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Reading List for Entrepreneurs W49 – Selected

This week starts with a burning question for technologists:

When will the Internet deliver its positive promise?

We’re also checking in on why is Zoomitis so strong; is it the content? The vehicle? Or perhaps virtual events have just gotten off on the wrong foot and are in need of a rebrand?

There’s also a bunch of positive news for investors willing to provide good returns to their LPs.

Quick Tips:

  • look into the last NBA draft
  • GenZ or
  • The live streaming market in China.

Have you ever heard of cliodynamics? For some historians, it would be possible to extract laws from the past that will determine the future.

When you see that 3 vaccines were designed in less than year, I’m doubtful that history really repeats itself… but, there will also be self-help books. Which I personally hate.

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The only self help book I’ve ever enjoyed.

Welcome to this week’s zoom into my brain.


Book

Sad by Design On Platform Nihilism by Geert Lovink

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Sad by Design On Platform Nihilism by Geert Lovink

“We live in a time of engineered intimacy, toxic memes and online addiction. Can we ever break free?”

Zoomitis

Before the pandemic, tech companies treated space as an annoying set of limitations to be overcome by apps.

Home Screens — Real Life
Quarantine is the future big tech wanted us to want. How long before we want out?
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Users experience Zoom more as a stultified form of virtual reality than an augmented one, because it now feels like there’s little off-screen reality available to augment

A Primer on China’s Live Streaming Market

And this is from 2018, NOT factoring in what’s been happening during the pandemic.

A Primer on China’s Live Streaming Market
I worked at Twitch and helped build Periscope and Facebook Live. So take it from me — when it comes to live streaming, China is at another level. More than 300 million people watch 3.5 million streamers in the world’s most populous country. Here‘s a primer on the Chinese market:
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When it comes to live streaming, China is at another level. More than 300 million people watch 3.5 million streamers in the world’s most populous country. Here’s A primer on the Chinese market:

  1. Streamer: Young, beautiful, and IRL
  2. Diaosi: Looking for a cure to loneliness
  3. Tuhao: Virtual diamond rings and birthday cakes
  4. Agency: A streaming star factory
  5. Platform: From hundreds of apps to a few leaders
  6. Government: Cracking down on risque content

Strategy

Why constraints are a good thing in venture & business

“a shortage of resources, or a specific pain or trauma, or any set of conditions which are “less than ideal” can lay the groundwork for creative expression.”

Why data matters
Scaling a startup is basically scaling documentation of processes and workflows. It’s all about data

Taking a data-at-your-fingertips approach is low stakes. It’s more about standardization and removing friction than it is about reinventing any wheels.

Data at your fingertips
Why you should think about your data so that… you don’t have to think about your data.
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Gen Z

Gen Z Trends Report

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Zebra IQ 2020 Gen Z Trends Report
This report is the most comprehensive deep-dive on Gen Z highlighting cultural trends and shifts, featuring a year’s worth of proprietary research.
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Skip The Gateway: smrs.link/tE4OWW

  • Link: smrs.link/tE4OWW
  • Author: Zebra IQ

Marketing

Building community in B2B

Nearly 80% of founders reported building a community of users as important to their business, with 28% describing it as their moat and critical to their success.

The Rise of Communities — Building Communities in B2B
In early September this year, 500+ shipping professionals met online at the Digital Container Summit organized by our portfolio company Container xChange, a marketplace for shipping containers. Over…
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Virtual events are the future: they just need a rebrand

One-sided and passive webinars are quickly falling out of favour. The most successful up-and-coming platforms supersede traditional video tools by focusing on engagement and user interaction through features like video one-on-ones, breakout rooms, pools, roundtables, and more.

‘Virtual Events Are Here To Stay’: they just need a rebrand
As a marketer, I have been organising events for a couple of years now. When we decided to hold Northzone’s Annual General Meeting online this September, I felt quite nervous that the virtual format…
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Software

5 reasons to build an Open Source company in Europe now

  1. Proven monetization models
  2. Proven IPO and M&A market appetite
  3. Proliferation of OS use
  4. Proliferation of collaboration tools
  5. Experienced, distributed and global talent

Atomico’s take on Open Source: 5 reasons to build an OS company in Europe now
Open-source had not traditionally attracted a lot of attention from VCs because there were very few successful cases of product-first, revenue-generating Open-Source (OS) companies. This changed…
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Venture Capital

Interview with an LP: Building (And Evolving) A Generational Fund Returns Platform

More than half of all underlying portfolio company investments lose money. Our data shows that even the very best funds lose money on north of 40% of deals.

What separates great funds from the crowd is less the ability to avoid losses, and much more to find a company, or companies, that return 10x cost or more.

