The Ministry for the Future is a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson that delves into the urgent issue of climate change. Set in the near future, the story follows the establishment of a UN agency, the Ministry for the Future, whose mission is to advocate for the rights of future generations. The novel is told through multiple perspectives, including those of Mary Murphy, the head of the Ministry, and Frank May, an American aid worker who survives a devastating heat wave in India. The book explores various innovative solutions to climate change, such as the introduction of a new currency called 'carboni' to incentivize decarbonization, and it presents a hopeful yet realistic vision of how humanity might cooperate to mitigate the effects of climate change. The narrative includes a mix of fictional eyewitness accounts, non-fiction descriptions, and diverse writing styles, reflecting the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis[1][3][5].
Another Sunday double-header edition! First Jason leads a VC Sunday School session on how to react when companies try and skip steps and raise larger rounds (2:51). Plus, how Pegasus (or Alicorn) companies can end up being much better investments than traditional Unicorns. Then, for This Week in Climate Startups, Molly chats with Andrew Beebe of Obvious Ventures (18:47). You will learn:
1. Andrew's focus within climate tech (electric mobility, carbon and carbon markets)
2. How Andrew's first startup exit set him up to join the solar industry
3. How contrarian bets make careers
4. The key criteria for climate investments to be good venture bets
5. How Obvious Ventures puts its "world positive" mission into practice
6. The way carbon disclosure requirements will reshape industry
7. Why Andrew recommends reading Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Ministry for the Future"
(00:00) Jason and Molly intro today’s show: VC Sunday School, TWiCS with Andrew Beebe
(02:51) VCSS: companies raising big rounds before they’re ready
(11:20) Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, get a $1,000 credit at https://coda.io/twist
(12:38) Pegasus (alicorn) companies: flying over rounds of funding
(18:47) This Week in Climate Startups w/ Andrew Beebe of Obvious Ventures
(23:02) Wealthfront - Get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life at https://wealthfront.com/TWIST
(24:32) The first clean tech boom in the solar industry
(33:21) Embroker - Get an extra 10% off insurance for your business at https://Embroker.com/twist
(34:44) Obvious and Andrew Beebe’s investment thesis: “World Positive”
(56:54) SaaS Syndicate, Open Scouting, Remote Demo Day, angel.university
Check out Obvious Ventures: https://obvious.com
FOLLOW Andrew: https://twitter.com/andrewbeebe
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood