Q: Nanoracks was founded in 2009. What was it like to launch a space startup at that point? There were very few space startups and credibility was low. Nanoracks was one of the first, if not the first company, knocking on the door at NASA saying, “Hey, if you give…
It was a historic moment for humanity. It was also an emotional moment for us at YC because we’ve been hoping this day would come since Blake was in the W16 batch, walking around with a plastic model of the plane he hoped to build. Most people know YC for…
Many companies turn to transformation because their leaders seek to capture untapped potential or realize growth or efficiency gains. Yet transformations take work to get right. Our research shows less than a third of transformations reach their goals to improve organizational performance and sustain these improvements over time. In this…
I am pleased to announce that we have just raised $7.2B for the following venture strategies: American Dynamism ($600M), Apps ($1B), Games ($600M), Infrastructure ($1.25B), and Growth ($3.75B). This marks an important milestone for us. When Marc and I started the firm in 2009, the conventional wisdom in Venture Capital…
The government and businesses must work in tandem to avoid missing out on enticing opportunities in Southeast Asia, says Antony Shaw. Economic insights International connectivity
In recent years, the focus on personal wellness has been a growing trend. Indeed, data reported by Statista reveals that the forecasted size of the wellness market could reach as much as $8.47 trillion by 2027. While it may seem as though embracing mindfulness and striving to live a healthy…
In this edition of Author Talks, McKinsey Global Publishing’s Roberta Fusaro chats with Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. They discuss Sunstein’s book Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There (Atria/One Signal Publishers, February 2024), cowritten with neuroscientist and professor Tali Sharot.…
When Amazon went public in 1997, founder and then CEO Jeff Bezos’ message to shareholders was clear: His focus was on creating long-term value through bold operational investment. The following year, as promised, Amazon doubled its distribution capacity and more than tripled its inventory.And the rest, as we know it, is…
Every company understands how crucial return on investment is. But how many view return on talent the same way?Employees represent both an organization’s largest investment and its deepest source of value. In a world where businesses are navigating economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and upheaval in the working model, it’s…
A few years ago, researchers attached recording devices to a few hundred Americans and sampled their conversations over several days. They found that these volunteers spent, on average, 52 minutes per day having conversations about people who were not there. In other words, gossiping. Gossip is a ubiquitous feature of…
Sjoerd van Leeuwen/theispot.com Imagine a product that millions of people find frustrating to use because of a design choice that could have easily been avoided. If it were your product, wouldn’t you want to know who was frustrated by it and why, how to fix the problem, and how your…
The gains you can make before potentially paying Capital Gains Tax (CGT) have halved for the 2024/25 tax year. If you plan to dispose of assets, the change could affect you. Read on to find out when you could be liable for CGT and some steps you might take to…
As healthcare organizations look to the future, they cannot overlook the need to place the consumer at the center of all they do. Only by improving care outcomes and consumer experience will they deliver financial returns and remain competitive while meeting consumers’ holistic health and wellness needs. Consumers are more…
(This opinion essay was originally published on Newsweek on March 29, 2024.) We represent a group of 25 Yale faculty who have just returned from a five-day visit to Israel. Our mission was to learn from and make meaningful academic connections with our Israeli counterparts. Much of what we learned…
Business leaders face a wide variety of difficult decisions: whether their companies should stay small or go big, whether layoffs are necessary for survival, whether a proposed partnership is a good idea or a recipe for disaster.When faced with difficult decisions, it can be tough for leaders to cut through…
On February 29, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the nation speech to the Federal Assembly, stressed the need to form a new contour of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, as well as the country’s readiness for a substantive conversation on this topic with interested parties…
On April 22, from 13:30 to 16:30 Kaliningrad Time (GMT +2), the Valdai Discussion Club will hold a special session as part of the International Kant Congress, titled “Reason and Progress? History of Civilisations Turned to the Future”. The session will be held at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU) (Kaliningrad,…
Apr. 17, 2024 – As most California employers are now aware, a new workplace violence law (SB 553) requires essentially all CA employers to develop and implement written Workplace Violence Prevention Plans and training by July 1, 2024. The new requirements will be enforced by Cal/OSHA. Cost – There is no cost to…
Giving and receiving help are essential aspects of organisational life, whether that’s providing career advice or soliciting a colleague’s input on a tricky technical problem that you just can’t solve on your own. Through help exchange, individuals gain access to ideas, resources and relationships that help them complete tasks more…
Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a Temporary Final Rule extending the automatic extension period for certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a…
