Michael Bloch @michaelxbloch Twitter profile | Pikagi

Pikagi

Michael Bloch

@michaelxbloch

5,636

Followers

3,094

Following

64

Media

1,429

Statuses

Partner @QuietCapital . Previously founded Pillar (acquired by @Acorns ) + early @DoorDash . Techno-optimist building & investing in the future.

New York, NY

https://t.co/wS0IjPKtJ4

Joined April 2014

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

Pinned Tweet

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Two years ago, DoorDash was a distant third behind Seamless & UberEats in the food delivery race. This week, $DASH will IPO at a $30B+ valuation as America's biggest food delivery provider. I was one of DoorDash's first 50 employees. Here's an inside look at how we did it 👇👇👇

Tweet media one

160

836

5K

Last Seen Profiles

@LarryKuntz37825

@pepayamasak

@kondorbesar

@itzshie_

@KDoorman21

@amirtava993

@bokeplokalmalam

@FToralles

@rzrkiss

@emolecules_inc

@KrisP44

@Morning_Transpo

@bokeplokalmalam

@yourjadeyyy_

@girsimano

@bokeplokalmalam

@Mnas1405Oo

@szymielewicz

@Other_Goblin

@ziziagera23

@funkobabe

@2good2betrue_x

@gadaapaapabre

@tw0munn

@niikawarin60781

@DanielleSawma

@Salmane1900

@DWTCrown

@Jipret3

@fmsetagaya

@alermun

@KayPhone583320

@nuga_u

@filnds

@LaCiteToronto

@mikagetan

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

There is a lot of advice out there about how to raise your very first round of funding. I've raised $7M from top tier VCs and learned the hard way that a lot of the common wisdom at the earliest stage isn't true. Here's my advice on how to fundraise pre-launch 👇

29

86

884

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Tony said it best in the S-1: - Be customer-obsessed, not competitor-focused - Get 1% better every day - Operate at the lowest level of detail - Dream big, start small - We are owners

3

47

549

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

1/ I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined @QuietCapital as a Partner! After 8+ years as a founder & operator, I’ll now be investing in and helping start, build, and scale the next generation of category-defining crypto + fintech + consumer companies.

48

8

465

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

This policy was in place since the earliest days of DoorDash. It helps employees better understand how the system works and what problems need to solved for customers. Every company should do things like this.

@JoshuaOgundu

Josh

3 years

DoorDash is making employees including the CEO to do one dash a month and employees are upset

271

559

7K

14

18

458

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

1. Focus on the suburbs Delivering in cities is hard. Customers expect to pay less, drivers expect to be paid more, traffic sucks, parking is hard. Suburbs have better fundamentals and even more people. While our competitors struggled in cities, DoorDash thrived outside of them

Tweet media one

11

25

420

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

2. Selection & quality > price & speed In food delivery, you can compete on four things – price, speed, selection, and quality. $DASH couldn't beat Seamless & Uber on price. We knew that was a no go for us. Uber focused on speed. That was the wrong decision.

Tweet media one

7

26

402

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Our analysis showed there was limited marginal benefit to customer conversion or retention rates under 42 minute ETAs. As long as deliveries were sub 42min, customers didn't really care how long they took. Uber focused on achieving sub 30min delivery times to their own detriment.

8

11

302

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

4. The team is everything $DASH's greatest advantage is its team and culture. As someone that helped scale the team from 50 --> 2,500, I can attest that the team lives & breathes these values. They're committed to excellence and success.

Tweet media one

8

19

306

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

The 🇺🇸 government will spend $858,000,000,000 on defense in 2023. 4% of that will go to startups. Hundreds of founders are now building for the defense sector. From AI & autonomy to space & public safety, here's what this ecosystem looks like today👇

Tweet media one

17

52

294

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

For more on $DASH, check out our S1 club analysis @mariodgabriele @ranjanxroy @cristinagberta @averyklemmer @thenewb @daveambrose @nanduanilal @d_mccar

DoorDash: The Value of Speed

Doordash in 1 minute

thegeneralist.substack.com

27

21

284

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

3. Obsess over the merchant AND dasher AND customer $DASH is a service business. It's run by and powered by people. Our competitors focused on customers first; restaurants and drivers second. They often ignored merchant & driver needs. We weighed all sides equally.

