Despite The Tech Bubble Bursting... Startups Are Still Innovating

I'm a mentor for the Founder Institute's Keystone Chapter startup accelerator. I've been helping out startups for the past four cohorts and been loving it.

It amazes me how some startups can go from just an idea to a feasible product in 14 weeks. It's a very intense accelerator, but a good one in my opinion. I'm now helping with the Spring 2024 cohort and there are some really nifty ideas flowing. I can't talk about them, due to confidentiality, but trust me some cool ones are, hopefully, going to make it out into the wild.

Advising Beyond Founder Institute Keystone

One startup that's showing lots of progress, from my second cohort, is Public Assembly. It's a fintech-enabled, grassroots civic engagement platform aimed at making small dollar donations count more in the political process. But like all good startups it can be used for so much more, including organizing social action groups and affinity groups that want to make a change in the world.

Full disclosure: I'm an advisor and board member at Public Assembly.

Another interesting startup that I'm going to start advising more is Zero Waste Loop, a startup based in Jamaica with the goal to make getting rid of was a zero-sum game and helping recycling become more prevalent, especially in the Caribbean-region. The founder has been in the waste management space in Jamaica for a bit and this new venture looks really promising. I'm happy to help out where I can.

Tech Bubble Burst

The tech bubble was bound to burst, especially after the largest part of the pandemic passed. But that doesn't mean that the small scrappy startups are gone. In my opinion I think the tech sector, as well as other sectors, are ripe for disruption. And with big tech going through massive layoffs and corrections, now's the time.

We're now neck deep in the cohort for Spring 2024, but FI Keystone is going to open up the signups for Fall 2024 soon. If you're interested click here and I'll be able to get your application prioritized. It's a great group with great learning and comradery, but it is a commitment. But if you have an idea that is nagging at you and you want to see if it has legs, now's your chance!

The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

Web Jawn

• Google CEO on the evolution of Search and SGE
  Interesting take. Pichai is going to want SGE and AI to work or he's going to look like a failure.
• TikTok Could Remain Available, Even if Sell-off Bid Is Approved
  Seems a little bit more reasonable. Still I don't see ByteDance doing this.
• LinkedIn Announces Verification for Recruiters To Help Address Scam Pitches
  This is good news.
• Google: Differences Between 410 and 404 Is Too Minimal
  Good to know that 404's are terrible. And that wasting time 410ing pages isn't worth it.
• The Importance of Having a Style Guide for Your WordPress Website
  Often overlooked and very important to stay consistent and professional.
• Survey Reveals How Listeners Want to Engage With Your Podcast
  Interesting survey results. A must read for any podcaster.
• How Consistency Leads to Podcasting Success
  As with most things consistency is key. Staying on a cadence that is doable for you will make your listeners appreciate your content and come back regularly.
• LinkedIn Adds Shortcut To Find Collaborative Articles You Can Contribute To
  This is a great add, because before it was hard to find these articles to contribute to.
• Meta Tests DMs on Threads via Instagram Inbox
  The integration with Instagram made Threads.net explode onto the scene. But I'm not so sure that combining inboxes with Instagram is smart. It might get confusing.
• Instagram Confirms Profile Notes Are Coming to All Users
  A neat little status message feature. I thought everyone had it already. 😊
• How the Google-Reddit partnership impacts brand management
  This partnership makes how you treat Reddit as a business very important. Because if your brand is trashed on Reddit, it just might show up in Google. Now more than ever!
• The CFPB wants to rein in data brokers
  This is a good thing. The data brokers are out of control!
• Bluesky lifted its ban on heads of state signups
  Kind of predictable if you ask me. And a good move.

X Drama (You Can't Make This 💩Up)

• X Offers New Incentives to Get Brands to Sign Up to X Verified for Organizations
  Elon Musk's X is desperate.
• X To Remove the Option To Hide Blue Tick
  Ha! I wonder if people who have been hiding it will flee or suck it up? 😜😵‍💫🤣
• X Continues To Amplify Misinformation Ahead of the Upcoming US Election
  Ugh. They also broke links when moving from Twitter.com to X.com. Elon's made a once amazing service a complete trash heap.
• Elon Musk plans to charge new X users to enable posting
  Oh the news over there gets sadder and sadder.

That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth