topics like small funds outperforming large funds, the importance of product-market fit, and the hype cycle in AI.
  3. The post highlights the personal connection between the author and Harry Stebbings, spanning over 7 years.

Footwork at Year 2

76 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Investments Entrepreneurship Diversity Portfolio Management
  1. Footwork is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on making a handful of new investments each year.
  2. Their portfolio includes companies like Table22, Via, and Cradlewise, with a focus on diversity and close partnerships with founders.
  3. Despite market fluctuations, Footwork remains excited about new investments, with a specific interest in AI, climate tech, and education models.

WindBorne Systems

34 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Climate Climate tech Venture Capital Tech startups
  1. Accurate weather data is crucial for making informed decisions and mitigating costs associated with severe weather events.
  2. Improvements in weather technology are needed due to gaps in weather observations globally.
  3. WindBorne Systems received a $6M Seed round investment led by Footwork for their work in providing detailed weather observations to improve forecasting and reduce carbon emissions.