Tweet media one

6

13

268

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

$DASH focused on having the best selection (all the restaurants you want to order from) and the best quality (we made sure your food arrived on time, with everything, in the state you expected). That focus paid off. People trusted us more, talked about us more, and stuck with us.

Tweet media one

5

17

262

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Our team shifted focus to the suburbs and launched DD in Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, and Connecticut. We found instant product market fit. Business skyrocketed and we were profitable in months. Over time, we reinvested those gains into the city and fought on our terms.

6

8

255

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

DoorDash just flipped Uber's market cap 🤯🤯🤯 Not going to pretend I thought this would happen back in 2015 when $DASH was <$1B and $UBER was $50B Onwards & upwards 🚀 $AMZN next

Tweet media one

10

24

251

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Overall, running a 3 sided marketplace is really, REALLY hard. There is no resting on your laurels. It requires 24/7 focus and world-class execution across every part of the business. Congrats to the entire $DASH team on this incredible milestone. Onwards & upwards 🚀

4

7

212

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

4% savings rate at Current, powered by crypto. This is the first major neobank to launch this. Customers don't even know they're using crypto. This will be the new fintech battleground. Fintech in the front, DeFi in the back.

Tweet card media

US fintech Current introduces high-yield savings where customers earn a 4.00% APY | TechCrunch

As competition amid digital banks heats up, U.S. fintech Current is rolling out a new product designed to make its banking service more appealing. The

16

35

201

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

7 months

Employees with large stock positions in tech companies like DoorDash, Nvidia, or Meta have always struggled to sell their shares without taking a massive tax hit. Though most people don't know it, one strategy has always been available for the ultra-wealthy; using an Exchange

@srikanthatcache

Srikanth Narayan

@srikanthatcache

7 months

🚀 The first Cache Exchange Fund is officially live! Check out @axios for a closer look at how we’re helping you make the most of your hard-earned stocks. #fintech #financialplanning #diversification #taxmanagement #investing #stock #wealthmanagement

6

5

27

7

8

205

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

My favorite coworker

Tweet media one

5

1

193

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Excited to share that Pillar has been acquired by @Acorns ! Thank you to all our team members, investors, and supporters that helped make this happen 🙏

Tweet card media

Acorns’ new fintech target is debt management with acquisition of Pillar | TechCrunch

Popular saving and investing app Acorns has acquired Pillar, an AI-powered startup built to help manage student loan debt, in its second acquisition of

23

11

188

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

I took over the NYC region three years after we first launched Manhattan & Brooklyn. The market was stagnant & unprofitable. Seamless had a 17 year head start and $0 delivery fees. Uber had 50x our marketing budget. We knew it wouldn't be a fair fight, so we tactically retreated.

1

8

184

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

7 months

@Austen The only people that “win” with this are the politicians. They get to say they helped labor, while in reality they’re screwing them over. Data from city after city shows messing with minimums raises costs for consumers and therefore lowers demand. The city ultimately suffers.

2

4

180

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

By treating merchants & dashers the right way, they became allies, not adversaries. Restaurants in particular felt they could trust DoorDash more vs. the competition. From the host at the front desk, to the store GM, to the business owner, they all chose to send business our way.

4

8

170

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Speed is (always) of the essence. It's better to email yourself vs. waiting days for an intro to materialize. Craft a compelling narrative and be crystal clear on why they should pay attention and want to learn more. Here's an example of what I sent in the early days:

Tweet media one

5

1

151

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

Excited to announce the launch of @Pillar_App and our $5.5M seed round led by @mondesai and @ilyaf at @kleinerperkins

@TechCrunch

TechCrunch

5 years

Pillar launches with $5.5M from Kleiner Perkins and others to tackle your student loan debt by @sarahintampa

Tweet media one

1

10

27

8

14

126

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

Looking ahead - my 10 predictions for crypto in 2022 👇 - a major web2 company takes crypto payments mainstream - OpenSea faces regional & vertical competition - fintech & crypto blend together - the blockchain get more private + 6 more

2

16

115

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

1 year

@jmj This aligns well with what @lessin posted yesterday on this

@lessin

sam lessin 🏴‍☠️

1 year

The US has a ban on foreign owned media for very valid national security reasons... if it wasn't clear before, it should be crystal clear now that there should be no loophole in that for "social" media -- this is a critical national security issue / not about politics.

