villi @villi Twitter profile

Last Seen Profiles

@stw_pdg

@KiritoBToys

@runawaynate1

@Fidgeridoo

@alftah_ashrf

@fastbreakbreak

@BandarStw

@mujconvoz

@GraceTaylors

@bokeplokalmalam

@TatiSkibi

@GraceTaylors

@susscrofaa

@s_i_s_i_n

@BCouwberghs

@Bandmom11

@DeadrickKirk

@PepeApeYC

@loveneptune78

@CiteInfini

@total_woke_

@LeMeTellUSumtin

@HokieVision

@MissShazJones

@BrenikaB_

@naahillaheefund

@bokeplokalmalam

@CindBois

@RdAeue

@NEW_SIEG

@okingcoach

@karenacobs

@MizoramFootball

@eslamiicy

@Miss_Park_10

@BBP_916

villi

@villi

4 years

I remember the days when Series A startups had paying customers.

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@villi

4 years

My son’s 3rd grade class is 40 kids. Yesterday there were only 18 kids that attended his zoom class. Think about this at a national scale. Think about how many kids do not have the support system at home and are being left behind. It is a national tragedy.

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@villi

3 years

I don’t get why people are hating on Branson going to space. Isn’t it kind of remarkable. Built a company, which built a rocket, and he was so confident in it that he was passenger one. What is there to hate?

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@villi

2 years

SVB is the most important capital provider to tech startups and the biggest supporter of the community. Now is the time to support them.

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@villi

4 years

The least surprising part of this story is that none of their friends joined them on this trip. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yamiche Alcindor

@Yamiche

4 years

Sen Ted Cruz’s wife texted friends & neighbors to invite them on a hastily planned trip to the Ritz-Carlton in Cancún, where they had stayed “many times,” noting the room price this week ($309 per night). Their house was “FREEZING,” as Ms. Cruz put it.

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@villi

2 years

Just got off the phone with a founder who moved his cash from SVB to Big Bank yesterday. His thoughts: - Going back to SVB. I think it is now the safest bank in the U.S. - Experience with Big Bank was awful. They are terrible. - Want to support SVB. Will move back half of $.

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@villi

1 year

What colleges did Connor, Kendall, Roman, and Shiv attend? My guess: Connor - Georgetown Kendall - Harvard Roman - USC Shiv - Columbia

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@villi

4 years

All VCs should move out of San Francisco. There is nothing going on here. It is just terrible. I will take one for the team and spend time with the few sad founders who did not get the memo.

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@villi

3 years

It just occurred to me that when Gitlab goes public, it will be the first remote-only public company ever. 1350 employees, 70 countries, 0 offices.

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@villi

1 year

I am surprised we got rid of Product Managers before we got rid of people with "Strategy" in their title.

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@villi

3 years

Gitlab announced their first full quarter as a public company yesterday. 🚀 - ARR $300M+ - 69% growth - 152% NRR - 89% Gross Margin

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@villi

7 months

@ezberry Which confirms the CCP views it solely as a strategic tool for information warfare, which is exactly why it should be banned.

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@villi

9 months

At this point, is there a reason not to take this drug like a vitamin every morning?

Tenobrus

@tenobrus

9 months

it turns out ozempic is also the cure for doomscrolling and tiktok

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@villi

2 years

Why are acquihires difficult to do even for large buyers. Let me explain how it works. Let's say you have a startup and you have raised $3-4M in seed capital. You have a few hundred thousand in ARR, but clearly not enough to raise more capital and keep going. Time to sell. 1/

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@villi

10 days

What makes Silicon Valley special is that random people with no incentive come out of nowhere and offer help, access, and support to founders starting something new with no expectation of anything in return. It is incredible.

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@villi

4 years

Seems to me 4 years ago Hillary Clinton was the only person in the world who took Trump seriously and literally. Possibly greatest internal threat in US history.

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@villi

2 years

The mechanical keyboard meet up at Sports Basement is lit. Only in SF.

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@villi

10 days

"I did not raise a $15M pre-seed round because of what I did over the past month. I did it because of what I did over the past 25 years" - Founder 💪

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@villi

2 years

I spoke to a founder today who raised a $50M Series B who is in this situation. They still have $30M in the bank with very little (and shrinking) revenue. Clearly no PMF and no idea how to make it work. Tough road ahead.

Gokul Rajaram

@gokulr

2 years

Many founders who raised large amounts of money ($10m+) in 2020-21 but subsequently realized they don’t have PMF, are going through an excruciating psychological journey right now. On one hand, they feel beholden to employees and investors to keep building, pivoting, doing

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@villi

7 months

@Kylejung25 @rsg Nah, TikTok is a money making machine operating at scale.

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@villi

1 year

I just saw the cap table of a good seed startup and the incubation studio owns ~45% of the common, while the founders own ~28% (before SAFEs). Which makes me think how broken is the incubation model. Yes, it works once every 10 years, but this is not a good way to build startups.

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@villi

3 years

Incredible to see this. So cool.

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@villi

4 years

The most impactful change in venture deal terms would be to get rid of the liquidation preference and preferred stock altogether. Thread 👇🏻 18 months ago I went down the path to explore creating a new type of Series A security that looked more like common stock. 1/

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@villi

2 years

I would be supportive of VC firms having to publicly disclose their investors. Seems like this would be a good thing for the ecosystem.

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@villi

3 years

I have spoken to several friends at different VC firms and it seems like the talk at many firms is how to deploy capital faster. It is a really interesting dynamic which is pushing firms towards larger fund-sizes and increased velocity. 1/

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@villi

2 months

Many people in the GOP tonight are really envious that the Dems have the wisdom, sanity, and courage to clean things up and move forward. GOP could have done the same…many times. Now they are stuck with an old, corrupt, incompetent, and stupid man as candidate. Again!

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@villi

1 year

My feed tonight is full of people who are not serious. One person blaming tech bros for drug addiction and homelessness in SF. Another cheering Ukraine’s struggles. Another talking about RFK like we can actually overlook he is a joke and a clown. Good night.

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@villi

3 years

Been going out for dinner for the past few nights and I think SF is completely transformed. Street dining and bars are here to stay and it is fantastic. Life is back. Everything is packed. The fall is going to be like nothing we have seen before.

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@villi

3 years

@IlhanMN Easy to criticize and question. Hard to lead. What policies are you recommending? Are you saying we should not provide weapons and financial support for Ukraine?

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@villi

2 years

I love San Francisco. But, this is a massive failure in policy, governance, and policing. And the results are mass suffering analogous of a war zone. Unacceptable on any level. Cruel and inhumane. Absolute embarrassment.

jj smith

@war24182236

2 years

I took a walk down Golden Gate Street at 4:45am this morning and It just amaze me how people are able to set up a table and a tarp and lay there drugs Fentanyl and Xanax Crack Meth and Package form and have it on a display table for sell

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@villi

3 years

Here we go. Congrats @gitlab .

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@villi

4 years

America. Is. Great. Again. ❤️🙏

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@villi

3 years

I am scared. My heart and thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. ❤️ 🇺🇦

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@villi

3 years

NO, Tesla created $150B+ in value today. Thank you @elonmusk for creating an extraordinary company bigger than some countries here in the US and employing thousands of American workers while helping transition our automotive industry to green energy. 👏🙏

Robert Reich

@RBReich

3 years

Elon Musk's net worth increased by $28 billion today. If that doesn’t convince you wealth inequality is out of control, I don’t know what will.

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@villi

3 years

I have heard so many pitches at this point about new and creative ways to receive yield on crypto assets. My question always is who is on the other side of the transaction and why are they willing to pay. The higher the yield, the more questions I have.

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@villi

4 years

@GavinNewsom Come on! We are 10x larger than the average state. That is not the metric.

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@villi

2 years

It is brutal out there. I tried to lead a round this week. I loved the startup. Offered a deal that I thought was appropriate for Nov 21 market. It got done 50% higher. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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@villi

2 years

The top 1% of earners in the US have income >$570K per household. The top 1% in terms of net worth is >$11M. Even if you are top 1% in terms of income all of your life, you are unlikely to become top 1% in net worth. I would love to see what % of top 1% net worth inherited it.

