Randi Zuckerberg

Hi, I’m Alex from PAX ANIMA, a Munich-based video production company. I partner with purpose-driven brands, nonprofits, and changemakers to create videos that connect with people and amplify impact. ✨ WHY YOUR STORY MATTERS Your story is more than what you do—it’s about why it matters. Sharing your work can: 📌 Help people understand your mission. 🌍 Simplify big ideas like sustainability or social impact. 🤝 Bring in the support, funding, or partnerships you need. 🚩 WHO I WORK WITH 🌱 Sustainability organizations: Renewable energy, eco-innovation, green tech. 💡 Nonprofits: Advocacy, community-building, and awareness campaigns. 🤲 Mission-driven brands: Social enterprises and mindful businesses. 🎥 HOW I CAN HELP 📽️ Show the people and purpose behind your work. ✏️ Make your message clear and relatable. 📈 Create videos that attract donors, partnerships, or loyal audiences. Let’s talk about how your story can reach the people who need to hear it most.

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Zypsy's new venture investment program, offering $100K worth of design services in exchange for 1% equity, presents an intriguing model for both the design firm and the startups. Zypsy is leveraging its design expertise as a critical asset in helping early-stage startups enhance their brand and product offerings, essential to a startup's early success. Pros of Zypsy’s Strategy: → For cash-strapped startups, receiving high-caliber design services in exchange for equity provides immediate value without upfront costs. This allows these startups to allocate scarce resources to other critical areas of development. → By accepting equity in exchange for services, Zypsy aligns its interests with the startups it serves. Success for the startups translates into success for Zypsy, potentially increasing the quality and dedication behind the services provided. → Zypsy’s roots in reputable firms and its successful track record can provide startup service and credibility. For a new company, being associated with a name with a legacy in design and technology can be a significant boost. Cons of the Strategy: → While trading equity for services saves money upfront, it can be costly if a startup succeeds in the long run. Startups must weigh the potential future value of their equity against the immediate benefits of professional design services. → The program caps services at a certain point, after which startups must pay cash. This could pose challenges if the initial design needs are underestimated, leading to unforeseen expenses. → The program's selective nature might limit its availability to a broader range of startups that could benefit from such services. Focusing on specific industries may exclude other sectors where design is a critical differentiator. Zypsy’s program makes sense on multiple levels, especially in how it offers substantial non-monetary value to startups, helping them refine their brand and product experiences without initial cash outlay. This can be particularly advantageous for startups at an early stage, where cash flow is a critical concern. But, startups should carefully consider the long-term implications of giving away equity and ensure that the value received aligns with the potential future value of the shares given. This strategy bolsters Zypsy's portfolio and places it at the heart of innovation, driving the brand and product strategies of tomorrow’s leading companies. https://lnkd.in/dHWU_wDZ #thenakedbrand #startups #equity

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I’ve found myself having a lot of conversations about AI with media companies and creators for the past several weeks. From publishers considering licensing to LLMs to content creators thinking about how different tools might enhance workflows or creative output, my overwhelming sense is that we’ve reached a moment of mass confusion in media. For media companies (from individuals to conglomerates), there is a cascade of questions. Will the output of a model one day destroy my business? Should I wait for a legal or regulatory response? Should I be dealing with these companies? And even if I wanted to, has the ship sailed and it’s now too late? I’ve been surprised by the consistency of questions across companies with different businesses, and in different verticals and sectors. The answer that comes up most is we just don’t know. And as a savvy media exec said recently to me, we need to have a good umbrella instead of just shouting at the rain. Across all this uncertainty, one thing remains clear: as AI becomes more a part of our lives, audiences, readers, and fans are going to be increasingly seeking craft, meaning, and connection. These are things that LLMs can’t quite replicate and as a mass of AI generated content floods the zone of our distribution networks, how will we find these vital and necessary values from the scarcity of authentic stories, information, and entertainment that we turn to? Well, we just don’t know. But, we do know that GenAI platforms need to understand the concerns and realities of creative work and the anxieties very much at play. At the same time, media companies and creators need to find the opportunities to use these tools to deepen their connections and refine their craft. Both are challenges, but there is opportunity if we look for the the creative tools that will enhance and enrich but not replace the people best equipped to be crafting the next generation of creative, meaningful work.