Tweet media one

106

83

717

16

8

105

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

11 months

@balajis This is like The Revolt of the Mind in Atlas Shrugged. There is no way to win once great people decide to leave.

5

3

96

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Just signed the contract to buy my first home. Neither my nor the seller's lawyer use DocuSign yet. We emailed the docs back and forth like in the old days 🤯 $1B in revenue. Stock up 543% since IPO. Clearly lots of room still left to go. Long $DOCU

7

2

96

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

After raising a seed round, most founders begin recruiting to hire the people they need to bring their vision to life. I've hired 100+ people across eng, product, design, growth, and ops at companies like Pillar & DoorDash. Here are the tactics we used to recruit top talent 👇

6

11

92

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

FALLACY #1 - Talk to VC firms first MY ADVICE: Get angels & operators onboard, then go to VCs You only get one chance at a first impression. Angels (particularly other founders & operators) add legitimacy and open doors. VCs will pay more attention with these people onboard

3

3

87

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Not sure where to start? Go through Crunchbase, AngelList, and fundraising announcements of companies in your space. Look through sources like First Round's Angel Track and Conduit. Comb through Linkedin. Add everyone you think might add value to your target list. Then reach out

Tweet media one

1

3

87

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

@adamnash @mondesai @rabois @zachweinberg @ronrofe @micahjay1 @svangel @pjux @TimDraper @hunterwalk @Jason @gokulr @iamjakestream @eladgil @mashadrokova @firstround @katiesheasays @ycombinator @noah_weiss @AdamRothenberg @MishaEsipov @arianapours

2

0

84

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

You'd be surprised how many VCs are afraid of taking risks. Many will talk publicly about how no idea is too early or too crazy. Then they'll ask for data no pre-launch startup has, drag their feet, and ghost you. Once you get a big name onboard, they reappear and ask to come in

Tweet media one

3

1

78

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

Proud to be a part of this team!

Fintech Startup Acorns to Go Public in $2 Billion SPAC Deal

A merger deal with a special-purpose acquisition company values Acorns Grow, a digital savings and investing app, at about $2.2 billion.

2

1

65

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

@zachweinberg Wrong. EA is 10x more powerful.

@ChristineCarril

Christine Carrillo

@ChristineCarril

4 years

The most undervalued asset of a CEO is an Executive Assistant. My EA saves me 60% of time. I'm able to run a tech startup, coach 7 CEO's every month, write & surf every day, take @david_perell 's intense WOP course, cook dinner and read every night. Here's how:

953

964

7K

4

2

61

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Overall, it's hard for founders to know who actually invests pre-launch since "early-stage" can encompass everything from just a founder + an idea to companies with proven PMF and millions in ARR. If you're a founder that wants advice on specific people / firms, feel free to DM!

10

0

60

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

$100,000,000 down $1,599,900,000,000 left to go

4

9

58

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

FALLACY #3 - all early-stage VCs invest at the earliest stage. "No idea is too early!" they say. That's BS ADVICE: find investors that think independently & from first principles, can develop their own conviction, and will invest in pre-launch ideas, not just proven businesses

2

0

53

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

1/ As the fundraising environment gets tougher, many founders are thinking about selling their startups. This is an opaque, high-risk process that’s easy to get mess up. I sold my startup to Acorns in 2021. Here's what I learned 🧵

1

4

56

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

My largest positions are $DASH $PTON $TWLO $SQ $CVNA $SE $NET. All have: ✅ Best-in-class products/services ✅ in large, growing markets ✅ Strong management ✅ Long-term vision I have no plans to sell any. What am I missing? @LiebermanAustin @BahamaBen9 @Post_Market @_ram_

9

2

55

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

7 months

@danhockenmaier I wrote this back when DoorDash IPO'd. We made the right strategic choices, but relentless execution was the true driver of success.