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@villi

4 years

I am thrilled to announce Two Sigma Ventures III, our new $288M early stage venture fund to back data-driven founders and their startups. Excited to continue on our mission to support the next generation of founders and their dreams.

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@villi

1 year

@Austen That would be just fine. That is the ultimate goal.

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@villi

2 years

@adamnash That is silly. Just PR. They will sue him and he will lose.

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@villi

3 years

How do people feel about a VC that takes a meeting with a founder after having signed a term sheet with a competitor and not disclose it?

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@villi

4 years

2012: writing 20 $2M checks out of our $350M fund is nothing. Totally worth it if it leads to a couple of Series A deals. 2020: writing 30 $12M checks out of our $3B fund is nothing if it helps us deploy more capital later on.

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@villi

4 years

I met a founder yesterday who had bootstrapped his startup and made a ton of progress. My advice was to keep going and not raise VC money. I did not realize he was in the current YC batch, which explains why he was so surprised by my feedback. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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@villi

4 years

After Covid, I don't think I can go back to wearing jeans every day. I expect there will be a whole new category of sweatpants that kind of look like regular pants. Got my first pair today. Progress.

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@villi

3 years

The shift to remote work is more far reaching and more permanent than we perceive, even today after two years of working remotely. We are just never going back. This is the new normal.

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@villi

3 years

Talked to a friend at a self-driving car company. Sentiment is the investment in self-driving cars happened 5-10 years too early when the tech and infrastructure were too nascent and much of the investment was wasted. Said it feels like a treadmill - no progress or end in sight.

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@villi

3 years

I am kind of curious how many of the tech IPOs this year were companies founded by immigrants. Welcoming immigration policies are the most obvious thing we can do to maintain our competitive advantage.

Eren Bali

@erenbali

3 years

Wedding day

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@villi

3 months

One of my challenges as an early stage investor is to try to convey to founders how high is the bar for Series A. Founders consistently underestimate how much progress they need to make (bc some other startup raised on little traction). That is hope, not a strategy.

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@villi

2 years

Got this fantastic notebook as a present from @Bandrew . I will take good notes :)

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@villi

3 years

In 2012 Google, Salesforce, and Oracle each acquired a leading social media monitoring and engagement company, which of course cleared the path for the underdog Sprinklr to become a multi-billion company. Big companies buying your competitors is an opportunity.

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@villi

4 years

I will wait in a 24-hour line in a snow storm to get a Covid vaccine. The fact that we are having a hard time getting these vaccines administered is madness.

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@villi

4 years

I expect tech journalist to focus their energy and talent on writing puff pieces on our portfolio companies and cover extensively all of my investments. Please make sure to explore how our startups are changing the world and highlight my profound wisdom and brilliance. Thx.

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@villi

16 days

But, we may get more favorable crypto policy. 🤡

Noah Lanard

@nlanard

16 days

What’s now being distributed in Springfield, according to a local pastor

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@villi

4 years

The biggest mistake I made in handling work during Covid is to not spend money upfront to create a great work environment for myself. The biggest mistake employers made is not giving employees $3K to build out their home office.

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@villi

4 years

One day when the cover is lifted on 1Password's business, I bet we are going to be floored. I would guess it is going to be the second largest Canadian SW company.

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@villi

11 months

The antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiment among young people is alarming. Where is this hate coming from? Where are they getting their information from? I can only conclude they are being targeted on social media platforms.

StopAntisemitism

@StopAntisemites

11 months

Tulane University- Jewish student attacked by what appears to be two pro Palestinian supporters.

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@villi

3 years

Excited to see Gitlab file for their IPO. Such an extraordinary company and team. It is incredible what they have accomplished in just the last 5 years. Go Gitlab! 🚀🚀🚀

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@villi

2 years

Thrilled to announce our new $400M set of funds. Grateful for the amazing support of our founders, investors, and partners. I cannot be more excited about the opportunity to support the next generation of founders.

Two Sigma Ventures

@TwoSigmaVC

2 years

We’re thrilled to announce $400M in new funds, with a continuous focus on backing founders building the iconic companies of the future. Data and software are driving the change in our world, and we’re excited to play a small part in making it happen.

