Michael Jackson's Linkedin Analytics

“We tried to collaborate with a top European university. The science was excellent. The researchers were excited. Then their tech transfer office stepped in with an absurd demand: ‘Bi-directional transfer of intellectual property rights.’ Translation: They wanted rights to Cradle's IP in exchange for working with them. That's a no-go!” Sadly, European TTOs regularly produce this type of absurd request, and others. European universities kill off a lot of their own spinouts with bad behavior. It’s a massive drag on European competitiveness in deeptech. Fast reforms are needed continent-wide.

“Incorporate in the US with a UK subsidiary as you get better access to capital, while getting benefits of UK talent at a much lower [hiring] cost.” This should be the plan for every startup in Europe, especially those in deeptech. Have your front office in the US, and then take advantage of the talent arbitrage that Europe offers (much lower comp for technical talent, and often subsidies to offset their cost even more). This is the model that works and European founders and investors should lean into even more. The current political climate ain’t going to change this much. Honestly, the gap between the US and European tech landscape is just going to get wider. Europe’s not fixing its systemic issues around market fragmentation or weak capital markets anytime soon. https://lnkd.in/g2rxxsEj

"For years, we feared automation would replace humans. But as AI reshapes the economy, it’s becoming clear that far from replacing human ingenuity, AI has amplified it. The critical dividing line in our economy is no longer simply education or specialization, but rather agency itself: the raw determination to make things happen without waiting for permission." The greatest impact that AI will have is as an enabler and amplifier to humanity. Sometimes people need to be reminded that they can just do things, and AI makes it easier for them to do things. So much of the credentialism that has acted as a societal gatekeeper then crumbles away. That's scary to some, but should be great for actual doers. Good read from Gian Segato. 👍🏻 https://lnkd.in/gdrAvx39

“When you're a very large fund, it becomes very hard for the senior partners to focus on early stage. Seed and Series A startups are often left to younger team members, which is not the best product for the founders.” A lot of VCs are realizing that they’re in the PE game now, and not doing real venture so want to get back to smaller funds. Also, very early-stage startups need to know they won’t be a priority for most big firms. They’ll get little attention from the partners. Something for founders to keep in mind. https://lnkd.in/eAEiVdHP

Your investment portfolio might be down 📉 but the memes are up 📈 🐧 ✊🏻