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Two years ago, DoorDash was a distant third behind Seamless & UberEats in the food delivery race. This week, $DASH will IPO at a $30B+ valuation as America's biggest food delivery provider. I was one of DoorDash's first 50 employees. Here's an inside look at how we did it 👇👇👇

Tweet media one

160

836

5K

1

5

54

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

FALLACY #2 - You need warm introductions MY ADVICE: This is great if you have them, but most people don't. Save time and go direct In most cases intros take time to get. They require coordination. There's no guarantee the other person will describe your business the right way

1

1

47

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Covid-19 destroyed our original business. Today, @Pillar_Life is back. In the same way we previously helped people tackle their financial obligations, we’re now helping people transform how they take care of their families. Read more about our pivot below👇

3

6

42

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

3/ I’ll be leading early-stage investments, primarily in crypto/web3, fintech, and consumer startups. Crypto is the defining technology of the next decade and I am investing in all areas of it like infrastructure, NFTs, DeFi, L1/L2s, protocols, games, DAOs, dapps, and more.

1

0

40

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

7 months

@traestephens His fund has a $33B stake in ByteDance. As Charlie Munger would say, “Show me the incentive, and I'll show you the outcome.”

0

0

34

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

@garrytan Agreed! For people that don't have this background yet, but want to found their own co one day, I'd advise joining a Series B+ co with PMF. That'll not only build credibility and a network, but more importantly, they'll learn an immense amount

5

3

36

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

You want people that believe in your vision and will be there for you no matter what. These are some of the people I spoke with when Pillar was starting out. Some of these folks didn't join our first round, but I still respect their intellectual honesty and recommend reaching out

1

0

35

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

10 months

Robots, Replicator, and Red Lines: 10 Predictions for Defense Tech in 2024 This year was a whirlwind for defense tech. 2023's frenzy of new startups, mega-rounds, and rising geopolitical tensions shows no signs of slowing down. Expect major shifts in 2024 as great power

Tweet media one

0

2

32

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

This morning I went on @cheddar to talk about how @Pillar_App helps people get out of #studentloan debt faster and save money. Check it out!

Tweet media one

0

5

28

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

8 months

Thrilled to announce Taalas' $50M seed & Series A today alongside semiconductor legend Pierre Lamond. This N of 1 team is paving the way for 1000x improvement in the cost of AI. More at:

Tweet card media

Taalas emerges from stealth with $50 million in funding and a groundbreaking silicon AI technology

/PRNewswire/ - Taalas Inc., an innovator in AI and silicon, is pleased to announce today that it has exited stealth mode and raised $50 million dollars over...

www.prnewswire.com

@steph_palazzolo

Stephanie Palazzolo

@steph_palazzolo

8 months

In this morning's AI Agenda: A new AI chip developer that's turning Nvidia's playbook on its head has emerged. I chatted with CEO Ljubisa Bajic, who previously founded @tenstorrent , about the unique approach of his new company, Taalas.

1

3

25

1

4

28

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

1 year

Standing room only at @trychroma AI community event in NYC! Proud to see other @QuietCapital companies like Modal, Prefect, Retool, and ScienceIO represent. @jeffreyhuber @WillManidis @bernhardsson

Tweet media one

0

1

28

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

This. Congrats to the entire $DASH team on this incredible milestone. So thankful to have been a small part of the journey

@NolanChurch

Nolan Church

4 years

Working at DoorDash was the opportunity of a lifetime. So happy for all of the people that worked their asses off to get to today. Thanks for taking a bet on me @t_xu @andyfang @stanleytang @andrewRM3

2

0

40

2

1

28

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

1 year

This is an excellent read by the ever-astute @Noahpinion , dissecting the motivations fueling America's new industrial policy. The grand objective: combat climate change and bolster national security, which will renew America's resilience & antifragility. It's critical we achieve

@Noahpinion

Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼

1 year

Some people are starting to push back against America's newfound love of industrial policy. But so far, their criticisms aren't focusing on the real reasons industrial policy is being embraced.

23

40

160

2

3

25

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

@emilmichael I’m not complaining about $DASH ATHs, but $UBER does feel undervalued given rides coming back + global reach

1

0

26

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

For many people the power & potential of crypto still hasn't clicked yet. I was a gamer back in middle school. I spent countless hours playing games like World of Warcraft, RuneScape, & Diablo II. This is my crypto origin story, and why I’m bullish web3 will change everything 🧵

Tweet media one

3

1

24

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

8 months

Time needed to build a new semiconductor fab in: Kumamoto, Japan: 20 months Phoenix, Arizona: 6+ years America must learn to work hard & move fast again. There's no time to waste.

Tweet media one

Tweet media two

1

6

26

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

11 months

These schools should be bastions of truth & righteousness. Their refusal to take a stand, to unequivocally denounce evil and champion good, is leading us down a path of moral decay. This is not leadership. It's abdication.

@BillAckman

Bill Ackman

11 months

The presidents of @Harvard , @MIT , and @Penn were all asked the following question under oath at today’s congressional hearing on antisemitism: Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university’s] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying or harassment? The

25K

43K

136K

1

1

24

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

4/ If you’re building something special in any of these categories, please reach out. I’m at michael at 🤫

Tweet card media

Move the world forward with quiet capital. We are builders who invest in remarkable founders from day zero.

7

0

24

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Read more about our pivot in Forbes. And always, thankful for the support of our backers 🙏 @kleinerperkins @mondesai @ilyaf @zachweinberg @natsturner @adamnash @Ryan_Falvey @mashadrokova @henrylmcnamara @noah_weiss @MishaEsipov and many more

New Digital Tool Helps Caregivers Store And Organize Critical Documents

Pillar launches to make it easier for people to protect and care for their loved ones during this unprecedented moment in history.

0

7

23

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Pillar featured in the @nytimes as a top tool for caregivers! We're just getting started 💪 @Pillar_Life

1

2

23

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

11/ if you'd like to dig deeper into the defense & national security startup ecosystem, here's my full post: And if you’re a founder in this space, feel free to reach out

Tweet card media

National Security and Defense Market Map | Michael Bloch

Hundreds of startups are building in the defense sector, but defense tech is just one part of a broader “National Security Ecosystem” of companies working to improve our economic, societal, military,...

michaelxbloch.com

3

2

23

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

Thankful for the support of all of our amazing investors @adamnash @zachweinberg @natsturner @noah_weiss @ronrofe @dayonevc @mashadrokova @GreatOaksVC @HenryLMcNamara @kairoshq @ankurjain_2 @arifriedland @JeffreyReitman @Ryan_Falvey @shannonfaustin @MishaEsipov and many more

4

0

22

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

Consideration coming out of this bank run: how will foreign adversaries use social media & fear of bank failure to sow disorder & confusion in future conflict? This is a major new attack vector that needs to be solved. Corporations react too slowly and money moves too fast. Their

1

1

22

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

10/ and shout out to the people who led the way in this category: @wolfejosh @PalmerLuckey @mttgrmm @JTLonsdale @alexandr_wang @cdbrose @GeoffLewisOrg @traestephens @NickSinai @rabois @KTmBoyle @davidu @zebulgar @SchimpfBrian @NickBeim @sgblank @ShieldCapVC + many more

1

0

22

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Note: I'm excluding many great investors at funds that primarily focus post pre-seed since their model doesn't support this approach, and many fantastic angels I've gotten to know since raising our pre-seed in 2018

1

0

22

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

11 months

I’m thrilled to announce our investment in @SwarmboticsAI . Founded by Stephen Houghton & Drew Watson (ex-Embark / Cruise / USMC / NASA), Swarmbotics is developing autonomous ground vehicles to solve many of the DoD's urgent national security needs. Check out

@SwarmboticsAI

Swarmbotics AI

11 months

Excited to close our financing! Ground swarm robots will be a game changer. Come join our world class team. We are looking for several founding team members right now. thx to @michaelxbloch @jm @jamoses92 @aneelr @williamtreseder and our other investors!

1

1

19

2

0

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

@_ram_ "The best thing that happens to us is when a great company gets into temporary trouble..." -Warren Buffett Long $PTON

0

2

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

2/ Quiet is a team of ~25 founders & operators turned investors. We work behind the scenes to help in ways far beyond just capital. We’ve invested in 500+ companies across every stage and sector. You can see our portfolio at . We’re just getting started.

Tweet card media

Portfolio | Quiet Capital

We’re proud to partner with some of the world’s most remarkable founders.

1

0

21

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

B) Do the grunt work. I spent 10-12 hours on Linkedin every Saturday & Sunday for months. I couldn't afford to hire a full-time recruiter, so I had to do the work myself. Recruiting is hard work, but as a CEO, it's the highest leverage activity you can do. Just do it.