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@villi

2 years

Gitlab Q2 results, third quarter as a public co. - ARR $404M+ - 74% growth - 130%+ NRR - 89% Gross Margin Series B closed exactly 6 years ago when Gitlab was at $3.6M in ARR.

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@villi

4 years

The CA government has had at least 6 months to plan for a rapid, efficient, and targeted distribution of Covid vaccines. This is the most important mandate they have had in decades that will save thousands of lives. They failed. They did not even try. cc @GavinNewsom

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@villi

2 years

When young people ask me for career advice I tell them to optimize for relevance, over title or comp. Go work for a company that matters and is building something new and amazing (airtable/retool/dbt 10x > Google/FB/Atlassian).

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@villi

3 years

Corrupt disgraced officials trying to clean up their tarnished reputation by telling us that they could have helped the country to prevent an insurrection that could have destroyed the nation, but did not have the courage to do so. So a coward too.

Molly Jong-Fast

@MollyJongFast

3 years

This would have been super helpful in November 2021

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@villi

1 year

Let’s double immigration. Let’s get to 2 million per year. Any stem grad gets automatic work permit and a path to permanent residency and citizenship. Also, we need millions of unskilled workers. Let’s go.

Catherine Rampell

@crampell

1 year

. @IlyaSomin : “During the Cold War, US policymakers - including many conservative Republicans - understood the economic, security, and moral benefits of openness to migration from hostile communist nations. Sadly, that common-sense wisdom has faded”

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@villi

4 years

Catching up with Cack. Also a reminder why I will probably never leave SF.

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@villi

2 months

I think it is telling that after Zenefits Parker Conrad went back to YC to start Rippling. I am guessing YC was the only investor in that saga that had his back.

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@villi

10 months

I do not agree. I think $200M run rate, growing >30% is perfectly fine for an IPO. But, these cos will be valued at $1.5-3B, which is why many of them will delay going public. When the last 1-2 rounds happened above that val, investors are encouraging them to delay.

Gokul Rajaram

@gokulr

10 months

Investors and CEOs: The bar for technology companies to go public on US exchanges today is $500M of annualized high margin (75%+ GM) revenue. Klaviyo LTM revenue: $585M (80%+ GM) Instacart LTM ads revenue: $740M (80%+ GM) ARM LTM revenue: $2.68B (96% GM!) If you have a company

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@villi

2 years

@zck It was never a religion. Just people being pragmatic. I am happy to take the other side and predict that remote work will be a bigger percentage of the global workforce in 5, 10, and 20 years.

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@villi

6 months

Messi is an amazing American success story in soccer.

Mairead McGuinness

@McGuinnessEU

6 months

This morning I met with @collision , President of @stripe – a European success story in payments. Great conversation about the international payments landscape, how we tackle cyber-risks and fraud, and the role of financial education.

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@villi

4 years

The Kustomer acquisition by Facebook seems like a really big deal to me. It is the second attempt at moving into B2B, first one being Parse when they thought they would be a platform company. Acquiring an enterprise apps company seems like the first page of a...

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@villi

4 years

Smart aspiring people know. I think the next 3-4 months is the optimal time to get to SF ahead of the mad rush in the fall.

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@villi

1 year

I don't remember who suggested that SF builds student housing for Berkeley downtown, but I think it is a brilliant idea. Students bring energy and life to any city or town. Build housing for 2-4K grad students downtown.

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@villi

3 years

@DavidSacks @semil I mean, those things are not remotely equivalent. And if people want to keep wearing masks, let them go wild. Many people wore them before Covid. It’s all good. Not wearing one in the midst of a pandemic that killed 600K over politics is where the outrage seems appropriate.

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@villi

2 years

I have a very different reaction than many journalists. I see a highly intelligent, obsessively calculating, manipulative, compulsive lier. Nothing relatable. A total fraud. Also, fascinating the stark contrast in how SBF is covered vs Holmes.

Olivia Nuzzi

@Olivianuzzi

2 years

As someone who worries she may one day accidentally commit a monumental white collar crime due to being an idiot, I find him immensely, theoretically relatable.

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@villi

3 years

I know the social media stories about how Ukraine is holding up against the aggressor are making us feel good, but reality is that they are probably getting crushed. My guess is it is just a matter of days. Western governments are not doing nearly enough.