Interview with an LP: Building (And Evolving) A Generational Fund Returns Platform
Getting the fund-of-funds perspective from VenCap International
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Learning from The NBA to scout startups

At its core, any efficiency metric is an expression of performance vs. a constraint. In basketball, this could be points per possession; in software GTM teams, it’s often LTV/CAC. Performance metrics express a desired outcome (such as points or customer lifetime value) divided by the opportunity cost (possessions or dollars invested).

Using NBA Metrics to Scout Superstar Startups

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History

The Next Decade Could Be Even Worse

They say history is bound to repeat itself and while I’m quite skeptical regarding any absolute laws in social sciences, it’s great to discover how some scientists are studying this approach. Turchin founded a journal, Cliodynamics, dedicated to “the search for general principles explaining the functioning and dynamics of historical societies.”

The Next Decade Could Be Even Worse
A historian believes he has discovered iron laws that predict the rise and fall of societies. He has bad news.
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Literature

The past and present of self-help literature.

I hate self-help books.

The Radical Origins of Self-Help Literature
How did the genre of self-help go from one focused on collective empowerment to one serving the class hierarchy as it stands?
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Tools

Otto – Keeps you productive while working

“Squirrel!” Killer.

Otto — Be mindful while working✨
A Pomodoro timer and website blocker to help you stay mindful and be more productive.
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Aerial

If you love that gorgeous screensaver on your appleTV, here’s a neat port bringing it over to your laptop.

Bonus: You can import/use your own video files. Dan’s currently got his set to a fireplace. How very festive.

Aerial – A free and open-source Mac Screen Saver
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Events 5 hours ago

AI is reshaping how people discover information. Search traffic, once the lifeblood of websites, is plummeting as AI tools provide answers and context immediately, eliminating the need to browse to websites for answers at all.  Understandably, companies are responding by going down avenues they can control: newsletters, podcasts, memberships and events. This reality is true for startups as well. You simply can’t rely on Google traffic or algorithms to build trust anymore. You need direct channels, and there are few ways to build trust more powerful than  meeting people face-to-face. Welcome to the ‘post-click’ era Startups have long played by the ever-changing rules set by Google and social media platforms, which are more often than not prone to changing their algorithms and leaving everyone scrambling to adapt overnight.  AI is not only accelerating this instability, it’s almost making Google referral traffic obsolete. Companies need to adapt to this new reality with strategies that let them talk directly to their prospective customers. The media industry, one of the most vulnerable to the changes, is proving to be one of the quickest to adapt. Morning Brew, for example, blends its newsletters franchises with events. In a recent interview, Sam Jacobs, TIME’s editor-in-chief, highlighted how the company went from organizing two to three events per year, to holding the same number of events monthly. Even digital-first players are embracing events. Podcasts like Acquired and All-In now host live events to bring their listeners together. Finimize has built grassroots meetups around its newsletter. The new defense tech media title, Resilience Media, born on Substack, is planning events to connect experts in its niche. Alex Konrad’s new Upstarts ecosystem includes live interviews, an upcoming podcast and curated events. These aren’t just extensions of the content; they’re ways to nurture communities. Startups should copy this strategy. They must consider where their credibility and relationships will be built in this new landscape, especially as visibility is no longer about simply appearing on top of search results or burning money with ads; it’s about building lasting trust in the spaces that matter. Events are singularly effective at doing that. Lessons from after the pandemic If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that being present online is insufficient. Platforms like Hopin promised a future of global, scalable, online events. Even experiments in VR conferences were the subject of occasional hype.  All of that fell short, however. What founders, investors and marketers learned was simple: There is no substitute for shaking someone’s hand, catching their eye, and sharing time in the same space. When the pandemic ended, events came back with a bang. Companies large and small continue to invest in gatherings. Events still carry symbolic weight: just look at Apple’s meticulously choreographed product launches, or how scaleups like Helsing showcase new technologies.  For startups, events can also serve as tools for strengthening internal communications and bonds with their employees and their community. Here’s a great example: Italian travel scaleup WeRoad holds an annual, two-day global gathering of its travel coordinators and staff that strengthens culture and commitment in ways a Zoom call never could. Why startups need to show up Startups live and die on the strength of their relationships. Securing investors, signing first customers, and finding the right partners are all processes that depend completely on trust. These early relationships are crucial. In an AI-driven world where digital discovery is fragmented, saturated and noisy, events cut through the noise. They offer something AI and algorithms never will: human presence. Startups should think of events as essential investments in visibility and credibility. Whether it’s speaking on stage, hosting a breakfast or simply showing up to the right conference — being in the room matters. It’s OK to be selective. It’s OK to pass on events when priorities point elsewhere. And don’t take this to mean the digital realm and AI should be ignored. But in this era where we’re putting AI on a pedestal, founders should not underestimate the power of a physical meeting for establishing contact with investors, talent, or any other important stakeholder.

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After a successful first edition, JEC Investor Day 2026 is now returning for its second year with expanded ambitions.