1

1

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

Obsessed people usually beat talented ones. Hard work & focus > innate smarts. Obsession + talent can’t be beat. This is true for founders, employees, investors, and others. When you find this rare combination, back it.

0

1

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

10 months

Jai is one of the first people I got to know while exploring the defense / national security space. He’s an incredible investor, partner, thinker, and builder. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next.

@Jai__Malik

Jai Malik

10 months

This is not how I expected news to get out, but yes: I am shutting down Countdown. We've delivered strong performance, but I believe the future of this space favors larger firms than mine. I don't know what the future holds for me yet, but I look forward to sharing once ready.

105

21

626

0

0

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

@nikitabier Would work every time if you used DoorDash

0

0

21

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

Since releasing @Pillar_App last month we've signed up thousands of borrowers across 36 states. Still a long way to go towards helping 45M Americans get out of student loan debt faster and save

Tweet media one

0

7

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Two tactics worked wonders for us. A) have your investors reach out (see below) B) give three options for comp (high equity, low salary; low equity, high salary; mid equity mid salary). People love having a choice

Tweet media one

1

0

19

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

9/ DAOs infrastructure matures Though DAOs increased wildly in 2021 due to projects like @ConstitutionDAO , 2022 will be another foundation year for the movement. Infra like @SyndicateDAO @juiceboxETH will vastly improve and lead to true mainstream DAO adoption in 2023 or 2024

1

5

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

6/ Attacks against our core infrastructure & industrial base could cause significant damage to the US economy. People like @JoshuaSteinman @GalvanickCo and others like @SecondFront , @InterosInc , @shift5co , @DragosInc , & @GreyNoiseIO ensure our infra & supply chains are resilient.

Tweet media one

2

1

19

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

Spot on. At DoorDash we built a culture and team of strong execution. Good strategy amplified our efforts, but we became #1 because of day in day our execution

@shreyas

Shreyas Doshi

3 years

Because it is easier to add strategic discipline to a team that's excellent at executing than to add execution discipline later on. How a new team executes sets its early culture a lot more than how (or if) it strategizes. And that early culture is very hard to undo later.

8

14

145

0

1

20

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Ending 2020 with a @Pillar_Life shout-out in the @WSJ . Even more coming in 2021!

@kathy_m_osborne

Kathy Osborne 🐫

@kathy_m_osborne

4 years

Ending 2020 with reading about @Pillar_Life in the @WSJ Family & Tech newsletter!

Tweet media one

0

1

12

0

0

19

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Why should $ZM drop on FB Messenger Rooms announcement? Enterprise isn't using FB to meet. If successful, it may pull free users off Zoom, which reduces their costs. Will help, not hurt them.

2

2

19

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

3. AUTOMATE YOUR PIPELINE People need to hear from you more than once. Use a tool like @Resource_io to find emails and send drip campaigns. I sent four emails to each candidate (one email every three days) reiterating the pitch with slightly different messaging each time

Tweet media one

1

0

18

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

10 months

@rsg The double standard her office applies to tech vs other categories like potential Cigna/Humana deal is also damaging. The sectors with real problems can consolidate and get worse for consumers, while minor tech M&A that'll lead to more innovation gets blocked.

1

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Shout out to @NolanChurch @andrewRM3 Ashley Davis for teaching me the ropes, and @mondesai @ilyaf @noah_weiss @zachweinberg @adamnash and others for helping to close candidates and build our amazing team at @Pillar_Life

1

1

18

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

🔥 Q2 earnings from DoorDash - $1.24B revenue; 83% y/y growth - 345M orders; 2B total orders delivered - Increased full year GMV outlook to $39-40.5B - Adj EBITDA profit of $113M Long $DASH

1

2

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

At DoorDash, one of our core values was “AND, not OR”. We strive for both growth and profitability - not one at the expense of the other. It’s hard, but important, to operate that way.

@ProtagorasTO

Annanth Aravinthan

3 years

3/ First, a common hurdle is that ppl tend to think of profitability and growth as a trade-off. You increase one by reducing the other. I.e. cutting marketing budgets or headcount, increasing pricing, etc. Though this is true, it's not the most strategic way of approaching it.

1

0

4

1

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

DoorDash announced Q1 earnings yesterday and had a strong quarter. Rev up to $1.5B + record deliveries + raised FY outlook. One thing was new in the investor letter - a section called "Investment Approach". It's filled with insights that makes me ask... is $DASH the next $AMZN?

3

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

It's been an incredible day in Boston discussing the importance & future of defense VC for national security with Mike Brown, Edlyn Levine, @bznotes & @jmatheson . Thanks to @HarvardHBS & @MITSloan Tech & National Security conference for having us!

Tweet media one

2

1

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

New year, new look for @Pillar_Life ! We’ve got a lot more big updates coming soon. Stay tuned 👀

@Pillar_App

Pillar App

4 years

Pillar has a new look! Explore our redesigned website, putting family first and making document organization more efficient than ever. #pillarlife

0

1

5

0

2

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

@jonbma Teams/Slack require consistent, team-wide communication. There are built in network effects. Once you use one, it's hard to switch to another. Zoom can be used intermittently. Each individual can choose to use it independently of the rest of the team.

2

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

2/ AI & Machine Learning is used in everything from missile defense to predictive aircraft maintenance. Startups like @VannevarLabs , @modern_ai , @primer_ai , @DiveplaneAI , & @RebellionDef are leading the way to add more AI capabilities throughout the national security sector.

Tweet media one

1

2

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

1/ Autonomy refers to the use of machines that can operate without humans. Companies like @anduriltech , @shieldaitech , @EpirusInc , @SkydioHQ , @WhiteFoxDefense , & @MerlinAero build drones, directed energy devices to take them down, and other autonomous systems for air, land, & sea

Tweet media one

3

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

3 years

Building on ETH today is what I imagine building on the internet was in the 90s.

1

0

17

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

This also has a large impact on employees. It makes 0 sense to join a late stage co where the equity may go down 30%+ in the next round even if they execute well. Next 12 months will be a great time for talent to go early stage where upside is still high.

@gokulr

Gokul Rajaram

2 years

2. If you're a well-capitalized growth stage co that raised in the last 2 yrs, it makes 0 sense to raise now at these valuations. Similarly, if you are a growth firm, it makes 0 sense to invest now until you know how valuations normalize. Both sides are waiting each other out.

3

1

27

0

0

15

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

9/ The national security space covers a lot of ground. I left out some categories and likely missed companies. If you have feedback, let me know @isaachasson @jamoses92 @DIU_x @CameronLMcCord @vc @ngoel36 @graceisford @Jai__Malik @nathanbenaich @2112Power @WillManidis @itsmoislam

2

0

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

4 years

Great tactical advice on how to elegantly add angels to your cap table. I wish I structured things this way in our early rounds

@anothercohen

Alex Cohen

4 years

Taking in small, <$10k angel checks is very common and most founders I know who have raised recently have done it (including me!) Here's a quick guide for how to structure a party round while not destroying your entire cap table 1/

Tweet media one

Tweet media two

101

209

2K

2

1

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

Looking for the ideal holiday gift? How about helping pay off a loved one's student loans? via @usatoday

Looking for the ideal holiday gift? How about helping pay off a loved one's student loans?

The app Pillar has a new platform that enables relatives and friends to contribute toward winding down a loved one's student debt.

www.usatoday.com

0

6

15

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

In consumer fintech, every innovation eventually becomes the industry status quo. Defensible innovation is near impossible (eg Robinhood free trading, Chime get paid early)

4

0

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

5 years

Three offers out right now to some of the top talent I've ever met in NYC Want to work with the best early-stage team in town? @Pillar_App is hiring across product, design, marketing, and engineering DM me!

1

3

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

1 year

Prediction: today millions of Americans are snowbirds. They leave cold places in the winter to go to warmer climates. In 20 years, the opposite will be true. Millions will flee hot climates in the summer to live in cooler areas instead.

@axios

Axios

1 year

The heat wave affecting nearly 115 million people is so severe and long-lasting that it constitutes a deadly threat in many areas, particularly across the Southwest and portions of the West.

8

16

21

2

3

16

@michaelxbloch

Michael Bloch

2 years

7/ We must develop & train our workforce to reduce labor shortages & skill gaps in industries critical to national security. @beacon_a_i , @MikeSlagh @shift , @workrise , @JoinIncredible , @mirareality , @red6ar are training Americans & connecting them to top companies.

Tweet media one

1

1

16