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@villi

3 months

@alexc_xyz The free state of Texas, where women do not have agency over their bodies. Keep it real. Welcome to California. We have a lot of things to work on.

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@villi

3 years

This is why I am long cities. Cities will be transformed in spectacular ways over the next 10 years. Cities used to cater to employers and cared less about the quality of life of their residents. Going forward cities will compete for residents.

David Sacks

@DavidSacks

3 years

Update: As predicted. Cities must compete for knowledge workers because they can now live anywhere.

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@villi

3 years

When I was 9 yo my parents had to collect me from the streets every night. I look at my son now and unless we take him out to do things, he will sit around the house all day. And no other parents are comfortable letting their kids out alone in the neighborhood. I feel bad.

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@villi

1 year

Only in 🇺🇸 can first generation immigrants feel American. No other place like it. Immigration is the path to prosperity. P.S, Shout-out to 🇨🇦 which is eating 🇺🇸 lunch in recent years.

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@villi

1 year

@Austen Maybe. We don't know. People will seek meaning and joy. Some may choose meaningful work. Others may enjoy their hobbies and spend most of their time surfing. Looking at retirees is probably indicative. Some are miserable, some are living their best life.

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@villi

4 years

Just kidding. It has been a long day.

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@villi

4 years

I love stories about startups left for dead to later emerge from the ashes and build a massive company.

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@villi

4 years

My wife's rationale for not engaging with a successful startup recruiting her - "Every executive in the company has "Chief" in front of their title."

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@villi

7 months

@DavidHFriedelJr Nonsense

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@villi

3 years

When I was a kid, my dad built this tennis stringing machine so I can string my own rackets. I would not have been able to afford to play tennis otherwise. What a beauty!

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@villi

4 years

I continue to be surprised by the lack of strategic focus by companies on customer support. Companies continue to view customer support as a cost center, instead of an opportunity and a growth driver.

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@villi

3 years

Curious how many VCs on the Midas List did not actually make the investment that got them on that list.

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@villi

2 months

@Noahpinion And it is completely unnecessary. It only serves to zap the enthusiasm among centrists and never-Trump republicans.

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@villi

2 years

Texted a founder friend for feedback on a startup. He called me immediately. I told him I was impressed and that this was some first class responsiveness. He said, as a founder these days if anybody with money reaches out to you, you call them back immediately. 😂

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@villi

4 years

I have never been busier as a VC. Chaos.

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@villi

4 years

The rule of thumb I have heard from older/experienced VCs is that the winner in every SW market makes all of the money, the #2 gets you a 2-3x, and everybody else loses money. While this may have been true in the past, it clearly no longer holds...even in new categories 1/

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@villi

3 years

I have been looking for an angle to disrupt LinkedIn for 10 years. It is a terrible product. The worst. But, it may be stickier than any other social network.

Gavin Baker

@GavinSBaker

3 years

1) LinkedIn feels antiquated and ripe for disruption. Sales Navigator and the flood of absurd InMail’s are an active disincentive to engagement. i.e. LinkedIn clearly believes I am a “Chief Information Officer” so I am constantly targeted with IT InMails.

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@villi

1 year

Founder of a very successful startup.

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@villi

3 years

I may have to vote for Musk, who not only became the richest man in the world but the greatest entrepreneur of all time. He is not a wise man and often acts like a clown, but his accomplishments and contributions are unparalleled.

TIME

@TIME

3 years

Who should be TIME’s Person of the Year? Cast your vote for the person or group who had the greatest influence on the year—for better or worse #TIMEPOY

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@villi

1 year

Magical! Dropped off the kids at school and added a stop back home. The future is here.

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@villi

3 years

I was in my first meeting this week with a few people in a conference room and a couple on zoom. It is an awful experience. Everybody in a conference room needs to be on their own video feed.

Aaron Levie 🇺🇸

@levie

3 years

Now that offices are slowly starting to open back up, defining this new digital-first way of working anywhere is profoundly more interesting and complicated than when everything was fully remote. We’re in for a wild year!

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villi

@villi

4 years

Today is another 9/11. This time it is white terrorists attacking our country. Terrorists are all the same regardless of religion, ethnicity, or color.

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