Most Recent (Page 23)

Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), Fighting Human Trafficking, and Starting a Nonprofit :: with Amanda Hightower and Brent Turner

In this episode of Ventures we dive into the horrors of human trafficking within the sex trade, specifically in and around the greater Seattle area. We look at one group’s efforts (REST - Real Escape from the Sex Trade) to combat the problem by providing a suite of services, working closely with law enforcement, and ensuring all people being trafficked understand they are worthy of love. We also dive deep into how REST got started, and how the relationship between the executive director and board chair is an important story to learn from for any for-profit or nonprofit founder team.

Why stock prices are soaring while the economy is collapsing

The NASDAQ reached an all-time high last week while unemployment soars and GDP is tanking. What’s up? I’ve heard plenty of talking heads describe how the equity markets reflect optimism for COVID-19 vaccines and whatnot, but after watching an insightful video from Will Woodall and Mike Rarey recently, things are much clearer.

New podcast episode on blockchains. Plus, a new series I'm writing that compares Whoop, Oura Ring, and the Apple Watch

I’m excited to release today the second episode of my new audio/video podcast, Ventures. Also, for those subscribed to my health science topic on Satchel, you may have noticed that I released part one of an article series over the weekend.

Blockchains, the State of the Crypto Ecosystem, Proof-of-Stake, and Figment Networks :: with Lorien Gabel, Andrew Cronk, and Tony Little

In this episode of Ventures we dive into all-things blockchains, the state of the ecosystem, the evolution of the industry (especially since 2017), the nuances between Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-State, and the suite of services that Figment Networks provides. Guests: Lorien Gabel, Andrew Cronk, and Tony Little.

Whoop vs. Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch for Optimizing Sleep and Workout Performance with Continuous Glucose Monitoring and One Meal a Day: Part 1

Wearables are all the rage these days. However, beyond their fancy and comprehensive marketing campaigns, I’m curious - from a scientific perspective - how helpful, reliable, and accurate are these products? I’m skeptical, of course, but the future looks promising. While these current products are far from perfect, they hint at an exciting vision for improving our health.

Life Sciences Entrepreneurship & Price Transparency in Healthcare with Dr. Jeffrey Roh, Susie Kataoka, and Dr. Tony Little

In this first audio/video episode of Ventures, we discuss with Dr. Jeffrey Roh, Susie Kataoka, and Dr. Tony Little the importance of cost and price transparency in healthcare today. We also discuss the current landscape/opportunity for starting new ventures in the life sciences.

Introducing Ventures: A new podcast exploring entrepreneurial stories, market landscapes, and opportunities for building new products and services

I’m excited to announce that I’ve launched a new audio/video podcast called Ventures. Now available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and a ton of other places, the show explores entrepreneurial stories, market landscapes, problem spaces, and opportunities to create for-profit and nonprofit ventures to benefit human beings.

Introducing Satchel: a simplified newsletter and publishing platform for creators and their communities

I’m excited to announce today the launch of Satchel, a newsletter and publishing platform that facilitates direct, topic-specific communication between creators and their communities.

Personal bio: How I think about science, family, health, hobbies, etc...

You can read highlights about my professional career over on LinkedIn, but this page - for those curious - explains who I am personally and how I think about the world. While I write mostly about startups, blockchains, health science, and software development, occasionally topics come up that require diving into non-technical disciplines. Here, I’ll explain some background about how I approach those topics.

Summer Update: A new newsletter on a new platform. Welcome!

For those new to this newsletter, welcome! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or learn more about me at my new bio page. I’ve decided to merge a few lists from over the years into this general newsletter, so feel free to duck out at any time via the unsubscribe link in your email. Or - if you’d like to follow specific topics as I post them - check out my new subscribe page on Satchel, a new publishing platform that I’m excited to introduce today.

COVID-19 Science Logbook (Jan-May, 2020)

This logbook is where I recorded my notes on COVID-19 from January 2020 through May 2020. For future posts on COVID-19 and/or SARS-CoV-2, follow my “COVID-19” topic on my subscribe page.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Understanding the epidemiology, biochemistry, and cognitive biases regarding the spread of — and our reaction to — SARS-CoV-2

With so much misinformation out there and understandable concern regarding this disease (COVID-19), and the virus that causes it (SARS-CoV-2), the goal of this article is to help provide a scientific foundation to better process information and decide how to act. I’ll introduce the basics of epidemiology, how epidemiologists around the world are considering and responding to COVID-19, what SARS-CoV-2 is exactly and how it spreads, the status of vaccines and antiviral drug developments, and what cognitive biases are at play as we individually and collectively react to this global pandemic.

Investor pitch deck and communication strategies: pre-seed and seed

For better or worse, the practice of selling anything of significant value in the world of business involves pitch decks. This includes, of course, “selling” your next funding round to investors. While there is no lack of educational content out there recommending an ideal slide order for your deck (e.g. problem, solution, market size, traction, competitors, team, etc…), this article will guide you - an early stage startup CEO - through the nuances and differences of pre-seed and seed pitches, including tips for how to communicate with investors before and after the close. The more efficiently you can get in front of the appropriate angel investors and venture capitalists, the faster you can finish your round and get back to running your business.

Raising your first outside round: How to navigate accelerators, angel investors, and venture capitalists

As 2020 approaches, the market for raising your first round outside of friends and family - traditionally called a “seed” round - has changed dramatically. There are now a wide variety of financial products to fit early stages of your company (i.e. there are no longer standard amounts for early rounds, and a maddeningly large number of accelerators and venture capitalists (VCs) are competing for your attention. In such an environment, the global noise of books, podcasts, videos, and blogs - i.e. marketing material - often steer founders in the wrong direction; i.e. away from local angel investors and micro-VCs who will most likely fill your round.

How (and why) to evaluate validator participation in Proof-of-Stake blockchain communities

While the core promise of blockchain technology involves data security, decentralization, and transactional speed/reliability at scale, the main use cases we’ve seen thus far have been limited to long-term value storage (e.g. bitcoin) and programmatic transactions of digital tokens (e.g. ethereum). Understandably, to prove the initial usefulness of the technology, these early networks have optimized their protocols for decentralization and data integrity, rather than transaction speeds and fast finality.