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🎨 📺 Sharon Roth is a Product & Design leader who’s built her career in the lab, across different modalities, to bring more creative product experiences to life 📺 🎨 It's W3 / Q3 / 2024 and this week in our MGMT Boston up & coming operator series we’ve got Sharon who serves as the Senior Director of Product Management at Quantified.ai, the AI-driven flight simulator for sellers. The app feels as real as your next video call, scales across teams, programs, and companies, and ramps reps 42% faster. Sharon is leading Quantified AI’s Product & Design team after previous roles in Product leadership at Tamr & Honor Education. She’s excited to be back working in an Enterprise focused company, leading Design alongside Product, focused on strategic & execution based discipline. ❓Questions Are Your Roadmap ❓ It’s popular to encourage new hires to ask a lot of questions. But it’s always a good time to ask questions! When a member of your team comes to you and says “we really need to build X feature”, they’re coming to you for good reason. Dig into the why to understand how often the issue comes up, when it happens in a customer conversation, and why they’re asking for it in the first place. Is there an even better way to build a solution? Also, people are always excited about getting to a solution. By delaying the solution discussion to first get everyone to agree on the problem, you can coordinate a better response. Sharon has been in rooms where stakeholders can’t agree on the problem they’re trying to solve, which can sometimes be even more painful! By asking better questions and articulating the underlying issues thoroughly, they can work together as an organization to chart a better path forward. 3 Career Insights / Learnings 🙋‍♀️ Seek New Challenges - “Trying new things is how you learn and grow. At a startup, there are so many opportunities to try new things. As startups evolve, you need to embrace all that’s going to happen and make it a positive thing. Otherwise don’t go to a startup!” 🤝 Act with Integrity - “Do your best, show your work. But also treat others with respect and kindness while doing it. How you treat people and how you show up every day will impact your work environment. You’re responsible for the energy you bring to the room, so be authentic and try to inject some positivity. It will help you build the type of network you want to have too” 🗣 Invest in Communication Skills - “It helps you ask questions well, advocate for yourself, have your ideas be heard. It also helps others understand your impact. It takes continuous practice to do well.” If you’d like to learn more about Sharon’s career, the full post is linked in the comments. Go ahead and sign up for the newsletter to see the operator learnings we bring you in the weeks ahead too, will ya? #bostontech #operators

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INTERVIEWS OF 2024 SXSW PITCH WINNERS: Dhavel Patel of Lotus Every March in Austin, 50 of the world's most impactful startups showcase their talents at SXSW Pitch. Today we begin a series of short interviews with some of the category winners from the 2024 event. Founder and CEO Dhaval Patel has been growing Lotus for three years. At this year's SXSW Pitch, his San Jose based startup emerged as the winner of the "Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability" category. Patel's short answers to our questions are below. SXSW: What is Lotus?  Patel: A wearable ring that controls objects at home by pointing. See https://www.getlotus.com/ SXSW: What community does Lotus serve? Patel: Folks with limited mobility -- older adults, veteran soldiers, people with disabilities.  SXSW: Who is your all-time favorite entrepreneur? Patel: Warren Buffett. SXSW: Best startup-related advice you have received? Patel: Don't start building first, find the need first. SXSW: Current entrepreneurial trend that excites you the most? Patel: Desire for tech that is intuitive and simple. SXSW: Fail fast or perseverance? Patel: Persevere in failing fast repeatedly. SXSW: Favorite VC? Patel: Andreessen Horowitz. SXSW: Favorite gadget or device? Patel: Apple AirPods. SXSW: Government can best support startups by Patel: Moving faster. SXSW: Most over-hyped technology at present? Patel: AI. SXSW: Most under-hyped technology at present? Patel: Consumer hardware. SXSW: What did you enjoy most about your experience at SXSW? Patel: The people -- each person wanting to make the world a better place. SXSW: What is your best trait as an entrepreneur? Patel: Simplifying complex problems. SXSW: What is your best advice for other startups? Patel: Focus (say "no" to more). Learn more about Dhaval Patel of Lotus plus other 2024 SXSW Pitch winners by listening to the audio of their session at this year's event. See https://lnkd.in/gHtwQB8n Applications for SXSW Pitch 2025 will open in late summer. See https://lnkd.in/gE2hcVPK #sxsw, #sxsw2024, #startups, #founders, Chris Valentine, Dhaval Patel, SXSW, #venturecapital, #entrepreneur, #entrepreneurs, #startup, #founderstories, #sxswpitch, Lotus (Techstars'23), #techstars, #Austin, #ATX, #creativity, #innovation, #hardware, #consumerhardware, #pitch, #accessibility,

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If Ilya Sutskever suggests that LLM scaling has kind of plateaued, it's a perspective worth taking seriously. Many entrepreneurs will waste years by overestimating the capabilities of LLMs without truly understanding their current limitations.

