POV
The Buy Window
More software will be built than ever before. Less of it will be bought.
The Hidden Cost of Kingmaking
The strategy that kills more companies than it crowns.
Not Every Company Is Built for the Big Leagues
Run the math before you buy the myth.
A Cautionary Tale on Choosing Co-Founders
If you’re considering starting a company, beware the ‘shotgun wedding.’
Why Hardware Is Back in Vogue: Building Defensible Moats in the AI Era
As a former hardware founder turned VC, I’ve seen the binary risk of building in atoms. Here’s why hardware is the ultimate defensible moat in the AI era.
The Questions VCs Ask Ourselves After a Pitch
A founder who’s all over it should have tight answers for all of these and more.
6 Takeaways from Collective Future NYC
As AI commoditizes models and infrastructure, defensibility is shifting to taste, workflow, and trust.
How Do You Spot a Great Founder Before the Metrics Show It?
The best founders watch faces, not dashboards.
No One in This World Can Take the Place of the Startup Founder
The founder alone carries a responsibility that cannot be delegated.
No, Show, & Go: Three Words Startup Founders Need to Master
Most startup problems come down to three words founders hesitate to use.
The Sora Shutdown — OpenAI’s Hard Tradeoffs
Even at OpenAI’s scale, you still can’t do everything at once.
Autonomous Workflows in Gaming: The Unseen Tradeoffs of AI-Generated SaaS
From autonomous workflows to the rise of a new AI-specialist role, here is how artificial intelligence is transforming game development today.
Dumb Hardware Depreciates. Smart Hardware Compounds.
The best hardware companies now run like software businesses with a physical wedge into your home.
Critics Explained Why an “AI Painting” Was Soulless. It Was a Real Monet.
Resistance to AI runs on emotion, not aesthetics.
Blah Blah Blah
We’re good at spotting AI’s obvious tells. But the greater risk may be subtler, in that we’re outsourcing the connective tissue of thought itself.
Defensive Fundraising Is Anxiety Dressed as Strategy (But Maybe the Anxiety Isn’t Wrong)
Raising lean assumes you can predict what the next round rewards. Lately, that’s gotten very hard to call.
Health Is the Most Asymmetric Bet You’ll Ever Make
It works like a venture portfolio. Make enough careful bets, and the odds compound in your favor over time.
Running a VC Firm Used to Be Like a Law Firm. Now It’s Like Building a Startup.
Picking well used to be the job. Now, GPs who can’t build an organization are in trouble.
Eric Paley to Serve as Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We’re proud to share that Eric Paley, our long-time partner and dear friend, has been appointed Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Governor Maura Healy.
From Startups to Stewardship: Eric Paley Brings Founder-First Values to Public Service
Eric has chosen to step away from Founder Collective to assume the role of Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Anyone who has ever met Eric will instantly know why he is an inspired choice and a perfect fit.
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Defensive Fundraising Is Anxiety Dressed as Strategy (But Maybe the Anxiety Isn’t Wrong)
Raising lean assumes you can predict what the next round rewards. Lately, that’s gotten very hard to call.
Dumb Hardware Depreciates. Smart Hardware Compounds.
The best hardware companies now run like software businesses with a physical wedge into your home.
Health Is the Most Asymmetric Bet You’ll Ever Make
It works like a venture portfolio. Make enough careful bets, and the odds compound in your favor over time.
The Buy Window
More software will be built than ever before. Less of it will be bought.
The Hidden Cost of Kingmaking
The strategy that kills more companies than it crowns.
Not Every Company Is Built for the Big Leagues
Run the math before you buy the myth.
A Cautionary Tale on Choosing Co-Founders
If you’re considering starting a company, beware the ‘shotgun wedding.’
Why Hardware Is Back in Vogue: Building Defensible Moats in the AI Era
As a former hardware founder turned VC, I’ve seen the binary risk of building in atoms. Here’s why hardware is the ultimate defensible moat in the AI era.
The Questions VCs Ask Ourselves After a Pitch
A founder who’s all over it should have tight answers for all of these and more.
6 Takeaways from Collective Future NYC
As AI commoditizes models and infrastructure, defensibility is shifting to taste, workflow, and trust.
How Do You Spot a Great Founder Before the Metrics Show It?
The best founders watch faces, not dashboards.
No One in This World Can Take the Place of the Startup Founder
The founder alone carries a responsibility that cannot be delegated.
No, Show, & Go: Three Words Startup Founders Need to Master
Most startup problems come down to three words founders hesitate to use.
The Sora Shutdown — OpenAI’s Hard Tradeoffs
Even at OpenAI’s scale, you still can’t do everything at once.
Autonomous Workflows in Gaming: The Unseen Tradeoffs of AI-Generated SaaS
From autonomous workflows to the rise of a new AI-specialist role, here is how artificial intelligence is transforming game development today.
Dumb Hardware Depreciates. Smart Hardware Compounds.
The best hardware companies now run like software businesses with a physical wedge into your home.
Critics Explained Why an “AI Painting” Was Soulless. It Was a Real Monet.
Resistance to AI runs on emotion, not aesthetics.
Blah Blah Blah
We’re good at spotting AI’s obvious tells. But the greater risk may be subtler, in that we’re outsourcing the connective tissue of thought itself.
Defensive Fundraising Is Anxiety Dressed as Strategy (But Maybe the Anxiety Isn’t Wrong)
Raising lean assumes you can predict what the next round rewards. Lately, that’s gotten very hard to call.
Health Is the Most Asymmetric Bet You’ll Ever Make
It works like a venture portfolio. Make enough careful bets, and the odds compound in your favor over time.
Running a VC Firm Used to Be Like a Law Firm. Now It’s Like Building a Startup.
Picking well used to be the job. Now, GPs who can’t build an organization are in trouble.
Eric Paley to Serve as Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We’re proud to share that Eric Paley, our long-time partner and dear friend, has been appointed Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Governor Maura Healy.
From Startups to Stewardship: Eric Paley Brings Founder-First Values to Public Service
Eric has chosen to step away from Founder Collective to assume the role of Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Anyone who has ever met Eric will instantly know why he is an inspired choice and a perfect fit.