Our Essays
A selection of our musings on company building and data science.
A selection of our musings on company building and data science.
“Data and Loss Ratios in Venture Capital” on The 20 Minute VC
In this conversation, our partner Jonathan Hsu discusses data in VC, portfolio construction, reserve allocation, and N of 1 markets.
“Data Informed Investing” on Village Global Podcast
In this conversation, our partner Arjun Sethi discusses our approach to evaluation and data-driven analysis.
How to Transform and Build a People Platform
To the casual spectator, Facebook is having a terrible year. Besieged by privacy scandals, the company was torn into by Congress, the press, and the public alike. To make things worse, the founders of WhatsApp and Instagram left Facebook in what seems to be a complete rejection of the company. The divide was so deep that WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum...
Units of Time are the New Currency
Today we’re seeing that a moat—a barrier that protects a company from low-cost competitors or new, disruptive technology—isn’t enough to build a lasting business.
The Hive is the New Network
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all started life as revolutionary networks that brought existing real-world relationships online. Today, they are aging utilities, powering an outdated version of the social internet.
Innovating at Scale: The Companies That Don’t Let Size Slow Them Down
Nothing lasts forever - not even unicorns. But some unicorns live long lives.
The Three Phases of Consumer Products
First you want it. Then you need it. Then everybody can't live without it - like a utility.