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The Power of NOT being perceived as a threat 😎 When Andreas Bischoff and I spoke about Lisa Moskotova and I doing a panel on traffic monetization via API, I didn’t think much of it other than being excited because I was going to be sharing the stage with someone whose knowledge complements mine and that loves tech as much as I do, which would make it a good session no matter what. But it turned out to be so much more than that… This is one of my favorite subjects and I speak about it very often, as per usual the audience was 95% male online marketers with different levels of experience on the subject. But this time it was so different and it left me thinking of what made it so!? 1) Lisa Moskotova and I have been friends for at least 10 years and know each others areas of expertise relatively well. 2) From the get go we set out to add as much value and knowledge as we could, given that we both dislike sessions that are disguised sales pitches. 3) We had fun with it. We understand that is a complex and complicated subject but also understand that there is power behind making something complicated seem simple and putting your audience at ease. 4) We are both extremely passionate about what we do and that translates to a great deal of positive energy in the room. 5) Like it or not the fact that it was just two women up there made it so unthreatening for the audience that by the second half of the session it became so interactive that we ended up running out of time. People opened up about their own experiences, their doubts, their fears, their challenges and because we were so nurturing and non judgmental: ALL FILTERS WERE OFF. It might have been one of my favorite sessions ever and if you have been following for a while you know I have a crazy amount of speaking engagements a year, so I decided to stop and try to come up with the answer to what made it different so I could share some takeaways to help us all: 1) Speak about stuff you are both, passionate and knowledgeable about. 2) Make the complex seem simple by not over complicating your explanations. 3) Try to gauge the level of knowledge of your audience so that you can adapt the complexity of your content to keep them engaged. 4) Do your best to add value to the attendees. 5) Understand the power of not being perceived as a threat and have sooo much FUN with it. Good vibes are contagious! #publicspeaking #onlinemarketing #affiliatemarketing #ceolife

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“Celebrity culture serves as a constant reminder that we can’t believe everything we see online” Nope. It’s a reminder we can be more conscious. We can demand to be empowered with tools that make us conscious, and more resistant to those who want us to believe that nothing is true. For inspiration, check out the work of the Content Authenticity Initiative and Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA)

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The Paramount and Skydance merger could open up a whole new era for IP-Led marketing, fueled by UGC. I’m talking about taking franchises like "Mission: Impossible" and "Star Trek" and transforming them into immersive, interactive worlds where fans drive the experience. I'm looking at the potential for fans to create their own stories within these universes, blending entertainment and interaction in ways that could change the future of both marketing and IP industries. How would brands adapt to this shift, and how could this kind of user-driven content influence the next generation of storytelling? I explore these possibilities in my latest post! https://lnkd.in/eYydwWpA

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To celebrate Cal.com, Inc.'s newest launch on @ProductHunt today, I sat with Peer Richelsen to discuss how building Platform and Atoms is a full-circle moment + more 🚀 In this ep, we covered:  ✊🏻 Open vs. Closed and why OSS will win 💡 The importance of IP in a post-AI world 🔥 How premium products can be built using OSS 🤑 How to approach enterprise sales as a 1x founder 🙏🏼 The impact of Y Combinator on Peer as a founder PS: I'm a tiny investor in Cal.com and a big believer in Peer and the team! If you are into OSS, support the launch here: https://lnkd.in/e_CaE_KQ Links to the ep 👇🏼 🔗 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eBUv5E9q 🔗 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/epngcvFU ❤️ Sponsor Corner ❤️ Big shoutout to acquire.com for making this episode happen! Acquire is the best online marketplace (I can vouch for this) to buy/sell startups, and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://lnkd.in/gM5VZBFC Andrew Gazdecki and the team are always on the hunt to find ways to help more founders through Acquire 🫡 Lastly, if you are a listener and have been enjoying the episodes, please take a minute to drop your rating on the podcast: https://lnkd.in/eaaw-tJk I appreciate you for giving your attention and time 🙏🏼

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Getting to know the entrepreneur before investing into their idea. Check out the full interview with Fred Wang. A Venture Capitalist out of Adams Street Partners. Fred Wang YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ef6BjQQg Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ekAH-V6J Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/exQs4yXe Subscribe on YouTube | Follow & Rate on Spotify | Follow & Review on Apple Podcast | #highvaluediscussions #podcast #entrepreneurship #business #venturecapitalist #investing #financialliteracy #mindset #innovation #tech #technology

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On this episode of DTNS, An exoskeleton you can just put on and walk away in, Why Figma was mimicking Apple's weather app and we revisit the old EV sales numbers conversation https://lnkd.in/d-sbXDh8

