January 09, 2024
As 2023 came to a close, it felt like the startup / VC community took one collective sigh of relief. 2023 was a very challenging year to navigate, as the ground was shifting beneath us across multiple fronts simultaneously — a venture market downturn, a banking crisis, growing geopolitical conflicts, and of course, an emerging platform shift to AI that is grabbing all the attention (and hype!). Any one of these events in isolation would create dislocation, but the fact that they all converged at once has made it an especially dynamic environment for founders and investors alike.
I believe there will be more rough waters ahead in 2024, but I am optimistic for those who are weathering the storm. Those founders and investors who have been self-reflective, resilient, and continuous learners will not just survive, but be stronger moving forward. They have grown new muscles, deepened their conviction into what they’re building, and will benefit from a less competitive environment as others who have failed to adapt quickly enough will disappear.
Dislocations in markets also create opportunities, particularly for intrepid startups and investors that are paying close attention and move swiftly and aggressively to capitalize on the opportunities opening up. And that is what is most exciting to me in 2024 — partnering with founders that have unwavering conviction on building something that isn’t obvious to the crowd and has enormous upside if successful. Read rest here.