Editor’s note: Field notes is a series where we report on the ground at significant industry, research, and other events. For this edition, Joseph Bonneau, a16z crypto research partner and NYU assistant professor, attended the 11th Zero Knowledge Summit (zkSummit) in Athens on Wednesday, April 10, where he took notes…
Effective July 1, 2024, employers will need to comply with new paid leave requirements that apply to all Chicago employees (including those who work from home from Chicago). The Chicago City Council passed the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance (“Paid Leave Ordinance”) on November 9, 2023.…
Chris Lee is cofounder of IYK, a startup that makes digital experiences tangible through NFC chips. Michael Blau is a deal partner at a16z crypto and part-time generative artist. And Robert Hackett is an editor at a16z crypto. They discuss the merging of the digital and physical, new consumer experiences…
The ability to accurately forecast results and behaviors has always been fundamental to business success. If a company can predict future outcomes, it will be able to leverage its skills and opportunities to increase revenue and make progress against its goals. Greater predictability leads to more effective budgeting and planning…
Quick Hits Federal financial regulators are targeting employers for employees’ use of personal text messages or off-channel communications to discuss business, alleging it may violate recordkeeping rules. The actions raise concerns for financial employers given the increased use of personal electronic communications platforms and of the popularity of bring-your-own-device policies.…
Who is Ludwig Erhard and what has he got to do with industrial relations in the UK? Ludwig Erhard became the first Minister of Economy of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. He faced an almost impossible situation. Industrial production was around a third of what it…
Quick Hits The EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 final action dates will remain unchanged for all countries of chargeability. USCIS has confirmed it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the final action dates chart for the May 2024 Visa Bulletin. The EB-4 Certain Religious Workers category is extended…
We recently observed National Doctors’ Day in the United States, which was the finale of National Physicians Week. During this week we celebrate physicians and the critical impact their work has on the lives of their patients and patients’ loved ones. Evidence shows that this population is both distinctive and…
In this episode of CX Talks, hosts and customer experience experts Simon Blosse and Tom Carpenter explore the shift towards flexible subscription models that B2B organisations are making, and the lessons they can draw from B2C practices.Listen here or read on for an edited transcript. Tom Carpenter: Hello everyone and…
As we continue to integrate generative AI into our daily lives, it’s important to understand the potential harms that can arise from its use. Our ongoing commitment to advance safe, secure, and trustworthy AI includes transparency about the capabilities and limitations of large language models (LLMs). We prioritize research on…
Apparently, the growing changes in international life will be so significant that they will affect not only the direct balance of power between the leading nations, but even our fundamental ideas about the degree of importance of certain types of state activity. We already see that the modern state is…
Drop lets members receive targeted offers and earn rewards by shopping with their debit or credit cards. From the time CEO Derrick Fung cofounded Drop with his brother Darren Fung and Cameron Dearsley in 2015, he also recognized the enormous potential value in having large volumes of consumer transaction data.…
Quick Hits USCIS recently announced that it has updated its definition for “Schedule A, Group II” occupations. USCIS has now clarified that Schedule A, Group II “Sciences or Arts” occupations include occupations in any field of knowledge and/or skill for which colleges and universities commonly offer courses leading to a…
Almost one-third of Americans consider immigration the most important “problem” that the United States faces, according to a new Gallup poll. And yet, companies say they need far more workers than the current system allows.Some business leaders say that visa restrictions remain too tight on visas for skilled and unskilled…
The start of the new tax year on 6 April 2024 is an important date for your financial calendar. Several allowances and exemptions reset, including your ISA allowance, Dividend Allowance, and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Annual Exempt Amount. Now may be a good time to start utilising these allowances and…
Understanding NFTs as commodities calls for a more nuanced analysis than what their “non-fungible” label might suggest at first glance. By Yvette D. Valdez The appropriate regulatory characterization of cryptocurrencies and digital assets for US legal purposes has spawned many pages of analysis and occupied many hours of industry, law firm,…
The electric grid, a vast and complex system of wires and power plants, is essential to our economy and underpins our industrial strength. Currently, we face a critical challenge: our electricity demands — expected to nearly double by 2040 due to factors like AI compute, reshoring, and “electrification” — are…
Individuals who experienced maltreatment in childhood – such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, or emotional and physical neglect – are more likely to develop mental illness throughout their entire life, but it is not yet well understood why this risk persists many decades after maltreatment first took place.In a…
Howie and Harlan are joined by Atheendar Venkataramani, a physician, health economist, and director of the Perelman School of Medicine’s Opportunity for Health Lab, to discuss the powerful role of economic opportunity in population health outcomes. Harlan reports on two studies where treatments’ unexpected benefits leapt ahead of understanding why…
