My big question for 2021, and the one that is on every startup’s mind, is how will a cataclysmic event such as a global pandemic show up in post-pandemic innovation? I think we're in the early innings of seeing what 'aha moments' have materialized into companies. And we won't know the pandemic's true impact on our psyches until the dust settles and we have an opportunity to reflect. We do know it will be fascinating to watch. In 2020, innovators and investors were forced to stand still, and witness cracks, fractures, and rubble in society in a way like never before. It was a humbling year that, for much of the tech community, was mostly spent inside, away, and alone. One reaction I've noticed so far – that isn't necessarily new but comes with new weight – is a rush of innovation that focuses on reducing friction. Take trends like the rise of building in public or the unbundling of venture capital. Or remote work's shift from enabling communication to now needing to enable passive and active collaboration. Apply the same idea to mental health, education, and fitness. Heck, we're even seeing people take the Y Combinator format and apply it to anything that makes sense, from helping operators turn into investors to helping employees try to turn their side gig into a full-time company. While these movements didn't begin because of the coronavirus, they all seem to have a huge, pandemic-sized asterisk next to it. It would be easy to dismiss these movements as small and inconsequential. But, as my colleague and fellow Equity co-host Danny Crichton pointed out this week, "sometimes the most important changes in venture and startups more generally have come from lowering that last bit of friction to action." Lowering friction feels like the mantra we all need to enter 2021 with. I already have hope that innovation will come from a more diverse set of people, whether it's in a hacker house for undergraduate women or a student-founded service that matches undergraduate students to non-profits. So, as we enter the new year — and bear with me here – I urge you to be optimistic. The last year in tech hasn't left people exhausted and hopeless, it's left them energized and ready. With that, I have a bonus newsletter for you to sift through as you tweak your resolutions. I hope you love it, and make sure to send me tips and thoughts to natasha.mascarenhas@techcrunch.com or tweet me @nmasc_. |
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