Insights

Entertainment, like friendship, is a fundamental human need; it changes how we feel and gives us common ground. We want to entertain the world. If we succeed, there is more laughter, more empathy, and more joy. To get there, we have an amazing and unusual employee culture. This document is about that culture. Like all…
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This week’s must-read is this comprehensive early-stage fundraising guide by Mark McCabe. It’s all great but here’s an excerpt:  An important component in building this content is a part of the process I like to call “Hardening the Pitch”. Typically I recommend founders prepare their materials to about 70% completeness and then test them before going into battle.…
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I explained this last week on a call with some of our investors and I thought it might be useful to explain it more broadly. Most of USV’s big wins have been in companies where we were the first institutional VC to talk to the company or where we had way more conviction about the…
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Our desire to fit in with others means we don’t always say what we think. We only express opinions that seem safe. Here’s how the spiral of silence works and how we can discover what people really think. Be honest: How often do you feel as if you’re really able to express your true opinions without fearing…
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You probably don’t have a problem playing video games or browsing social media on your phone. In fact I have no doubt you could sit in front of a screen and do both of those activities for 2 hours, or even longer without breaking your concentration. But what about half an hour of studying? That…
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Reboot your mobile device(s) every morning Use a microphone/camera blocker on all devices/computers when not in use Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with all email/cloud/web accounts Use a Password Manager (with strong passwords, no password reuse) Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), make sure the VPN vendor is based in a friendly country! Make sure all…
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I have a confession to make: I despise to-do lists.For years, I made the mistake of writing a to-do list at the start and end of my working day, telling myself that crossing things off would bring me great joy and satisfaction (spoiler alert: it didn’t).Countless colleagues and managers who professed their love (and obsession) for to-do lists told me…
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The human craving to know and understand is the driving force behind our development as individuals and even our success as a species. But curiosity can also be dangerous, leading to stumbles or even downfalls, so why does this impulse so often compel us throughout life? Put another way, why are humans so curious? And…
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Things that reduce the odds of long-term success: Saying yes to too many things. Making excuses. Staying up late. Eating poorly. Checking email first thing in the AM. Working more to fix being busy. Buying things you don’t have the money for. Staying in a relationship when you’re not happy. Neglecting relationships that you take…
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