Generative AI reminds me of ball bearings: the technology is relatively cheap, very flexible and a proven way to reduce friction.
Investors took notice: CB Insights reports that VCs put $49 billion into AI last year, up 40% from the year before.
The hype has largely focused on chatbots and avatars so far, but “The rise of AI will break through material use cases in real estate technology,” said Kunal Lunawat, co-founder and managing partner of Agya Ventures.
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For TC+, Lunawat is exploring several examples, including the potential to integrate AI into construction workflows, use ML data to optimize bids and estimates, and automate processes such as underwriting and mortgages.
“The opportunity for real estate technology entrepreneurs in search, listings, mortgages, insurance, construction and sustainability is the kind that emerges once in a generation.”
Thank you for reading,
Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, businessroundups.org+
@your protagonist
Table of Contents
Choosing a Cloud Infrastructure Provider: A Beginner’s Guide
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At the risk of being dogmatic: all non-technical founders should hire a CTO.
Most will eventually, but as with many aspects of startup operations, this gap won’t be filled until absolutely necessary.
In the meantime, someone must make fundamental decisions regarding cloud infrastructure and strategy.
“It is essential to analyze available tools before choosing a cloud infrastructure provider to manage application maturity and ongoing costs,” said Sashank Purighalla, founder and CEO of BOS Framework.
In a guide that dives deep into best practices for developing a cloud strategy, Purighalla examines the challenges and benefits of “cloud monogamy,” compares major providers, and offers tactics that can help developers avoid “analysis paralysis.”
What do investors need from your problem slide?
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Early-stage investors usually understand verticals better than the aspiring entrepreneurs who pitch them.
In general, they look for scalable ideas and founders who can execute. Therefore, each pitch deck should describe “what can be improved and how to turn that gap in the market into an opportunity,” writes Haje Jan Kamps. .
Using examples from presentations he’s analyzed in the past, Haje explains his framework to help startups articulate the value their startup creates and why it’s poised to grow:
- Who has this problem?
- How are they currently solving this problem?
- What are they willing to sacrifice for their current solution?
- What’s wrong with the way they are currently solving this problem?
Cybersecurity teams, beware: the defender’s dilemma is a lie
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The defender’s dilemma is one of the touchstones of cybersecurity: “Defenders should always be right. Attackers only have to be right once.”
It may sound authentic, but David J. Bianco, a security strategist for staff at Splunk, says it’s actually a false narrative that makes systems less secure.
“Defenders rightly expect attackers to lie and cheat to achieve their goals, but sometimes we forget that lying and cheating can work both ways.”
Provide applicants with feedback (good or bad) to improve technical interview close rates
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The “white coat syndrome” occurs when patients register an artificially higher blood pressure because they are afraid to go to the doctor.
Technical interviews are similar: In a study that processed data from 1,000 people who completed 100,000 interviews, a quarter of candidates who passed initially thought they had failed.
“Our research shows that 43% of all candidates consistently underestimate their technical interview performance,” said Aline Lerner, founder and CEO of interviewing.io.
In an extended TC+ post, she offers a roadmap for collecting and sharing “honest (and sometimes harsh) feedback” and asking post-interview questions that create objective benchmarks.
“Only about 25% of candidates perform consistently from interview to interview,” Lerner writes. “This means that a candidate you reject today could be someone you want to hire in six months.”
