Will Little @wclittle Subscribe

Managing Director at Prota Ventures.
I'm a bioengineer-turned-software-developer and venture builder/investor. Learn more about me professionally on LinkedIn, personally here, and check out the podcast I host, Ventures.

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Topic:   Sociology
Will Little

Nov 30, 2022
Sociology Will's General Newsletter

Global culture, Web3 strategies, and purpose above noise

Will's General Newsletter (Weekly) :: Nov 29, 2022
Will Little

Nov 23, 2022
Sociology Will's General Newsletter Web3

MVPs for 10x less the cost, and what we learned from SBF/FTX

Will's General Newsletter (Weekly) :: Nov 22, 2022
Will Little

Sep 20, 2022
Sociology Will's General Newsletter

Engineering Web3 for positive ESG, and how Encore.fans will impact college athletes

Will's General Newsletter (Weekly) :: Sept 20, 2022
Will Little

Mar 23, 2022
Blockchains Sociology Ventures Podcast Web3 DAOs

Leadership via storytelling in DAOs and traditional organizations :: with Jesse Bryan

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Jesse Bryan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessebryan/) and I discuss the power of storytelling when leading an organization of people. This conversation dives into not only how a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) can reinforce vision and mission with story, but also how traditional corporations can (and should) conduct themselves when interacting with customers. We talk about how a Commodity + Story = Product, how to keep the main thing the main thing, how stories + status are the two pedals of moving an organization forward cohesively, and how/why to tell stories in conversational language as a business.
Will Little

Mar 9, 2022
Blockchains Sociology Web3

My hope for Web3 social media

Last November (2021), Solana Ventures and Alexis Ohanian announced a $100M initiative for Web3 social media. Alexis also led an $18m round recently into Rainbow App, which plans to ramp up its social media efforts. Overall, there seems to be a rush toward recreating Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, etc. in Web3. But let’s step back for a moment. Is this a good thing? Do we really need an exact replica of existing social media platforms, but owned and governed by “the people”? Will that fix the fundamental problems?

Will Little

Feb 15, 2022
Startups Venture Capital Sociology Ventures Podcast

How to prioritize people, relationships, and communication when venture building and investing :: with Linda Olson and Laura Yunger

In this episode of Ventures, my guests Linda Olson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-olson-cpc-cfa-55885858/), Laura Yunger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurayunger/), and I discuss the often-overlooked value of people and communication alignment when building and investing in businesses. This is an episode I wish I had 20+ years ago when starting out my entrepreneurial career. Based on their extensive experience coaching and investing in entrepreneurs, Laura and Linda also talk frankly about how to avoid burnout and stay maximally healthy with your team.
Will Little

Feb 1, 2022
Startups Venture Capital Sociology Ventures Podcast

Unlearning racism in venture building & investing :: with Lindsey T. H. Jackson

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Lindsey T. H. Jackson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-t-h-jackson/) and I discuss the journey of anti-racism and anti-oppression work in ourselves, in venture capital, and in startup ecosystems. We discuss the nuances of dismal representation numbers in venture; how to approach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conversations in the workplace and beyond; how to develop a regular practice to self-reflect, define your community, and “fail fast” on your own anti-racism journey; and how to encourage others to consider embarking on the journey themselves.
Will Little

Dec 28, 2021
Blockchains Sociology Web3

Why Web3 matters for human flourishing

The Internet is being flipped upside down. Instead of giving our time, creativity, and money to centralized organizations in exchange for meaningless status signals (or worse), we - the exponentially growing Web3 community - are now selling our time and creativity in direct exchange for money, asset ownership, and governance rights of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). In my opinion, the positive social and economic consequences of this shift are hard to overstate.

Will Little

Dec 14, 2021
Startups Sociology Ventures Podcast

The importance of diverse perspectives in media, and the Expert Bookings Online (EBO) story :: with Crystal Berger

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Crystal Berger (https://www.expertbookingsonline.com/) and I talk about how her new company Expert Bookings Online (EBO) is working to create a simple marketplace solution for content producers and a wide diversity of subject-matter experts. In addition to making it fast and efficient for content producers to book experts, EBO will also help surface and train experts from all over the world - who would otherwise be overlooked - to be ready to be guests on shows to share their opinions and perspectives.
Will Little

Sep 7, 2021
Sociology Will's General Newsletter

Managing marketing data in a growing startup, and reflections on last week's The Economist cover article

In this newsletter I comment on this week's podcast episode and last week's The Economist cover article: 'The threat from the illiberal left'

Will Little

Jun 29, 2021
Startups Sociology Ventures Podcast

The Amare Wave, love vs. war in business, and uplifting customers :: with Moshe Engelberg

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Moshe Engelberg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosheengelberg/) and I discuss his book The Amare Wave: Uplifting Business by Putting Love to Work. From an entrepreneurial lens, we cover topics including loving customers, helping customers love your business, example case studies from a new founder perspective, and the existential purpose of every for-profit and nonprofit organization on the planet.
Will Little

May 18, 2021
Startups Sociology About Will Ventures Podcast

Self-discovery, discerning our limits, and transitioning from idealism :: with Kathryn Little

In this special episode of Ventures, Kathryn Little (my amazing mother) and I discuss finding oneself, discovering purpose, transitioning out of idealism, saying yes and no to the right things, processing grief, marriage, parenting, and being who you are as an entrepreneur and human being. Indeed, when thinking about the best possible guest for this episode, I asked my mother and she graciously agreed to share her story and insights.
Will Little

May 11, 2021
Startups Sociology Ventures Podcast

Connecting people, building community, and learning from super connectors :: with Weston Woodward and Sol Cates

In this episode of Ventures, my guests Weston Woodward (https://www.linkedin.com/in/westonwoodward/), Sol Cates (https://www.linkedin.com/in/solcates/), and I discuss community building from a personal, startup, and local city perspective. We talk about how to listen and ask questions, effectively connect people to help raise the tide for everyone, advice for startup founders, and thoughts about social media and the future of communication in the Web 3.0 era.

Will Little

Apr 27, 2021
Blockchains Startups Sociology Web3

One From Many: Lessons for the Web 3.0 generation from Dee Hock's book on VISA and the rise of Chaordic Organization

In his book One From Many (2005), Dee Hock beautifully tells the founding story of VISA and weaves in his concerns about centralized, command-and-control organizational structures. As an alternative solution, Dee describes his vision for “Chaordic” (Chaos + Order) organization and how VISA was started with such principles. You can read the Amazon reviews for the gist of the story and how most people think about it. Here, I’m going to focus on a few things that stood out to me regarding lessons for the Web 3.0 generation.

Will Little

Apr 20, 2021
Sociology About Will

If it's going to trigger them, don't send it

I turned 40 last summer and, while apparently 40 is the new 30, I still feel “old”, especially with two teenagers in the house now. I’ve been reflecting on the classic question: “What advice would I give my younger self?” There is an immediate topic that comes to mind: written communication.