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Events 4 days ago

TechCrunch Disrupt? Overrated. Web Summit? A $4,700 mistake I’ll never make again. I’ve burned $18K learning which startup events actually matter for B2B SaaS founders trying to close deals—not just collect business cards. Here’s what nobody tells you: the biggest events aren’t where B2B deals happen. Why “Best Startup Event” Lists Are Useless for B2B Founders Every January, tech blogs publish the same recycled garbage: “50 Must-Attend Startup Events!” They rank by size and buzz. What they don’t rank by: where your buyers actually show up with budgets. I learned this after exhibiting at a 70,000-person mega-conference. Spent $4,700 on booth space, flights, and hotel. Had exactly zero conversations with our target market. The attendees? Mostly consumer startups and the press are looking for the next Uber. According to Cvent, 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority—but only at industry-specific events. Generic “startup” conferences are networking theater. If you’re serious about finding the right startup event strategy, you need to think differently. The 5 Best Startup Events Where I’ve Actually Closed B2B Deals SaaStr Annual – Where SaaS Deals Actually Happen 13,000 SaaS professionals in San Mateo every March. APIDays – The Technical Depth You Need If you’re building APIs, this is your room. 2,000-3,000 API architects who can actually read your docs. Paris is the flagship, but they run 10+ cities globally. What makes APIDays different: it’s deeply technical. No marketing fluff. €3,000 gets you in, and European buyers are way less saturated than US markets. Big Data & AI Paris – Enterprise Buyers With Actual Budgets 15,000 enterprise CTOs and data engineers. I closed two partnerships here worth €400K combined—with French banks and telecom companies that had active Q4 budgets. The French government subsidizes AI adoption, so budgets are real. But your networking tactics need to adapt. Less aggressive, more relationship-focused. €800 for a pass and 3,200€ to exhibit as a startup, totally worth it if you’re targeting European enterprises. Track it on Sesamers so you don’t miss early bird pricing. MicroConf – Where Bootstrapped Founders Share Real Numbers 200-300 attendees max. Everyone’s profitable or trying to be. Zero VC hypergrowth bullshit. I’ve learned more in hallway conversations here than at conferences 50x the size. The attendees are other founders who share actual numbers—not vanity metrics. Churn rates, CAC, payback periods. This is how you measure real ROI from events. Worth every cent if you’re bootstrapped. Industry-Specific Trade Shows – The Secret Weapon Here’s the move nobody talks about: skip tech conferences entirely. Go where your buyers congregate. Healthcare SaaS? Hit HIMSS. Fintech? Money20/20. HR tech? HR Tech Conference. I watched a founder close a $400K deal at a healthcare event while competitors were posting selfies at Web Summit. These cost $3,000 avg, but attendee quality is 100x better. According to Statista, B2B trade shows hit $15.78B in 2024. This strategy works because you’re fishing where the fish actually are. The 3-Filter System I Use to Pick Events Filter 1: Who’s actually attending? Can you name 20 people who match your ICP? If not, wrong event. Use Sesamers to check historical attendee data before buying tickets. Filter 2: What’s your actual goal? Raising money? Go to investor-heavy events. Closing customers? Industry trade shows. Different goals need different event selection criteria. Filter 3: What’s the all-in cost? Ticket + flights + hotel + meals. If it’s over $3K, you need $30K in pipeline to break even. Most events don’t hit that unless you’re strategic. Events I Skip (And Why You Should Too) Web Summit: 70,000 people is networking hell. Consumer-focused despite the B2B claims. Pass unless you need Series A+ PR. CES: Consumer electronics show. Your B2B SaaS buyers aren’t here. I see founders at CES every year wondering why they’re not closing deals. Now you know. TechCrunch Disrupt: Great for press and VCs. Terrible for enterprise buyers. Worth it for launch PR, not pipeline. How I Track Everything Without Losing My Mind I track every event in a spreadsheet: cost, conversations, pipeline generated, deals closed. After three years of data, the pattern is crystal clear. Niche beats broad. Quality beats quantity—industry-specific crushes general tech. The best startup events for B2B SaaS are never on TechCrunch’s homepage. For API companies: APIDays and API World are superior to generic conferences. For AI/ML: Big Data & AI Paris provides European enterprise access that’s nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. Geography matters—European buyers at European events are way less saturated than US markets. Stop Wasting Money on the Wrong Events You have limited time and budget. Most founders can hit 3-5 events per year max. Choose wrong and you’ve burned $15K and 15 days for zero ROI. Choose right and one event generates $500K+ in pipeline. Use Sesamers to find events filtered by your industry and target attendees. See which ones similar founders recommend. Track ROI data. Set reminders for early bird pricing. Never waste another $4K on an event where your buyers don’t show up. Because the smartest way to pick events is learning from founders who’ve already tested them—and can tell you which ones actually matter. Ready to find your next high-ROI event? Start tracking on Sesamers and build your calendar based on data, not FOMO.

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