All posts tagged: USA Launching Pad

Digigram | November 2023

In this edition of Digigram: #1: One Year of ChatGPT – What Have We Learned? – In the whirlwind year since its inception, ChatGPT has dazzled with its conversational and creative prowess, while also contending with the inevitable growing pains of misinterpretations (plus some puzzling weekend CEO-firing entertainment, re-hiring by the biggest investor & customer, followed by employee revolt, followed by the board getting fired and re-hiring of the same CEO under a new board, which now includes the biggest investor and customer…) and the learning curve associated with scaling a complex tech business. Yet, the most challenging hurdles have emerged from ethical and regulatory concerns over misinformation, privacy, and potential misuse, revealing the complex tapestry of how we might integrate AI into society. As we reflect on the groundbreaking journey of ChatGPT, one question looms: What comes next for AI, and how will we balance innovation and responsibility on the path forward? #2: USA Launching Pad’s Fall 2023 Cohort – Two pioneering companies, Hypt and Flowit are in San Francisco as a part of their USA Launching Pad …

USA Launching Pad: New Businesses Coming to America Now

Our business at USA Launching Pad continues to grow, and recently, we had another cohort of international trailblazers come to Silicon Valley to accelerate their expansion into the U.S. market. These companies are crossing the Atlantic with fresh, transformative ideas: Hypt: Amplifying Word-of-Mouth in the Digital Age Hypt is a marketing dynamo reinventing how businesses harness word-of-mouth in the digital realm. Their ingenious platform activates customers immediately after a high rating, encouraging referrals while swiftly addressing negative feedback before it escalates. In a landscape where a single review can make or break a reputation, Hypt’s service is invaluable. With an eagle eye on privacy, they navigate the complex web of regulations to comply even with the highest standards (banking…) to ensure that every piece of data is handled with the utmost care. The founders solved how to bring word-of-mouth to the internet in a scalable and compliant way: A game-changer for businesses keen on maintaining sterling reputations in an increasingly review-driven economy. Flowit: Streamlining Talent Management Flowit enters the market, offering a much-needed solution for …

Digigram Newsletter of January 2023!

Welcome back to DIGIGRAM! Thanks to those who read our last issue and inquired about USA Launching Pad and the recent Connected Life class at UC Berkeley. Excited to share that the next USA Launching Pad starts in March, and Connected Life will make a comeback in the fall semester (it was voted the second-most popular startup class at UC Berkeley, woohoo!). 2023 is off to a stormy start – literally! San Francisco just recorded the wettest 22-day period since 1862. It was so wet that it saturated sand dunes, which gave way to drop a world-war II bunker onto the beach below. Looks like a scene from the “1941” movie! Luckily, the sun has finally returned to dry out a soaked California. Photo: “Relocated” bunker at Fort Funston (Source) In this edition of Digigram: #1: MIT & Climate Energy Prize – This long-running competition for student-led climate startups is solving some of the biggest issues facing our environment. Hear from this year’s organizing team about how promising young people from the world’s best universities fight climate change today. #2: …

Digigram December 2022

Digigram Newsletter of December 2022

Welcome back to DIGIGRAM! After a bit of a hiatus, I am back to give you an update on the latest topics, trends, and stories from Silicon Valley and beyond. A lot has happened in the world over the last year. While a lot of gloom befell the world, there have also been some incredible milestones this year. There is much to celebrate that happened in 2022! For instance, in the last year, we’ve had these incredible technological and scientific breakthroughs: The United States Senate passed a bill to boost domestic chip manufacturing. The law also includes $67 billion to fund research into how to slow down climate change, a new record! I hope that a significant portion will go towards developing climate technologies. A new report found that if the current pace of wind and solar growth continues, the world will meet its climate targets. Switzerland qualified for the last 16 nations at the soccer World Cup. And was promptly eliminated by Portugal – oh well… In this edition of Digigram: #1: Mitipi and KEVIN’s …

Design Thinking your way into new markets – Introducing The USA Launching Pad:

Ever since I returned to California 5 ½ years ago, companies from abroad have been contacting me for help with the U.S. market. A very flattering and humbling experience – that so many entrepreneurs remember me when seeking help to start their businesses in the States. To my surprise, the inquiries didn’t stop even during COVID, which motivated me to think about how modern methods could improve the chances of success of new market entries. If product-market fit has been found in one market, how might the fit with a new market be tested as quickly as possible? How to find out what works and what needs to change—fast? If we had a systematic method to test before the rollout, we could eliminate costly trial-and-error, lower the risk, eliminate basic mistakes, create the best bang for the buck, recruit the best people for the plan, and more. The result is the “Launching Pad” methodology. It’s a systematic way to test and iterate to find the fit in a new market in five strategic areas: strategy, …