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Zyn is the fastest growing CPG in 50 years. 22m pouches are consumed by Americans every day. What can we learn from the rise in mascuzynity? A little background. Zyn are sachets of wood pulp, nicotine and sweeteners that you tuck between your lip and gum. They are supposed to give you a buzz and make you more alert. In 2019, 50M tins were sold. In Q1 2024 alone, more than 136M tins were sold. Fuelled by "zinfluencers" like Tucker Carlson on social media, nicotine pouches (unlike tobacco and vapes) can be advertised and sold in different flavours. In 2022, Phillip Morris acquired Swedish Match, the parent company of Zyn. For many, the appeal is the nicotine. Peter Thiel often states that nicotine provides a 10 point IQ boost. Zyn reflects a shifting perception of male identity and reinforces certain attitudes. “A man with nicotine, protein, caffeine, and creatine coursing through his veins is an unstoppable force.” - Greg Price, a conservative political operator. We talked about this in the End of Men at Nearly Now 2024. Amongst a certain segment of disaffected men, the masculine archetype of strong and stoic has shifted to the hustle bro. Mascuzynity, a term coined by Anna North is about the constant self optimizing "hustle bro." This is the target zyn consumer. Consumers are buying and "popping a cool mint upper decky" because it is a totem of identity around a set of masculine traits that many find desireable. It is a connection to a lost sense of virility that the sensation the nicotine provides reinforces. While seeming abstract, this is an important shift in cultural values and mores to be aware of. Developments like Zyn demonstrate the importance of scanning for early signals of change. That something can get to the scale of Zyn and not be on our radars makes you wonder what else is out there that we are missing. Many of us are aware of the challenges arising from shifting concepts of masculinity and identity. The growth in products like Zyn highlights the scale of the issue.

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Some are here for the glitter. Some are here for greatness. Check out the full interview with Fred Wang. A Venture Capitalist out of Adams Street Partners. Fred Wang YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ef6BjQQg Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ekAH-V6J Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/exQs4yXe Subscribe on YouTube | Follow & Rate on Spotify | Follow & Review on Apple Podcast | #highvaluediscussions #podcast #entrepreneurship #business #venturecapitalist #investing #financialliteracy #mindset #innovation #tech #technology

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Mastodon CEO Criticizes Meta's Moderation Changes, Cautions Threads Users on Cross-Posting Eugen Rochko, the CEO of Mastodon, has raised concerns about Meta’s recent decision to shift its moderation approach. Meta announced that it would replace fact-checking across its platforms with a crowdsourced Community Notes system, similar to what’s used on X (formerly Twitter). Rochko described this change as “deeply troubling” and warned that it could have serious implications, particularly for marginalized communities. He also addressed how this impacts users who cross-post from Threads—a Meta platform—onto Mastodon using the fediverse-sharing feature. Rochko made it clear that Mastodon will enforce its existing policies, including taking action against hate speech and other violations, even for content originating from Threads. The fediverse-sharing feature, introduced by Meta last year, allows Threads users to share posts directly on Mastodon, expanding their audience. While Rochko initially saw this as a step forward for decentralized social media, not everyone in the Mastodon community feels the same. Some smaller Mastodon servers have blocked Threads entirely, citing concerns over moderation and privacy. Similarly, Meta has blocked certain Mastodon servers for similar reasons. This latest moderation shift from Meta has created uncertainty about how large Mastodon instances, are like Mastodon. social, will handle Threads accounts moving forward. Rochko assured Mastodon users that the platform is prepared to address any challenges that arise. For those uncomfortable with Meta’s new direction, Rochko suggested moving to Mastodon as an alternative. However, he acknowledged that transitioning from Threads to Mastodon isn’t as straightforward as moving between Mastodon servers, due to Threads’ current limitations in fully integrating with the fediverse. By reinforcing its commitment to protecting its community, Mastodon aims to maintain a space that prioritizes thoughtful moderation and user trust. https://lnkd.in/dG6hDTT8? Platform: TechCrunch Author: Sarah Perez #mastodon #meta #metasocial #moderation #threads #socialmedia #socialmediaplatforms #bigtech #technews #socialmedianews #technology #crossposting

