Startupable Techstars’ CEO: The Venn Diagram Of Billion Dollar Ideas (How To Create Unicorns)
Jan 21, 2026
David Cohen, founder and CEO of Techstars and early investor in companies like Uber and Twilio. He discusses why location and networks still matter, how AI changes founder signals and startup capital needs, the pros and cons of accelerators versus other models, and why picking fewer, better deals beats trying to back everything.
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Founder As Your Primary Customer
- Make the founder your single customer and prioritize their needs above partners or other stakeholders.
- Recommit to core values like 'Give First' to keep focus and authenticity in your organization.
AI Creates A Barbell In Startup Outcomes
- AI creates a barbell effect: zero-cost prototypes democratize ideation while core infrastructure benefits from location and velocity.
- A month of lead time in core AI research can be as decisive as years used to be.
Value Market Insight Over Early Tech
- Prioritize market insight, vision and network over early technical chops when evaluating founders today.
- Focus on founders' ability to tell a story, recruit talent and access customers earlier than code ability.