PinnedInvesting as a team at Gold House VenturesYesterday, Gold House — the leading Asian & Pacific Islander (API) change-maker community fighting together for socioeconomic equity — launched a new $30 million startup investment fund called Gold House Ventures. …Gold House7 min read
PinnedThe most valuable mobile app permission is growing even more valuableI was recently talking to a friend of mine who manages a popular Discord server for sneaker collectors that’s so engaging that there are thousands of members paying for access. As great as Discord is, it was never designed for sneakerheads so my friend regularly runs up against pain points…Notifications5 min read
Sep 7, 2021Consumer VC investing is at an all time high, but should it be?Despite the Covid-19 pandemic (or perhaps because of the pandemic), the venture capital backed startup sector in the US has been on an absolute tear. Last year, over 1,100 US startups that were venture backed delivered a record $287 billion in exit value (i.e. the company’s valuation at the time…Venture Capital7 min read
Jun 26, 2021The importance of storytelling, and how it can help Facebook battle disruptionLast week, I said goodbye to my colleagues at Facebook, the end of a nearly two year adventure after they brought me and my startup Packagd on board. During my time, I had the privilege of creating a new commerce incubation group responsible for building and launching features like Live…Facebook9 min read
Jun 9, 2021The Simple Numbers That Could Change How You Hire Technical Talent (Snyder Cut)Back in 2014, I gave a presentation at First Round Capital’s CTO Summit on engineering recruiting, which the talented First Round content team then turned into this article: The Simple Numbers That Could Change How You Hire. Seven years later, I still reference it during conversations with founders because that…Hiring14 min read
May 25, 2021Sharpen your axeLast week, my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (UT ECE), shared with me an incredibly flattering, delightful, and truly unexpected recognition of being inducted into their Academy of Distinguished Alumni. …University Of Texas5 min read
Apr 30, 2021Come for the NFT, stay for the Collectible“NFTs have literally taken over my entire mind and soul. I’m obsessed. It’s all I think about.” Paris Hilton, crypto expert For those of you who need a primer on Non-Fungible Tokens (or NFTs), click here for a good overview from the Verge. In Q1 2021, NonFungible.com reported that a…Nft10 min read
Mar 2, 2021Storytelling lessons from Flipboard, Nest, Beyond Meat, and DropboxI love listening to great startup pitches from founders. The very best of them don’t just talk about unmet needs and giant market opportunities. They also combine data, facts, and strategy with a memorable personal journey that’s shaped their worldview. It’s business storytelling at its highest form. One of the…Startup7 min read
Feb 6, 2021YouTube of the futureOn January 26th, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki shared her 2021 company priorities in a letter to the YouTube community. …You Tube9 min read
Dec 16, 2020The crazy year that was 2020 through the lens of the App Store chartsPicture this situation: you’re in a confined indoor space wearing masks with a group of strangers. Tensions are high because there’s danger in the room, maybe even deadly danger. Many of those strangers surrounding you are trustworthy and trying to protect everyone’s wellbeing. But other strangers are not and instead…Covid 199 min read