CDOQ

In this episode, Arne & I talk about Zoom Video Communications, Inc. [Nasdaq: ZM], one of the latest tech unicorn IPOs. What is Zoom's competitive advantage? Is it sustainable? Is the stock fairly priced? Then, we discuss two very different perspectives  on Product Market Fit (PMF). How the Europeans might see PMF differently than the Americans. Finally, we discuss two mega trends in silicon valley - Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR). Arne explains a new term, "Technology Market Fit" he came up with.  Subscribe to the podcast  here . And, see the notes from the previous episode  here . 

"The great and chief end therefore, of Mens uniting under Commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government , is the preservation of their Property, to which in the state of nature there are many things wanting." - Locke   "Just as the blowing of the winds preserves the sea form the foulness which would be the result of a prolonged calm, so also corruption in nations would be the product of prolonged, let alone 'perpetual' peace." - Hegel  

Society is the sum of those relations that are under some form of public constraint, culture is whatever we do with each other by undirected choice. If society is all that a people feels it must do, culture "is the realm of the variable, free, not necessarily universal, of all that cannot lay claim to compulsive authority " ( Burckhardt ).  Society is not to be confused with, say, natural instinct, or any other form of involuntary activity. Society remains entirely within our free choice in quite the same way that competition, however strenuous or costly to the player, never prevents the player from walking of the field of play. Society applies only to those areas of action which are believed to be necessary.  Culture can not be authentic if held within the boundaries of a society. It is often the strategy of a society to initiate and embrace a culture as exclusively its own. Culture so bounded may even be so lavishly subsidized and encouraged by soc...

What would the world be like if we did not have nation states and if there were no boundaries to protect? 

Entrepreneurs and artists are the makers of possibilities. 

A society that holds its leader to a lower moral code than its average member, declines with time. 

Working for an established company is like being an editor. One makes things better. Working for a startup is like being a writer. One creates things. 

An average person does not like his beliefs challenged. An above average person can debate about his beliefs. An exceptional person actively works to find non-conforming viewpoints for his beliefs. 

In this episode, Arne and I, talk about how to think about Business to Business (B2B) vs. Business to Consumer (B2C) startups. Why Arne's venture capital firm, Alliance Venture , prefers to invest in B2B startups. Then, we move to talking about hardware and software startups. Why hardware startups are hard. Nordic advantage in creating hardware startups. Finally, we discuss the capital markets for startups in silicon valley and Nordic countries. How the Nordic capital markets are different.  Subscribe to the podcast  here . And, see the notes from the previous episode  here .  Please email your questions and comments to me. 

In this episode, Arne and I talk about Facebook's plan for a cryptocurrency, how do startups start, how to scale a startup, the skills needed at different stages for startups. We also discussed a method to find a product-market fit and growth vs profit mindsets.  A few useful links that we discussed in the podcast:  1. Blockchain fundamentals  2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) WSJ Article  3. Decision Making at Startups  Subscribe to the podcast here . And, see the notes from the previous episode here .  Enjoy! 

Can the art of possible (government politics) govern the art of impossible (technology)? 

Technology is the art of impossible. 

In this episode, Arne and I talk about UBER (valuation, how will they make money) which is going public tomorrow,  LYFT (valuation, operations) which announced 1Q 2019 earnings earlier this week. How Uber and LYFT are different, how capital markets have changed and have led to startups going IPO with losses and unpredictability about their businesses. And, we touch on my favorite shareholder meeting, which was held last week, i.e. Berkshire Hathaway.  S ubscribe to the podcast on  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcast , and  Spotify .  Or, l isten to the podcast  here . See the previous episode notes at  https://cdoq.blogspot.com/2019/05/valley-nordic-new-podcast.html

Arne Tonning , a Norwegian Venture Capitalist and I, Chander Chawla , a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, started a podcast today called Valley Nordic. The podcast is a free flowing conversation about culture, technology, and startup life. You will get four different perspectives from the podcast i.e. entrepreneur and venture capitalist; Silicon Valley and Nordic Countries.  Source: The Met, New York Today we touched on various topics ranging from Unicorn valuations, how silicon valley works , founder friendliness in Silicon Valley, labor markets, Warren Buffett, pitching to a Norwegian VC, etc.  Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcast , and Spotify .  Or, l isten to the podcast  here . Please send me ( chander.chawla@gmail.com)  your thoughts and topics you would like us to cover.  New episodes every Thursday evening Pacific Time.  Enjoy! 

I have been fascinated with art for the last twenty years. As part of TED 2019, I gave a workshop at the Vancouver Art Gallery on "The Art Of Viewing Art." The purpose of the workshop was to make art less intimidating and more approachable for the TED attendees.  My attempt with this blogpost is to do the same for you.  --- Source: The New Yorker Often the art connoisseurs try to find meaning in art when none exists.  --- I have learned about art by looking at it, buying it, reading about it (see above), taking classes, and practicing Ikebana (Japanese art of flower arrangement) every weekend for the last fifteen years.  --- Why should society care about art? The slide above covers the main reasons. All art when it is created is created for the contemporary society. Often, it provides a commentary on the society at that time. Some art is meditative in nature i.e. it provides a space for self-reflection and m...