Like cooking, determining the value of a startup is much more scientific than it lets on. Startup valuation has two parts: potential and ambition. Potential is qualitative, determined by things that can’t be measured in numbers, like the founders and where they’re operating. Think of them as ingredients. Ambition, on the other hand, is more quantitative, focusing on the financial aspects of a startup. In the cooking analogy, that’s the recipe steps—the process. So the most successful startups are those with savvy founders (ingredients) plus sound finances (processes). Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
