Changes in VC funding and startup landscapes

I’m bullish on experimentation and non-stop iterations – and the past 18 months have provided a clear primer on “Why”.

In fact, who would have ever predicted a global pandemic in 2020 or reigniting wars in the civilized world?

➡️ VC funding went through piling hundreds of billions and giving away to startups… Until half of them went out of business for good and dry powder is still in the air now.

➡️ The job market transitioned from “The Great Resignation” to “Quiet Quitting” to what is now known as the “Big Stay” (considering job uncertainty and a tough job market).

➡️ How AI penetrated the space with GPTs last year has been the fastest accelerating adoption since the smartphone.

I’m open-minded enough to believe that TikTok or Snapchat CAN work for B2B and enterprise or that newspaper ads and on-site office sales visits are back again. This may not be the norm yet, but “everything new is well-forgotten old” (a Russian proverb). 🤷

Or Heraclitus who is credited with the idea that “the only constant is change.”

As to why I’m not as active on LinkedIn anymore – other than actual leads and demos coming through other channels (plus book sales), X is also giving away cash for content that gets the right amount of reach.

Don’t be surprised if more and more creators just move to platforms that pay for sticking around instead of punishing reach or charging premium for “premium” 😂

1. The digital landscape is shifting fast – faster than ever with AI and robocalls.
2. Consumer behavior is adapting – buyers shift to safer channels (events, 1:1s, Slack communities)
3. Traditional channels scrape to survive by playing with viral feeds or excessive ads
4. Tension leads to instability and uncertainty = budgets in volatile platforms drop
5. Established channels and “word of mouth”, along with new players, will arise

➡️ Are you stuck with your old playbooks or do you spend enough time to experiment and find “blue oceans” that work today?