This Week in Startups

Unicorns: now and then with Aileen Lee | E1887

Jan 27, 2024

Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures, is a pioneering venture capitalist known for coining the term "unicorn." In this engaging discussion, she shares her experiences overcoming gender barriers in the tech industry. Aileen dives into the evolution of the Unicorn Club, assessing how the Zero Interest Rate Policy has impacted startup valuations. Predictions about which startups might sustain their unicorn status spark intrigue, as she reflects on the recent shifts in funding dynamics and the importance of diverse entrepreneurship in today’s landscape.

01:08:59

Creator website

Episode guests

Aileen Lee

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The number of enterprise companies in the unicorn club has significantly increased, accounting for 80% of the total list.

There has been a shift in the backgrounds of founders, with a decrease in technical founders and an increase in founders with entrepreneurial experience in various industries.

The capital efficiency of companies has decreased over the years, with the valuation divided by equity raised ratio dropping from 26x to 7x for enterprise companies.

Deep dives

Increase in Enterprise Companies

The analysis of unicorns shows a significant increase in the number of enterprise companies, accounting for 80% of the total list.

Intro

2min

Evolving Dynamics in Venture Capital

8min

Harnessing Performance and Reflecting on Investment Trends

2min

Navigating the New Era of Startup Funding

7min

The Changing Dynamics of Entrepreneurship and Startup Financing

2min

Evolving Trends in Venture Capital

8min

The Rise of Private Companies and the Impact of Venture Capital Trends

3min

Valuation Trends and Market Dynamics

10min

Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Enterprise Software

18min

10.

Triangulating Truth and Fostering Responsibility in Tech

2min

11.

Empowering Diversity in Venture Capital

6min

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

Coda is the all-in-one doc for teams. And they introduced an AI-powered assistant to take the BUSY out of the WORK! Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist

Today’s show: Aileen Lee join Jason to talk about her origins and overcoming challenges as a woman in a male-dominated tech space (2:12), the Unicorn Club and the effects of the ZIRP era (11:51), predictions on which startups will maintain their unicorn status (33:09), and more!

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

LINKS:

Check out Cowboy Ventures: https://www.cowboy.vc/

Read Aileen’s 2024 article here: https://www.cowboy.vc/news/welcome-back-to-the-unicorn-club-10-years-later

Read Aileen’s original Unicorn article here: https://techcrunch.com/2013/11/02/welcome-to-the-unicorn-club/

Check out All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/

Thanks to our partners:

(10:26) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST

(20:39) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(31:38) Coda - Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist

Follow Eileen

X: https://twitter.com/aileenlee