Walter Thompson

Meta acquired 100M users for Threads in just 5 days. You are not Meta, however, which means you’ll need to develop and protect stronger IP.

Once an acquisition is in the works, it’s natural for founders to start safeguarding their newfound wealth.

We’re publishing on a lighter schedule to commemorate Independence Day, so I’ll return on Friday, July 7 with a new TC+ roundup.

Building a durable growth funnel doesn’t just scale your business: it also signals to investors that a team can move directionally, which is a major confidence builder.

Most founders don’t know they’re on the wrong track until it’s too late. Building a startup requires a high degree of confidence — and for some, denial.

Public SaaS companies reaching their highest valuations of 2023 reminds me of an old song: “I’ve been down so long, it looks like up to me.”

Tech is not a meritocracy: There’s a direct correlation between the size and strength of your network and your chances of success.

Tech is not a meritocracy. There’s a direct correlation between the size and strength of your network and your chances of success.

Will the Apple Vision Pro create new opportunities in spatial computing? Jump-starting demand for a new product is hard. Unless you’re Apple.

Founders need to know whether the people they’re getting into business with understand how to operate during a downturn.

When no one worried about IT spending, startups leaned into the bottom-up sales approach and driving PLG. But that was then, and this is now.

To run 60-minute startup board meetings that create value, replace your 80-slide deck with a simple three-page memo.

Landing pages are one of the best places to run experiments, but if you aren’t constantly iterating, you’re leaving money on the table.

ARR has always been a key metric, but with valuations down across the board and new money too tight to mention, it’s now a lodestar.

Psychedelic startups want to make psilocybin, ketamine and other substances more mainstream, but how are investors approaching this space?

Can open-source foundation AI models level the playing field while addressing concerns about privacy and bias?

Every startup isn’t ready to hire a full-time marketer, but that’s no excuse to toss money out the window on paid acquisition.

“This is really only talking about world-changing, big-ass businesses with a lot of impact that could be a billion dollars or more in value.”

Because AI requires human input, it is inherently susceptible to bias. What are investors doing to hold founders accountable?

Instead of playing the hero during startup board meetings, CEOs should allow team leaders to speak for themselves.

Reducing CAC Payback and following the Rule of 40 is proof that a founding team knows how to move directionally. Investors love that.

If you’ve added “AI” to your pitch deck to make it more appealing, I have some bad news: FOMO is passé, and due diligence is the new black.

I’m going to save you some time: many, if not most, of you are probably not yet ready to pitch an investor.

If someone said “startup” while we were playing a word association game, I’d respond with “fundraising.” (I bet you would, too.)

SaaS companies are like leaky rowboats: if retention rates don’t overcome customer churn, you will take on water and sink to the bottom.

Autonomous tractors, semi trucks and warehouse restocking bots have gone from concept to reality. Is robotics mainstream now?

When a fighter has no reasonable chance of winning the match, throwing in the towel is the smart move. This also applies to startup founders.

Starting up in San Francisco still has benefits: moderate weather, great food, and sure, the world’s largest concentration of venture capital.

ARR is hard to budge, as it’s a direct reflection of how well you’re doing in terms of reaching product-market fit.

Marketing teams get a lot of credit for landing new customers, but in reality, sales development representatives do most of the actual work.