The Startup Student #2: Basics of building in a crisis
this week's list on building in a time of crisis and ecosystem shifts
The virus has pulled the curtain on the weaknesses of institutions, supply chains, and governments. But precisely because this revelation has happened, there is opportunity for these systems to be openly rethought and rebuilt. In cases like healthcare systems around the world, it’s not just an opportunity but a long-term necessity if the world is expected to face more of these threats in the future.
This week’s curated list of listens, reads, and views covers opportunities in times of crisis — opportunities to build effective technology solutions, start new companies and markets, and better serve rapidly shifting consumer needs — and how systems, cultures, and industries have been adapting to enable these opportunities for growth.
Building in a time of crisis
It’s time to build | Marc Andreesen
“Part of the problem is clearly foresight, a failure of imagination. But the other part of the problem is what we didn’t *do* in advance, and what we’re failing to do now. And that is a failure of action, and specifically our widespread inability to *build*.” The a16z founding partner shares how the American dream and innovation needs to be rethought.
🎧The New Normal Part 1 [30 mins] | On Call with Insignia Ventures
It’s important for companies to conserve cash and focus resources, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for growth. Founder and CEO of restaurant review site Dianping.com (now Meituan-Dianping), Zhang Tao, and Co-founder and Co-chairman of leading global producer of performance fabric JAMM Active, Chih Cheung, talk about these rooms for growth in a time of COVID19 — and the clues that consumer behavior and supply chain shifts offer.
🎧Simple, effective tech to connect communities in crisis | TED
As someone whose intro to tech startups was a hackathon, and has been grappling with the effectivity of hackathons to concretely solve problems, it was gratifying to watch Johanna Figueroa share the tech solutions their organization have been bringing from hackathon to reality.
Why you should launch in a recession | Richard Liu
The essay succinctly outlines how the odds (resources) can be stacked in favor of starting a company during this time.
Making the exodus to online business | Insignia Business Review
Before going digital was a new and refreshing opportunity for business, especially the brick-and-mortar ones. With consumers moving online, it’s less an opportunity to be pondered over and more an option on the table to be seriously considered. My colleague Joolin Chuah outlines steps offline, consumer-facing businesses can take to go online.
Ecosystem shifts
Silicon Valley
🎧Intelligent Risk [62 mins] | The Knowledge Project
Angel investor Jason Calacanis links up poker and the basics of angel investing, shares how Silicon Valley can evolve (and has been evolving), and the democratization of private capital investing. Recommend his Q&A podcast episode [57 mins] on This Week in Startups as a follow-up, where he also talks about starting a company in an economic crisis.
Ecommerce
COVID19 and online shopping | Janio Asia
The Southeast Asia logistics tech company outlines trends and insights into COVID19’s impact on ecommerce in Singapore. They also did one on Malaysia, and listed down Indonesia tax exemptions during this time.
Events
'We look at this as having our own Netflix' | Protocol
At the beginning of the decade, Netflix brought streaming to Hollywood (arguably vice-versa). This decade will see how streaming will disrupt the way events are done, even after current social distancing measures after lifted.
Airlines
How Coronavirus Will Forever Change Airlines and the Way We Fly | Bloomberg
The industry that made the world a lot smaller (and cramped) over the last century is going through an overhaul.
Science
We need a new science of progress | The Atlantic
“While science generates much of our prosperity, scientists and researchers themselves do not sufficiently obsess over how it should be organized.” In times of crisis processes are rethought. The essay suggests there should be a science to this endeavour.
Art museums
Collection | Google Arts and Culture
Google Arts and Culture has been archiving images of art in museums. A small way to keep humanity amidst the crisis.