The Blockstack Summit
About 8 months ago Joel Monegro, who is one of the analysts here at USV, wrote a great post titled “The Blockchain Application Stack.” The post lays out how the bitcoin blockchain can be combined with overlay networks and decentralized [...] Read more
Networks, Firms and Markets
There has been a renewed interest in the impact that digital technology is having on the boundaries of the firm. In particular there is a sense that networks operating on top of platforms are competing effectively with traditional firms. Examples [...] Read more
Values for a World of Knowledge
I have been thinking about the value implications of embracing knowledge. Maybe I am being overly reductionist here but there are three values that seem to me to be intimately connected with the knowledge loop of learning, creating and sharing. [...] Read more
On Digital Healthcare
A four-part series on the state of digital healthcare. Read more
Solar
The progress with solar technology has been impressive and is well summarized in the following chart which shows the dramatic decline in the price per watt Whenever someone shows a chart like this there will quickly be people who decry [...] Read more
USV Statement in US Telecom v. FCC Motion to Stay Open Internet Rules
USV occasionally engages in debate on public policy issues that impact the freedom to innovate and the health of the web. During the past year, we have advocated in favor of the FCC's 2015 open internet rules (aka "net neutrality") [...] Read more
Anxious Investors (the Investor Side)
Fred had a great post yesterday about why investors in private companies experience more anxiety than those in public ones (can’t sell) together with some spot on recommendations for entrepreneurs on how to deal with anxious investors. I have been [...] Read more
Here’s the solution to the Uber and Airbnb problems — and no one will like it
"Now, the question is: how can we transform our public regulations to adopt this kind of model? Here’s the part that no one will like: "1) Regulators need to accept a new model where they focus less on making it [...] Read more
Work and Privacy: Hanging on to the Old or Inventing the New?
Too many people seem to be having a moment of Schadenfreude in the wake of the Ashley Madison hack – what were “those” people thinking of having an affair (estimates for the overall percentage of married adults having affairs range [...] Read more