Intro

This week on The Learning Corner, we explore three perspectives shaping how startups get built and funded in today’s environment. We start with Aditya Agarwal’s LinkedIn post on the two competing startup modalities in Silicon Valley: those building in legible, fast-moving spaces where speed is the moat, versus those tackling illegible, contrarian ideas that take longer to crystallize. We discuss how investors say they want one, but often fund the other. Next, we dive into Rosie Bradbury’s PitchBook piece on whether VCs are truly independent thinkers. We break down new data showing how frequently top firms co-invest, and what it means for the myth of proprietary deal flow. Finally, we unpack the New York Times’ coverage of the wave of 20-something founders flooding San Francisco to build AI startups. From teen dropouts to meme marketing, we reflect on how this boom compares to past cycles and what might be different this time around.

• Two Modalities of Competition in Silicon Valley (Aditya Agarwal, LinkedIn)

• VCs Love to Claim They're Independent Thinkers. The Data is More Complicated (Rosie Bradbury, PitchBook)

• Swarming to San Francisco’s A.I. Boom: A New Crop of 20-Something CEOs (New York Times)

(0:00) Introduction and market winners unpredictability (0:47) Startup competition and AI company dimensions (6:00) Venture competition evolution and VC collaboration trends (12:39) LPs' expectations and co-investing dynamics (16:18) Consumer fintech resurgence and AI founders in SF (18:46) College admissions, entrepreneurship trade-offs, and young founders (21:12) Early-stage customer acquisition and founder visibility (23:22) Ethical considerations in entrepreneurship encouragement (24:18) Closing remarks