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Want a front-row seat to the frontier of tech? We’ve got the role (or two) for you! We’re expanding our frontier-tech team at Blackbird by hiring a Frontier Tech Investments Associate and Foundry Fellows! Got questions? We've got answers... 1️⃣ What are the roles? 🧪 Associate = a full-time VC investment gig in our Blackbird Investments team, working directly with me. We’re looking for someone with a science and/or engineering background and more curiosity than they can handle. You’ll grow your own investment brand and practice, support our portfolio founders, and will help build Foundry, our early-stage frontier-tech accelerator. ✨ Foundry Fellow = a casual/contract gig in our Blackbird Investments team, ~15h per week for 3 months. The Fellowship is ideal for PhD students and ECRs who want to learn more about startups and VC. You’ll go deep on emerging areas relevant to your expertise (or curiosity!), get a front-row seat to groundbreaking companies in those areas, build out your non-academic network, and develop a solid writing practice. 2️⃣ Why are you hiring? We love frontier tech, and we’re ready to grow our team. 3️⃣ Wow, it’s so great that you’re starting to look at deep tech! Look, we get it: we don’t make a lot of noise about our frontier tech investing. Buuuut we’ve been deep-tech investors since we backed Tim Kentley-Klay to found Zoox back in 2014—we’ve been on incredible journeys with PsiQuantum (building the world's first utility-scale quantum computer right here in Australia!), Inventia Life Science (transforming drug discovery with high-fidelity cell models), Remedy Robotics (surgical robots for remote endovascular procedures), Opto Biosystems (minimally-invasive neural implants to treat cancer), and more. We believe that frontier technologies, and great frontier-tech investing, will be part of the solutions to the greatest problems humanity faces today. 4️⃣ When do applications close? May 31st at 11:59pm AEST. 5️⃣ I have more questions! I’m sure you do! Clare Birch and I are hosting an AMA to answer any and all questions about these roles. Want to know what a week in the life of our team looks like? What’s keeping us up at night? What our ideal candidate looks like? Come along and find out - registration link in the comments 👇 Apply for these roles: Associate - https://lnkd.in/gCfj4EUJ Foundry Fellowships - https://lnkd.in/gj6ATZVZ If you know anyone that we should meet, send me their details! Cameron Elise Ben Andrew Robin Joseph Adelaide James Olivia Lucinda Raghav Jesse Christie Mohamed Tom Amee Pablo Haya Loong Hon Joshua Benjamin Megan Harry Denzil Matthew Diana Daniel Tom Deanna Justin Amar Lilly Stone Thomas

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🚀 New Episode Alert! I'm excited to share the latest episode of Startup Mindsets featuring Mike Liu from FreeFuse Inc. and Alex Londo of Klarissa.AI In this conversation, Mike breaks down how FreeFuse is transforming customer engagement and training with interactive media, bringing a whole new level of personalization and impact to digital experiences. 🌐 Imagine being able to create paths and journeys within a single video—content that feels like it was made just for you! But it doesn’t stop there. FreeFuse is also diving into automation with custom GPTs, helping teams streamline workflows and connect more effectively with their audiences. 📈 Alex also goes into how Klarissa's product helps frachisees have AI-Powered Answers for Customers and Employees. Check out the episode for insights into how interactive media can unlock new possibilities for businesses of any size. It’s a must-listen for founders, marketers, and anyone passionate about rethinking customer engagement! 🎧 Listen to the episode here on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7B9mZgh 📖 Join the exclusive: FreeFuse x Startup Mindsets Community: https://lnkd.in/g2JbYbxb Learn more about Freefuse: https://lnkd.in/grAs-yna #StartupMindsets #FreeFuse #InteractiveMedia #CustomerJourney #Automation #Podcast

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It's a timely day to share this because Ben Ostrower and his amazing team at Wide Eye have led the digital design for Kamala Harris's presidential campaign (among other amazing work). Here, he shares how they tell authentic stories for their clients. He recommends you run to the subject's points of tension, so you can surface those. That turns into conversations, which then turn into opportunities to resolve the tension and tell the real story. Of course, my summary of Ben's answer doesn't do it justice, so watch the clip below.

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Episode 1 of the "Worthy Successor" series on The Trajectory is with none other than, Nick Bostrom. Themes: -- Nick's Worthy Successor criteria -- How AGI might be able to preserve some degree or "human values" -- What Nick hopes for (and doesn't hope for) around AGI governance See the full episode on YouTube, and be sure to comment with your thoughts: https://lnkd.in/eXCSJvnC Subscribe to Apple podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eqps-YaN The Trajectory newsletter (never miss an interview) http://bit.ly/TrajectoryTw I respect Nick tremendously. It is safe to say that, 13 years ago, there were 3 driving forces that lead me to dedicating myself to the cause of a worthy successor: - Emerson's essays - Kurzweil's "How to Create a Mind" - The early papers of Bostrom He's a genius. I'll be bringing some of the insights from these discussions into my upcoming talks / meetings with the UN / OECD.

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