@RamaswmySridhar should fight. The two companies are complementary. Since you're not doing this AI stuff, I really think Snowflake should consider getting its AI tokens through Databricks. You can get both cheap OSS models as well as frontier (OAI/Ant/Gemini/Grok) models from our platform. It all goes through Unity Gateway which has Smart Routing, Budgets, and Access Control. You can even use Omnigent with any harness, including CoCo. Most of our customers used this to reduce token spend ~30% last few months while token count went up. Genie lets you then track, control, manage that spend, all your financials, marketing, etc. Quick POC?
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The hall of fame for capital destruction:
WeWork: raised $22B, peaked at $47B. Went bankrupt; Yardi bought 60% for $337M.
Peloton: raised $1.9B, peaked at $45B. Now worth ~$2B.
Who else?
WeWork: raised $22B, peaked at $47B. Went bankrupt; Yardi bought 60% for $337M.
Peloton: raised $1.9B, peaked at $45B. Now worth ~$2B.
Who else?
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Each year, Contrary attracts 1.5K+ applicants for our VP program and select ~25 of the sharpest young builders in tech.
Our VPs go on to become early FTEs @ PI, Cognition, Ramp, founders @ Doss, Poetic, Long Lake, and raise billions from Sequoia, FF, GC, etc.
Our VPs go on to become early FTEs @ PI, Cognition, Ramp, founders @ Doss, Poetic, Long Lake, and raise billions from Sequoia, FF, GC, etc.
From Day 1, Contrary's mission has been to identify and invest in the world's most exceptional people. It’s enabled us to be early backers of companies like Anduril, Ramp, Zepto, and many others.
Our student Venture Partners are a key part of this process. They’re an exceptional rk closely with us to discover the next generation of founders at universities across the US and Canada.
Each year, we run a rigorous recruitment and selection process to identify a small number of VPs to join our community. This year was one of our most selective and competitive years yet: we received over 1500 applications, of which we ultimately accepted 28.
They are a diverse group of exceptional builders, founders, researchers, investors, writers, engineers, and everything in between, and we are thrilled today to welcome them to the Contrary family.
This year’s class includes:
• A Regeneron Science Talent Search winner, a USA Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad camper, and researchers from world-renowned academic institutions and premier research labs
• Product builders and engineers from OpenAI, Palantir, NVIDIA, Groq, Databricks, Snap, and Figma, and have built apps themselves that have served 1M+ users
• Musicians (cellists, guitarists, a pianist, and producers) from around the world
• Builders of GPU compilers, neural implants, high-power rockets, and hypersonic jet engines
As we’ve gotten to know them over the past few weeks, we couldn’t be more excited to start working together. We’re thrilled to welcome the following new Venture Partners to the Contrary family!
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Beliefs should be leading indicators of actions, instead of lagging indicators.
You should buy the stock because you believe the story, not believe the story because you bought the stock.
You should buy the stock because you believe the story, not believe the story because you bought the stock.
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Read the title of this piece without it sounding like Jar Jar Binks in your head. Go on, I dare you.
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There is, often, more arbitrage in understanding human psychology than there is in understanding business fundamentals.
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Say it with me: in venture capital, business building is the marketing, but asset management is the business model.
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Every tool that multiplies output gets described the same way: by how few people it now takes.
The story of how three men with a printing press did the work of a room full of scribes.
The story of how three men with a printing press did the work of a room full of scribes.
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27% of total headcount, btw. No big deal. Nothing to see here. Typical cost management measures.
Microsoft will offer buyouts to about 60,000 workers, part of the company’s efforts to trim costs and retool its workforce for the artificial intelligence era bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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Venture capital is an apprenticeship business the same way Boeing is an engineering business.
Should it be? Yes. Does it say it is? Sure. But when you look at the scorecard, lately it’s mostly been every man for himself.
Should it be? Yes. Does it say it is? Sure. But when you look at the scorecard, lately it’s mostly been every man for himself.
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Jesus said the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
At risk of sacrilege, I think startups face a similar mismatch.
Venture capital should be made for startups, not startups for venture capital.
Most startups would be better if built without funding in mind.
At risk of sacrilege, I think startups face a similar mismatch.
Venture capital should be made for startups, not startups for venture capital.
Most startups would be better if built without funding in mind.
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Jon Gertner on Claude Shannon at 23, author of “the most influential master’s thesis in history” and “not at all certain what to do with himself” (The Idea Factory)
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“I know that 50% of my marketing budget is wasted, I just don’t know which half.”
Same thing with venture. 90% of VCs are neutral-to-negative value. We just don’t always know which 10% aren’t for any given market or company.
Same thing with venture. 90% of VCs are neutral-to-negative value. We just don’t always know which 10% aren’t for any given market or company.
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Rejection is a fundamental part of success. Anyone that gives up at the first obstacle will likely never bring anything into existence.
Catch-22: 22 rejections
Dune: 23 rejections
The Help: 60 rejections
Harry Potter: 12 rejections
Catch-22: 22 rejections
Dune: 23 rejections
The Help: 60 rejections
Harry Potter: 12 rejections
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Me: “What are you doing?”
My 5-year old: “It’s time to get up.”
Me: “...It’s 4 AM.”
My 5-year old: “Oh… I can’t tell time.”
My 5-year old: “It’s time to get up.”
Me: “...It’s 4 AM.”
My 5-year old: “Oh… I can’t tell time.”
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