Some good news, some Better.com news

5 snips

Aug 18, 2023

Kirsten Korosec, a TechCrunch reporter specializing in transport, joins the discussion on entrepreneurship and market dynamics. The team delves into the fallout from FTX's SBF heading to jail, with little sympathy for the former CEO. They analyze Better.com's controversial SPAC merger while contrasting it with Monday.com's remarkable financial rebound. VinFast's market debut sparks intrigue despite profitability concerns, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s influence on American manufacturing gets a nod. Lastly, they touch upon the evolving landscape for women-led venture funds.

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ANECDOTE

SBF's Jail Time

SBF is going to jail because he leaked Caroline Ellison's diary.
This action demonstrates a lack of character and disregard for others, according to the hosts.

ANECDOTE

Better.com's SPAC

Better.com is going public via SPAC despite significant losses and staff layoffs.
This move seems primarily driven by a need for cash, raising concerns about its future.

INSIGHT

Better.com's Potential

Better.com has decent technology for originating mortgage loans.
If they execute on their goals and improve leadership, there's potential for survival.

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This week Mary Ann and Alex were joined by our regular guest host Kirsten Korosec.

Here's what the gang got into:

FTX's former CEO SBF is heading to jail: We struggled to find much pity for the former celebrity executive.
Better.com is going public: After much controversy Better.com's SPAC merger is a go. The deal is a fundraising mechanism by our understanding, though we had a bit of a tough time coming up with a bull case for the company in the present moment.
Monday.com's growth: Alex has kept tabs on the earnings cycle as always, which led him to write rather kind things about Monday.com's most recent quarterly results. In short, the former startup is posting quick and cutting its losses and generating lots of cash. What's not to like?
Vinfast went public, and investors are stoked: Another SPAC deal for the list today is the Vinfast debut. Vietnamese EV company Vinfast is now worth more than many major auto companies, despite falling revenues and massive unprofitability. So what, says the market.
The IRA turns one: The Inflation Reduction Act's impact on American manufacturing is big, and growing. Europe might have been irked to start, but it appears that fans of domestic production have found their champion.
The fundraising market: To close out the show we chatted about Becca's recent article on new venture funds raised by women, and a quick look at the pre-seed market for all the founders out there.

That's all from us this week. We are back Monday morning, chat then!

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